Class Details
Design Thinking Course
Course summary
In contemporary workplaces, innovation is necessary to keep up with change. Design thinking helps organisations develop innovative solutions that not only resonate with their target audience but also deliver meaningful impact.
The design thinking methodology adopts a human-centred approach to problem-solving and innovation, prioritising an understanding of user and stakeholder needs and experiences. By embracing human-centred design, even the most complex problems can be solved. This approach asserts that individuals facing these complex problems play a key role in devising solutions. Taking a human-centred design enables problem solvers to develop empathy for their target audience, to continuously frame and reframe their understanding of the problem based on insights, and to ideate and test solutions that address these needs. This methodology helps design innovative products, services, experiences that are more likely to be adopted and used because it keeps people’s deeper needs at the centre of problem-solving.
Design thinking methodology was originally used by designers; however, it is now used in various fields beyond design, including business, education, and social innovation to facilitate creative problem solving. Design thinking unlocks team creativity by supporting the team’s generative thinking (refraining from judgement), assisting teams in developing tangible prototypes of their ideas, and enabling them to test their idea and iterate until they achieve the desired outcome (embracing rapid learning and user feedback).
This is a practical course, where you will learn about design thinking while practising it. The process is designed to facilitate direct learning from people, open yourself up to a breadth of creative possibilities, and focus on what’s most desirable, feasible, and viable for the users you’re designing for. You will be working in a team to learn how to frame a problem as a design challenge, how to ideate, and ultimately, how to prototype and test your solution. You will also learn to prototype a business model that underpins your new product or service.
Aims
This course aims to provide a practice-based experience of design thinking. You will apply the methodology to a problem you have identified within your own professional practice, and will utilise a variety of problem-framing, ideation, and prototyping methods to bring your idea to life and test it.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- apply design thinking methodologies to creative problem solving
- frame a complex challenge into a design challenge
- ideate, prototype, and test your idea
- develop an initial Proof of Concept.
Content
Practising design thinking
- Design thinking practice
- Design thinking principles
- Reflections
Problem discovery and framing
- Exploring problems relevant to your professional practice
- Framing problems from a human perspective
- Problems as design challenges
Ideation and prototyping
- Ideation methods
- Prototyping and testing
Pitching
- Pitching for influencing
Who this course is for
Anyone in business, government or creative industries, seeking to innovate with design solutions to better meet the needs of customers.
Prerequisites
None
Delivery modes
- Face-to-face, presenter-taught workshop
- Online workshop via the platform Zoom
Materials
Course materials are distributed electronically using Dropbox.
Sessions
Location
Face-to-face (CCE Building, Sydney)
Public transport
As bus and train timetables regularly change, we suggest you visit the Transport for NSW trip planner before you set out.
The nearest train stations are Newtown Station and Macdonaldtown Station. Macdonaldtown Station is closer by distance than Newtown Station, however trains do not stop as frequently as at Newtown Station.
Other information
Parking
Nearby parking is available at Wilson Parking - RPA Medical Centre Car Park (entry via Elizabeth Street off Carillon Avenue).
A Flexi Saver Rate is available but must be booked in advance online and includes the booking fee. Bookings can be made via the Wilson website or by downloading the Wilson Parking App. Otherwise, hourly parking rates will apply, as advertised on the Wilson Parking website.
Meet the facilitators
Van Le
Van offers a unique blend of expertise in design thinking, entrepreneurship, psychology, business strategy, public policy, law, innovation, and organisational transformation. With a distinctive ability to apply design thinking to solve complex challenges, Van has worked across diverse sectors, including IT&T, higher education, financial services, government, and energy. Van has partnered with Australian, New Zealand, and international organisations, leading initiatives that drive customer experience transformation, cultural change, and innovation.
What sets Van apart is a passion for making design thinking relevant, useful and actionable, ensuring that individuals and teams can apply it directly to their work contexts. Having trained a broad range of audiences—from undergraduate and postgraduate students to customer-facing teams, managers, executives, co-founders, and boards—Van creates transformative, hands-on learning experiences that inspire collaboration, foster problem-solving, and drive sustainable success.
Van’s qualifications include an MBA, Masters of Professional Psychology, Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Commerce, being a Solicitor and certifications in Change Management and Process Improvement. She has been twice awarded Female Fintech Leader of the year (Fintech Australia & Australian Fintech Awards 2019), a sought after keynote speaker on innovation, dedicated over 13 years to childhood research ethics, sat on the TIO Council and telco industry advisory committees, and driven legislative change in the financial services and telecommunications industries.
