UNIT – II

Design Thinking Workshop:

In a layman language, a Design Thinking workshop is a hands-on, activity-based session built
around the Design Thinking process. It can last two hours, two days, or even a full week—it
all depends on the context and the goals at hand. By no means just for designers, a Design
Thinking workshop is a methodology intended for the whole team and can be applied to
numerous areas of business, from sales through to senior management.

The Design Thinking Workshop is at the core of Design Thinking, which is a collaborative
and dynamic space where participants embark on a journey of empathy, creativity, and
iterative problem-solving.
How to Conduct a Design Thinking Workshop?
Step 1: Preparation and Workshop Planning

This phase lays the groundwork for a productive, engaging workshop experience that drives
innovation and problem-solving. From defining objectives to selecting the right facilitators,
each element plays an essential role in shaping the workshop's outcome.

 Defining Workshop Objectives: Before embarking on any workshop, having clear and
well-defined objectives is essential. What specific challenge or opportunity will the
workshop address? Are you aiming to ideate new product features, enhance customer
experiences, or streamline internal processes? One should set a clear direction that guides
the workshop process by pinpointing the desired outcomes.

 Choosing the ideal venue and resources: The workshop's physical environment
significantly impacts the participants' experience. An open, comfortable, and conducive
space fosters creativity and active engagement. Additionally, consider the resources
required for hands-on activities and prototyping. Access to tools, materials, and
technology is essential for turning ideas into tangible solutions.

 Crafting the Workshop Agenda: A well-structured agenda is the backbone of a

productive Design Thinking Workshop. Divide the workshop into distinct phases
(empathise, define, ideate, prototype, test) and allocate sufficient time for each. Within
each phase, outline specific activities, discussions, and exercises facilitating the creative
process. Keep the agenda flexible enough to adapt to the group's pace and needs.

 Designing material and Visual Aids: Visual aids and materials convey information and
guide participants through activities—design worksheets, templates, and other materials
that align with the workshop's objectives. Clear visuals enhance understanding and
contribute to a visually appealing and engaging workshop atmosphere.

 Setting a realistic Timeline: Time management is a crucial aspect of workshop planning.

Balance the need for in-depth exploration to make progress within the allocated time.
Allocate time strategically, ensuring participants have ample opportunity for
brainstorming, prototyping, and testing. While adhering to the workshop timeline, also
build flexibility to adjust the pace based on the group's dynamics and progress.

 Creating a Diverse Participation Mix: Diversity among participants enriches the

workshop experience by bringing together various perspectives and expertise. Curate a
mix of individuals from different departments, roles, and backgrounds. This diversity
encourages fresh viewpoints and stimulates creative thinking, leading to innovative
solutions that may not emerge in a homogenous group.

 Preparing facilitators and resources: Facilitators play a pivotal role in guiding

participants through the workshop. Ensure they are well-versed in Design Thinking
 principles and techniques, capable of managing group dynamics and fostering an
inclusive environment. Also, gather and prepare all necessary resources, from post-it
notes and markers for brainstorming to prototyping materials like paper, tape, and
modelling clay.

Step 2: Understanding the Design Thinking Process

The Design Thinking process guides problem-solving and innovation through interrelated
phases.

 Design Thinking process: This process aims to remind the audience of the design
thinking process. This iterative framework is centred around empathy, creativity, and
collaboration, allowing teams to unravel complex challenges and create user-centred
solutions.

 Embracing Iteration: What sets the Design Thinking process apart is its iterative nature.
The phases are not linear; they loop back and meet with each other again. Insights gained
during testing may prompt revisiting the ideation phase, leading to refined solutions. This
iterative approach allows teams to learn from failures, continuously improve, and adapt
solutions based on evolving insights.

Step 3: Facilitation Techniques

Effective facilitation is the cornerstone of a successful Design Thinking Workshop, ensuring

that participants engage fully, collaborate effectively, and navigate the various phases of the
process seamlessly. Here are some key facilitation techniques to create an environment
conducive to innovation and problem-solving:

 Encouraging Active Participation: Facilitators should actively engage participants and

encourage everyone to contribute. Use several techniques to ensure that every voice is
heard, preventing dominant individuals from monopolising discussions. Encourage
quieter participants to share their insights as well.

 Managing Group Dynamics and Conflicts: Diverse groups can bring conflicting
viewpoints. Facilitators should mediate conflicts constructively, encouraging respectful
dialogue. Several techniques can help manage differences without derailing the
workshop's progress.

