Design Thinking in 3 Steps from Udemy

In this course, you’ll learn design thinking from the people who helped invent it. Designit is a global strategic design firm, and our designers help organizations across the globe learn and adopt a human-centered approach to innovation.

This course is taught by Alan Cooper, Sanskriti Ayyar, and Teresa Brazen, team members from Cooper Professional Education (CPE) — a team at Designit.

Through this interactive course, you’ll learn a different approach to strategic problem solving so that you can create experiences customers love. You’ll practice design thinking on a real-life project and equip yourself with a powerful set of tools to become more collaborative, innovative, and effective.

You’ll learn:

how to understand the problem from your customer's perspective;
how to effectively brainstorm innovative ideas;
and how to create prototypes to test your new ideas before investing a lot of time and money.

We designed this class for people who’ve heard about design thinking but who don’t know exactly what it is or how it works. If you want to start learning about design thinking while working on a real project that you can add to your portfolio, this is the course for you.

This class is geared to a wide range of professionals, whether you’re a business leader wanting to better understand what the designers at your company do, or a generalist wanting to break out of solving problems in the same old way.

Music used throughout the course: Just Smile by LiQWYD | find on Instagram @liqwyd. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Apply the design thinking framework to solve problems more creatively
Create prototypes to test your idea early, before making a big investment of time and money
Understand problems from the customer's perspective
Guide groups to effectively brainstorm innovative ideas

Plan and conduct effective design research, including user interviews
Make and use a storyboard to communicate your design ideas
Identify your design research objectives
Make a plan to iterate your idea forward

Apply the design thinking framework to solve problems more creatively
Create prototypes to test your idea early, before making a big investment of time and money
Understand problems from the customer's perspective
Guide groups to effectively brainstorm innovative ideas
Plan and conduct effective design research, including user interviews
Make and use a storyboard to communicate your design ideas
Identify your design research objectives
Make a plan to iterate your idea forward

Syllabus

Understand what you'll get from the course and how the course is set up.

Learn more at www.designit.com

You'll be able to explain the steps of Design Thinking, and the goal of each step. You'll also be able to share a story of how design thinking had an impact on a real project.

You'll be able to explain the purpose and value of doing user research before solving a problem.

Understanding users

Case study: What's the impact of user research?

Reflect on the value of user research

You'll be able to identify design research objectives and create an interview guide with great questions to use to interview users.

Decide who to interview

Activity: Identify your interview subjects

Ask the right questions

Activity: Build your list of interview questions

Activity: Create your interview guide

Create your interview guide

You'll be able to conduct an effective user interview that will inspire your design thinking project.

Watch and learn: Interviewing

Perform your first interview

Did you ace the interview?

Perform the rest of your interviews

You'll be able to identify your research findings and turn those into a design target in the form of a proto-persona.

Case study: Discovering personas for Kurbo

Activity: Create your proto-persona

You'll be able to reflect on the value of understanding your users and generate ideas on how to apply the ideas of the understand step to your life and work.

You'll be able to explain the value of the envision step to your design thinking project.

What you can do with a persona

You'll be able to lead an effective brainstorm with a strong ideation prompt and what if prompts.

Two tools for great brainstorms

Activity: Create "What if?" prompts

Watch and learn: brainstorming

Ideation session: Brainstorm new ways to improve the airline check-in experience

You'll be able to evaluate ideas from an ideation session to choose an idea to prototype.

Activity: Assess and choose an idea

Case Study: Envisioning for Kurbo

You'll be able to reflect on the value of understanding your users and generate ideas on how to apply the ideas of the envision step to your life and work.

You'll be able to explain the value of the prototype step to your design thinking project.

Two kinds of prototyping

You'll be able to make a prototype storyboard that you'll use to test you ideas with users.

Case study: A storyboard from Kurbo

How to make a storyboard

Activity: Make your storyboard

You'll be able to conduct a user testing session to test your prototype.

Watch and learn: Testing

Activity: Test your prototype

You'll be able to reflect on the value of understanding your users and generate ideas on how to apply the ideas of the prototype step to your life and work.

You'll be able to reflect on how the design thinking process helped your ideas evolve in a new direction and will discover how and where you can apply design thinking in your life and work.

Reflect: What was the impact of using design thinking?

How can you apply this to your world?

You have the power to design

Reflect: Where will you apply design thinking in your life?

Wrapping up

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches the foundational principles of design thinking

Taught by industry leaders in design thinking from the company Designit

Develops skills in understanding the customer's perspective and creating innovative solutions

Provides hands-on experience through a real-life project

Suitable for both beginners and experienced professionals in various fields

Utilizes a mix of interactive materials, including videos, readings, and discussions

Reviews summary

Design thinking crash course

learners say this course is largely positive, provides engaging assignments, and highlights key features of the design thinking process. The course is said to be well received by students and to provide a practical approach to problem solving.

Creating storyboards helps to visualize the user's journey and identify potential pain points and opportunities.

"storyboard and presenting it is not my strong point, but my creative side is activated."

Exploring many different ideas and possibilities helps to generate innovative and creative solutions.

"brainstorming ideas engaging"

"difficult exams."

Keeping the end user's goals in mind throughout the design process ensures that the solution is focused on meeting those goals.

"This course helps you consider new ways of exploring product development and how to test ideas with users during the prototyping phase. In particular, I'm interested in working more with the story board concept. Overall, a very interesting and insightful course."

Conducting user interviews helps to gather valuable insights into the needs and perspectives of the people who will be using the solution.

