zu Design Thinking: Intensive is a 3 day deep dive into the process of design thinking. This course involves the traditional approach to design thinking, giving participants an interactive learning experience through each major phase. Design thinking can be taken back to the office the very next day, with tangible tools and skills that will help you solve problems faster and more effectively.
What is design thinking?
It’s a practical approach to finding creative solutions to problems, inspired by traditional design methods, that you don’t have to be a designer to use or understand. More simply, design thinking is an approach to problem solving.
What you'll learn
- Create better experiences for your customers
- Solve complex problems faster
- User-centred research techniques
- Problem identification and reframing
- New methods for ideation and solution development
- The prototyping mindset and user testing
Grant Opportunity
Do you work for a Saskatchewan business? You may be eligible for the Canada-Saskatchewan Job Grant. Explore this option to access full funding for Design Thinking: Intensive.
Course Outline
Course Outline
Day 1
- Learn about the design thinking methodology
- Become an advocate of human-centred design
- Create personas and see the world through the user’s lens
- Practice various research methods
- Embark on a virtual field-research trip to solve a sample project
Day 2
- Learn about defining and reframing your problems
- Master various user maps (Empathy, Journey Maps, Service Blueprints)
- Practice creating ‘How Might We’ questions
- Improve your quick sketching abilities
- Apply ideation and concept storytelling to your case study
Day 3
- Learn what and how to prototype
- Build a prototype with your team
- Understand the steps of user testing, from preparation to execution
- Practice running a user test for your prototype
- Gain insights into other applications of Design Thinking
Q & A session
Upon completion, participants receive course material summaries and an official certificate of completion that you can show off to your network.
Participants also have an opportunity to book a 1-1 session with the instructor to answer any burning questions and discuss personal design thinking applications.
Requirements
Requirements
- Laptop or desktop with a good internet connection
- Webcam
- Updated web browser
- Smartphone, tablet or camera
- Pen, sharpie and 8.5x11 or 11x17 paper
- Comfy chair or chaise lounge
Who should attend?
Who should attend?
- Designers expanding their application outside of traditional design
- Project Managers looking for ways to deliver faster
- Business analysts who want to build solutions around the user
- Executive Management hoping to disrupt culture and process
- Cross-functional teams wanting to ground themselves into a new problem-solving framework
- Individuals who are serious about becoming design thinking facilitators or champions within their organizations
Chief Experience Officer,
Partner
Chief Experience Officer,
Partner
Albert Jame
As the unofficial digital spokesperson in Saskatchewan since the early 2000s, Albert has watched the online world evolve, from static websites to the digital ecosystem. His fresh and dynamic attitude belies his seasoned perspective in matters of business, strategy, and creative work. At the office, Albert facilities workshops, and design sprints, and works closely with UX leads in navigating strategy and design challenges for clients.
Instructor
Instructor
Albert is zu’s Strategy Director and resident storyteller. As a regarded thought leader on Design Thinking and Digital Strategy, Albert regularly facilitates workshops and leads project strategy sessions. Albert is committed to proving that your brand is only as good as your experience.
About zu
About zu
zu is a design and strategy consultancy focused on building digital solutions. We have applied our human-centred approach to transformational client projects for the last 25 years. zu Academy is the learning extension of zu, aimed at helping organizations build knowledge and capacity within their teams to design and develop better products and services for their users.
I was surprised at how easy it was to grasp the concepts that were touched on and how seamlessly they could be integrated into my work.
Public Relations Associate
Conexus Credit Union
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