 Navigating through the Design Thinking Phases: Guide participants through each
Design Thinking phase, ensuring they understand the objectives and activities. Facilitate
smooth transitions between phases, helping participants carry insights and ideas from one
phase to the next.
 Time Management and Pace: Maintain a steady pace throughout the workshop,
ensuring each phase gets attention. Monitor the clock and make adjustments if activities
take longer than expected. Encourage participants to stay on track without rushing.

 Maintaining Enthusiasm: Facilitators set the tone for the workshop. Maintain
enthusiasm, energy, and positivity throughout the process. Your excitement can inspire
participants to engage and invest in the activities fully.

Step 4: Empathy and User-Centricity

The idea of empathy lies at the core of Design Thinking, guiding the development of user-
centric solutions that truly resonate. This phase is pivotal in understanding users' needs,
experiences, and emotions, ensuring that the final solutions align closely with their realities.

 Developing User Personas and Empathy Maps: Personas and empathy maps create a
detailed picture of users. Personas are fictional representations of typical users, while
empathy maps delve into users' thoughts, feelings, actions, and motivations. Both tools
aid in stepping into users' shoes.

 Utilising insights to drive ideation: The empathy phase fuels the ideation process.
Insights gained from user research and empathy mapping serve as a rich source of
inspiration. Participants can identify challenges and opportunities that directly address
users' needs.

 Empathy tools for deeper connection: Empathy tools bridge the gap between data and
empathy. By crafting narratives highlighting users' experiences, facilitators can foster a
deeper emotional connection among participants, inspiring them to design solutions that
truly make a difference.

 Overcoming Assumptions and Biases: Empathy involves setting aside assumptions and
biases to understand users' perspectives truly. Facilitators guide participants in
recognising and challenging preconceptions, ensuring that unfounded beliefs do not
influence solutions.

 Cultivating a Human-Centred Mindset: Empathy sets the tone for a human-centred

approach permeating the Design Thinking process. By emphasising the human aspect of
problem-solving, teams are more likely to develop solutions prioritising user needs over
technical constraints.

Step 5: Brainstorming Techniques for Divergent Thinking

Traditional brainstorming sessions encourage participants to generate many ideas, often

without evaluation. Techniques like "6 Thinking Hats," "SCAMPER," and "mind mapping"
help break conventional thinking patterns and promote the exploration of new and
unexpected ideas.

 Organising and Clustering ideas: After a productive brainstorming session, ideas can be
overwhelming. Facilitators guide participants in organising and categorising ideas into
clusters that share common themes. This process provides clarity and sets the stage for
deeper exploration.

 Collaborative Idea Selection Methods: Selecting ideas for further development involves
collaboration. This democratic approach ensures that various perspectives contribute to
the selection process.

 Fostering open and inclusive discussions: Encourage participants to share their ideas
openly, regardless of their feasibility. A culture of inclusivity ensures that diverse
viewpoints are heard, and participants feel empowered to contribute even unconventional
or bold suggestions.

 Embracing playful and risk-taking mindsets: Creativity flourishes when participants

feel free to take risks and embrace playful thinking. Facilitators encourage a culture
where no idea is too outrageous, fostering an environment where novel and
groundbreaking concepts can emerge.

Step 6: Prototyping and Iteration

The prototyping and iteration phase of the Design Thinking process transforms abstract ideas
into tangible solutions through hands-on experimentation and continuous refinement. This
phase embodies the spirit of learning by doing and ensures that solutions are refined based on
real-world insights.

 Importance of Rapid Prototyping: Prototyping allows participants to turn concepts into

tangible forms that can be experienced and evaluated. Rapid prototyping, characterised by
speed and low fidelity, facilitates quick idea validation and iteration.

 Types of Prototypes (Low-Fi to High-Fi): Prototypes vary in fidelity, from low-fidelity

sketches and paper prototypes to high-fidelity digital mock-ups. The prototype type
choice depends on the development process and the feedback needed. Low-fi prototypes
focus on concept validation, while hi-fi prototypes simulate user interactions.

 Balancing complexity and resources: Prototypes should strike a balance between

complexity and available resources. While some solutions may require sophisticated
prototypes, others can be effectively communicated using simpler, cost-effective mock-
ups.
 Collaborative Prototyping: Prototyping isn't limited to design experts; it's a
collaborative effort. Encourage participants to contribute to the prototype creation
process, as diverse perspectives can lead to innovative ways of representing solutions.