"Liked this course., But this course.. seems more goal-based approach.. Understanding people (build persona), envision ideas, prototype, test. Design thinking is solution-based approach with understanding...business+people+technology+environment."

Building and testing prototypes quickly and iteratively allows for fast feedback and learning.

"humorous"

"There were 7000 reviews written for a course titled "Design Thinking in 3 Steps". "

Understanding people's goals and needs is key to creating solutions that are actually useful and desirable.

"It would be great to have a sample case study from a IT services domain where people are trying to design think a IT solution or rather a solution for a system which does NOT have any UI and it more of a server consoles and app-tool's interfaces"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Design Thinking in 3 Steps with these activities:

Explore additional design thinking resources

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Expand your knowledge by exploring online tutorials and resources related to design thinking, deepening your understanding of its principles and methodologies.

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Identify reputable websites, blogs, or online courses that offer design thinking content.
Review tutorials and articles on different aspects of design thinking, such as empathy, ideation, and prototyping.
Apply what you learn to your own projects or case studies.

Participate in peer review sessions

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Engage with peers to share and critique design thinking ideas, providing valuable perspectives and fostering collaboration.

Browse courses on Peer Review

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Find a peer group or online community focused on design thinking.
Present your design thinking project to the group for feedback.
Actively participate in discussions and provide constructive criticism to others.

Attend a design thinking workshop

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Immerse yourself in a hands-on workshop environment where you can apply design thinking principles under the guidance of experienced practitioners.

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Research and identify design thinking workshops that align with your interests.
Register for a workshop and participate actively in all sessions.
Collaborate with other participants and industry experts to develop innovative solutions.

Five other activities

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Practice design thinking exercises

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Apply design thinking principles through hands-on exercises to enhance your understanding and problem-solving abilities.

Browse courses on Design Thinking

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Identify a real-world problem to solve using design thinking.
Brainstorm innovative ideas to address the problem.
Create a prototype to test your solution.
Gather feedback and iterate on your design.

Participate in design thinking challenges

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Put your design thinking skills to the test by participating in competitions or challenges, showcasing your abilities and expanding your knowledge.

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Identify design thinking challenges or competitions that pique your interest.
Form a team or work individually to develop innovative solutions.
Present your ideas to a panel of judges or the public.

Mentor junior designers or students

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Share your design thinking knowledge and skills by mentoring others, reinforcing your understanding while fostering the growth of aspiring designers.

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Identify opportunities to mentor junior designers or students.
Provide guidance and support on design thinking projects or assignments.
Share your experiences and insights to inspire and empower your mentees.

Develop a design thinking case study

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Create a comprehensive case study that showcases your application of design thinking to a real-world challenge, demonstrating your understanding and problem-solving abilities.

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Identify a company or organization facing a design challenge.
Conduct user research to understand their needs and pain points.
Apply design thinking principles to develop innovative solutions.
Present your findings and recommendations in a written case study.

Contribute to open-source design thinking projects

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Engage in open-source initiatives related to design thinking, actively contributing to the community while enhancing your skills and knowledge.

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Identify open-source design thinking projects or initiatives.
Review the project documentation and contribute ideas or code.
Collaborate with other contributors and seek feedback to improve your contributions.

Career center

Learners who complete Design Thinking in 3 Steps will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Design Lead

Design Leads are the creative force behind developing and executing user-centric designs for a company's products or services. To help their teams succeed, Design Leads need a firm grasp of how to apply design thinking in order to solve problems for and improve the experience of a company's target audience. This course teaches the Design Thinking process in three steps: Understand, Envision, and Prototype, and provides activities and interviews that can be directly applied to real-world situations in order to create a prototype.

See salaries and explore the career path for Design Lead

Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the overall vision and strategy for a product, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their customers and develop products that meet those needs. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and develop innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

UX Designer

UX Designers are responsible for the user experience of a product or service, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your users and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Designer

UX Researcher

UX Researchers study the user experience of a product or service, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and make recommendations to improve the user experience. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your users and make recommendations that will improve their experience.

See salaries and explore the career path for UX Researcher

Product Designer

Product Designers are responsible for the design of a product's user interface, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their customers and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Interaction Designer

Interaction Designers are responsible for the design of a product's user interface, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Interaction Designer

Information Architect

Information Architects are responsible for organizing and structuring the content of a product or service, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Architect

User Researcher

User Researchers study the behavior and preferences of a product's end users, and this course will help prepare you to conduct effective research, analyze data, and make informed recommendations to your team. The course will teach you how to conduct user interviews, build a research guide, and create a proto-persona, which are all essential skills for User Researchers.

See salaries and explore the career path for User Researcher

Creative Director

Creative Directors are responsible for the overall creative vision of a product or service, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Creative Director

Service Designer

Service Designers are responsible for the design of a product or service's user experience, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Service Designer

Design Strategist

Design Strategists are responsible for developing and executing the design strategy for a product or service, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Design Strategist

Innovation Manager

Innovation Managers are responsible for developing and executing the innovation strategy for a company, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Innovation Manager

Visual Designer

Visual Designers are responsible for the visual design of a product or service, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Designer

Experience Designer

Experience Designers are responsible for the overall experience of a product or service, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their users and create designs that are both user-friendly and visually appealing. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Experience Designer

Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs are responsible for starting and running their own businesses, and they need to be able to understand the needs of their customers and create products or services that meet those needs. This course will teach you how to apply design thinking to understand your customers and create innovative products that they will love.

See salaries and explore the career path for Entrepreneur