Design Planning & Problem Diagnostic Strategy

Course Introduction

This OXFORD Design Planning & Problem Diagnostic Strategy training course is essentially about Design thinking, a five-phase process that is broadly used and has proven its value. Design Thinking is a human-centered, iterative problem-solving process of discovery, ideation, and experimentation that employs various design-based techniques to gain insight and yield innovative solutions for virtually any type of organizational or business challenge. This method combines both analytical and creative approaches to generate solutions. This Design Thinking training programme is an ideal starting point for an organization embarking on digital transformation.

In this 5-day action-oriented training course, the facilitator will guide participants to work in small teams, to experience a customer-centric approach to problem solving through a re-imagination of the end-to-end customer experience journey.

Participants will develop skills such as descriptive anthropologists, visual thinkers and strategists through a hybrid of workshop discussions and activities. This training course covers building empathy through descriptive anthropology research, generating ideas, prototyping and testing new concepts.​

The training course will highlight:

• The five-phase Design Thinking process
• Problem solving methodology of discovery, ideation and experimentation
• Application of design-based techniques for discovery of problems & innovative solutions
• Customer-centric approach in solving problems through imagination of the comprehensive customer journey
• Development of key competencies as descriptive anthropologists, visual thinkers and strategists.

Objectives

Upon completion of this Oxford Management Centre training course, participants will be able to:

• Acquire a deep understanding of the Design Thinking principles, process and tools
• Understand the mindsets of a design thinker
• Apply the Design Thinking framework as a structured process to solve problems, generate breakthrough ideas and co-create an improved customer experience journey
• Apply key competencies as descriptive anthropologists, visual thinkers and strategists during in overcoming organizational challenges
• Improve personal effectiveness by becoming a more empathetic solution provider

Training Methodology

This is an experiential course, which emphasises engagement, interaction and practice. The methods used in the Course include:

• Case studies
• Skills practice through group activities
• Reflection for deepening their learning through group discussions
• Introduction of content, examples via short, interactive presentations
• Short video clips

Participants will be given the opportunity, that requires them to work in teams to address one unmet need and present their ideas

Organisational Impact

Enhanced design planning and problem diagnostic ability enables an organization to increase stakeholder satisfaction through:

• Proactive problem solving with innovative solutions
• Enhanced managerial competencies of descriptive anthropologists, visual thinkers, strategists and story-tellers
• Development of enhanced customer-centric environment
• Enhanced internal cross-functional communication
• Building of a culture of measured risk-taking

Personal Impact

Delegates will develop their ability to use design planning and problem diagnostics competency to become more proactive, creative and innovative to implement business solutions through:

• Acquisition of a deep understanding of the Design Thinking principles, process and tools
• Understanding and adaptation to the mindsets of a design thinker
• Application of the Design Thinking framework as a structured process to solve problems
• Generation of breakthrough ideas and co-create an improved customer experience journey
• Mastery of key competencies as descriptive anthropologists, visual thinkers, strategists and story-tellers during in overcoming organizational challenges

Who Should Attend?

This OXFORD Design Planning & Problem Diagnostic Strategy training Course is designed for any business leader, professional, manager or individual contributor wishing to gain practical know-how on the principles, process and tools of Design Thinking.

• Business Managers
• Team Leaders
• Process Leaders
• Functional Managers
• Project Managers
• Newly-appointed Senior Managers

Course Outline

DAY 1

Fundamentals of Design Thinking - Key Concepts & Principles

• Design Thinking – Definitions & Boundaries
• Traditional thinking versus design thinking
• Three perspectives of human-centred design: Desirability, feasibility, and viability
• Advantages and benefits of design thinking
• Examples of industrial applications of design thinking
• Design thinking applications – Case studies in Apple, Google, Samsung and GE
• Design Thinking framework
• How design thinking enhances our innovative ability and personal effectiveness?

​​ The Mindsets of Design Thinkers

• Human-centric
• Process approach
• Radical collaboration
• Culture of prototyping
• Show vs. tell
• Biased toward actions

DAY 2

​EMPATHIZE: Understanding the Customer/User’s Problem

• Understand of the experience, situation and emotion of the user for whom you are designing through observation, engagement and immersion techniques
• Apply tools such as personas, empathy map and user feedback

DEFINE: Analysis & Synthesis of the Observations

• Process and synthesize the findings in order to form a user Point of View (POV) that you will address by identifying the user, his/her needs and insights gathered
• Apply tools such as POV, How Might We (HMW), stakeholder map, customer journeys, context map and opportunity map

​DAY 3

IDEATE: Exploring Ideas & Solutions

• Focusing on idea generation, translate problems into solutions, and explore a wide variety and large quantity of ideas that go beyond the obvious solutions to a problem
• Experiencing the divergent and convergent ideation methods
• Application of ideation techniques (e.g. Brainwriting, SCAMPER, What if, etc.) and tools such as relationship diagram, prioritization matrix, affinity diagram and idea evaluation matrix

​​DAY 4

PROTOTYPE: Visualizing Ideas and Building Solutions

• To build, then to think - An economic, simple, and fast way to shape ideas that enables experience and interaction with them
• Learn how to apply tools such as developing physical prototypes, wireframes and storyboards

​TEST: Reviewing & Deciding the Solutions

• Asking for feedback on your prototypes, so as to learn about your user, reframe your POV and refine your prototype
• Learning how to apply tools such as user feedback, observation and evaluation matrix

DAY 5

Team Dynamics

• Harnessing and managing group creativity and thinking processes to enhance team performance
• Effective Team Roles
• Groups and team contribution
• Types of teams
• Characteristics of a team player

Course Summary

• Revision of Course Coverage
• Lessons learnt & recommendations
• Action Plan -Design Thinking into practice at the workplace