 Facilitating user testing: User testing involves putting prototypes in the hands of real
users to observe their interactions and gather feedback. Observations during testing can
uncover unexpected insights and reveal aspects that need improvement.

 Continuous refinement through iteration: Iteration is at the core of prototyping. Based

on user feedback and insights, participants refine and improve prototypes, gradually
approaching solutions that are more effective, user-friendly, and aligned with the defined
problem.

Benefits of Design Thinking Workshop:

 Fosters a culture of innovation by promoting brainstorming and unconventional thinking.

 Encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration.

 Develops empathy towards end-users

 Supports iterative refinement.

 Equips teams with the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and pivot quickly
based on feedback and new information.

Challenges for Design Thinking Workshop:

 Finding dedicated time for workshops amidst regular work commitments can be
challenging.

 Limited access to resources like tools, experts, or materials necessary for conducting the
workshop effectively.

 Conflicting personalities or a lack of collaboration within the team can hinder the
workshop's progress.

 Organizational hierarchies and rigid structures can impede open communication and
idea sharing.

 Pressure to deliver immediate results might hinder the workshop's ability to explore
innovative, long-term solutions.

 Lack of prior training or familiarity with design thinking principles among participants
can impact the workshop's effectiveness.
Design Thinking Exercises:
Design thinking exercises are structured activities or methodologies used within the design
thinking process to encourage creativity, problem-solving, and innovation.

6 Thinking Hats:
The Six Thinking Hats approach was created by Edward de Bono, a Maltese physician,
psychologist and philosopher.

Design thinking and group discussion are highly complex processes in which thoughts are
shared, ideas bubble up, and others are buried. De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats technique
provides a systematic solution to sharing and improving ideas by eliminating idea-destructive
elements during brainstorming meetings.

Solving problems using the six thinking hats model requires looking at different thinking
perspectives. Each perspective is represented with a hat colour. At the end of the discussion
session, stakeholders should better understand the problem from other approaches to reach
creative and innovative solutions.

 White Hat: This hat represents the facts and information about the problem of the
argument. During this part, the stockholders only share information about the issue and
 take notes. No further development in the thinking process should be done. Questions in
this part can be “what is the available information?” and “what are the facts we have?”

 Black Hat: Wearing the black hat drives attendees to think about the problem or
suggestion cautiously and defensively. This part aims to identify the cons of the proposal
and the disadvantages, and why the idea may not work based on logical reasons. Focusing
on the warnings, risks or cautions helps the stakeholders to isolate the reasoning and think
of the solutions in the yellow one. During this discussion, the question that can be asked
is “what are the risks?” and “why is the suggestion not working?”

 Yellow Hat: In contrast to the black hat, the yellow hat supposes to reflect the sun or an
optimistic attitude. The stakeholders think from an optimistic point of view about the
problem or suggestion. It helps to spotlight the advantages and benefits of the
recommendations. During this, the questions are “what are the advantages of applying the
solution?” and “why do you think it is workable?”

 Red Hat: The emotions hat presents the stakeholders’ feelings about the problem and
their gut reactions. Using this hat is to understand the different emotional responses such
as love, hate, like and dislike. The red hat does not aim to understand the reason behind
these feelings. We can ask questions like “what do you feel about the suggestion?” and
“what is your gut reaction?”

 Green Hat: This hat represents the creative thinking part of the discussion. During the
critical thinking discussion, this hat fuels the stakeholders’ thinking to innovate a creative
thinking solution for the problems or look to the suggestions from a creative perspective.
Innovative tools can drive creativity during the conversations.

 Blue Hat: This hat is the process control plan where the meeting leaders manage
difficulties during the discussions. It makes sure that the guidelines of the six thinking hat
technique is applied. This hat can be used to drive the thinking process to better routes.
For example, the facilitators can direct the discussion to the green hat route if there are no
ideas.

Mind Mapping:
A Mind Map is an easy way to brainstorm thoughts organically without worrying about order
and structure. It allows you to visually structure your ideas to help with analysis and recall.

