Design Thinking is a human-centered innovation approach that helps teams understand real user needs, challenge assumptions and develop meaningful solutions. In this hands-on introductory training, participants experience the Design Thinking process from start to finish within a compact 4-hour format. Through practical exercises, teamwork and reflection, the course makes Design Thinking tangible and easy to understand - without requiring prior knowledge. Participants work on an easy, relatable, non-technical challenge to fully focus on mindset, methods and collaboration. The training combines short theoretical inputs with interactive methods, creative exercises and group work. The goal is not only to explain Design Thinking, but to let participants experience how it works and how it can be applied in different contexts.
This introductory workshop is designed as an interactive Design Thinking experience. After a brief introduction to the mindset and core principles of Design Thinking, participants explore selected elements of the approach through hands-on exercises.
The focus is on gaining an overall understanding of how human-centered thinking works and what it feels like in practice. Participants engage with a simple, relatable challenge and are introduced to key ideas such as user perspective, creative ideation and making ideas tangible through very low-fidelity prototypes.
Short theory inputs are directly followed by practical activities, allowing participants to experience Design Thinking in action. The workshop emphasizes learning by doing, collaboration and reflection, creating a safe environment to experiment, ask questions and build a shared understanding of the method.
After the workshop, participants will:
• Understand the Design Thinking process and mindset
• Be able to apply basic Design Thinking methods in practice
• Develop empathy for users and problem contexts
• Practice creative ideation and structured problem-solving
• Strengthen collaboration, communication and creativity skills
• Gain future skills such as user-centric thinking, adaptability and innovation mindset
Stefan Thomann is an experienced innovation facilitator and lecturer with a strong focus on Design Thinking, innovation processes and future skills. With a hands-on and practice-oriented approach, the coach supports participants in translating theory into action. The training style is interactive, structured and approachable, creating an inspiring learning environment that encourages curiosity, experimentation and reflection.