A Mind Map is a diagram for representing tasks, words, concepts, or items linked to and
arranged around a central concept or subject using a non-linear graphical layout that allows
the user to build an intuitive framework around a central concept. A Mind Map can turn a
long list of monotonous information into a colourful, memorable and highly organized
diagram that works in line with your brain's natural way of doing things.
The Mind Mapping approach was popularised by Tony Buzan, a British Psychology author.

Example, Here is an example of an outline for vacation plans.

Thumbnail Sketching:
It’s a process by which team members sketch small thumbnail drawings. The purpose is for
team members to immediately sketch their ideas on the thumbnails, without going into the
details. Artists use this method to get a preview of what their artwork will look like before
they actually start working on it. The aim is to draw sketches of each step, and to improve
some aspects if necessary to achieve the overall picture. In design thinking, drawing boosts
creativity and helps develop different ideas from those that a word-based brainstorming
session might produce.

This technique was popularised by Louisy Thompson. Everyone can use the Thumbnail
Sketching method, even those with poor drawing skills. This method has many advantages: it
helps you rapidly generate ideas and “think outside the box”, encourages the sharing of ideas
and helps introduce improvements in an iterative process.

SCAMPER Technique:
SCAMPER was first introduced by Bob Eberle to address targeted questions that help solve
problems or ignite creativity during brainstorming meetings. The name SCAMPER is
acronym for seven techniques; (S) substitute, (C) combine, (A) adapt, (M) modify, (P) put to
another use, (E) eliminate and (R) reverse. These keywords represent the necessary questions
addressed during the design thinking meeting. While there are different design thinking and
problem-solving techniques, SCAMPER is considered one of the easiest and most direct
methods.
 Substitute: The substitute technique focuses on the parts in the product, service or
solution that can be replaced with another. During this part of the discussion the meeting
attendees focus on making decisions to substitute part of the process with another. The
substitute technique tends to provide alternative solutions for decision makers to evaluate
different solutions in order to reach the final action.

 Combine: The combine technique tends to analyze the possibility of merging two ideas,
stages of the process or product in one single more efficient output. In some cases,
combining two innovative ideas can lead to a new product or technology which leads to
market strength.

 Adapt: Adapt refers to a brainstorming discussion that aims to adjust or tweak product or
service for a better output. This adjustment can range between minor changes to radical
changes in the whole project. Adaptation is one of the efficient techniques to solve
problems through enhancing the existing system.

 Modify: The modify technique refers to changing the process in a way that unleashes
more innovative capabilities or solves problems. This change is more that just adjustment
 as it focuses on the overall process. For example, it can target reducing the project’s
process or change our perspective of how to look at the problem.

 Put to Another Use: This technique concerns how to put the current product or process
in another purpose or how to use the existing product to solve problems. For example,
this technique can be used to learn how to shift an existing product to another market
segment or user type.

 Eliminate: As the name implies, this technique aims to identify the parts of the process
that can be eliminated to improve the process product or service. It also helps to explore
the unnecessary parts of the project. In some situations, the unnecessary resources or
steps in the process provide extra load for the project to achieve innovation and creativity.
Eliminating these resources extends the ability to innovate and allocate more resources
for creativity within the organizations.

 Reverse: Finally, the reverse or rearrange technique aims to explore the innovative
potential when changing the order of the process in the production line. Reversing the
process or part of it can help solving problems or produce more innovative output.

Example,
5 Whys Technique:
Sakichi Toyoda, the Japanese industrialist, inventor, and founder of Toyota Industries,
developed the 5 Whys technique in the 1930s. Five whys (or 5 whys) is
an iterative interrogative technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships
underlying a particular problem. The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root
cause of a defect or problem by repeating the question "Why?" five times. The answer to the
fifth why should reveal the root cause of the problem.

The 5 Whys uses "counter-measures," rather than "solutions." A counter-measure is an action

or set of actions that seeks to prevent the problem from arising again, while a solution may
just seek to deal with the symptom. As such, counter-measures are more robust, and will
more likely prevent the problem from recurring.

Example,

Deconstruction:
Deconstruction in design thinking involves breaking down a product, system, or process into
its constituent parts to understand its underlying elements, functions, and relationships. This
technique aims to gain insights by examining and analyzing each component separately,
allowing for a deeper understanding of the whole.

Deconstruction is a powerful tool in design thinking as it allows designers to deeply

understand the inner workings of a system or product. This understanding often leads to
innovative solutions and improvements by challenging conventional thinking and revealing
new perspectives.