July 2, 2025

How to Develop a Design Thinking Training Program?

Alok Dimri

Looking to train your team to solve wicked problems using the user centered problem solving approach? Curate a customized Design Thinking Training Program for your teams to master creative problem-solving and enable them to work on real-world projects

Unlock Innovation in your teams with Our Design Thinking Training Program

Design thinking training equips individuals and teams with a human-centred, creative problem-solving approach to drive innovation and user-focused solutions. Given the world’s abundance of innovation, businesses should regularly reassess how they address problems and support their users. Creating innovative and effective solutions has become much easier thanks to design thinking, a strategy focused on people.

For this approach to become part of everyone’s thinking, a planned training course is necessary. This guide is for L&D professionals who want to know how to build, apply and expand a tailored program.

Considerations to keep in mind while designing and planning a Design Thinking Training Program

One of the most important considerations while planning such a training program is not to contextualize too much. This may seem counterintuitive but believe me it is one of the most important steps which will enable your teams to reflect, internalize and contextualize on their own. Do not spoon feed! Give a solid, application led, interactive, interesting introduction to the basics of Design Thinking.

Emphasize why empathizing is the core of the user centered approach to problem solving
What is a user persona and why is it important to research and then discover the user personas and not guess the user persona?
Why is it important to obsess about the customer persona? What do we get from customer personas?
What are articulated and unarticulated needs of a customer? Why are unarticulated needs important and why solving them may be the key to get a significant competitive advantage?
Why should you diverge and converge as a team? Why should you have multiple unique ideas even if they may appear not so significant or relevant on a first reading?
How to converge in a collaborative, productive way without making it about yourself?
Why is testing out your ideas important? Why seemingly great ideas on paper may translate poorly while implementing?
How to create and validate good, meaningful prototypes that really showcase the value of your solutions
Why is knowing how to pitch your prototype important? Why do people connect more with a story over a list of tasks? Why articulation is so important to get a working agreement from all the stakeholders involved in an organizational setting, where team work is the cornerstone of getting things done.
Why is ‘failing faster’ much much more important than ‘analysis paralysis’ – why is it good to have a bias for action – to take controlled risks – to have an appetite for managing failure – to learn from ‘doing’ rather than ‘precedence’

Most L&Ds we interact, stress on ‘use cases’, ‘industry examples’ and what has ‘worked’ elsewhere. It is what we may call a lazy, safe and mostly an approach that will ensure mediocre results. Just like creating a portfolio of funds or stocks which have performed in the past does not essentially guarantee that the same returns will be made in the future. Challenge your teams to think original, they may fail but learn exceptional lessons in the process. Training them on what your industry peers have already done or on publicly published case studies is a foolproof way to enable failure. Innovation is not emulated, it can be inspired but the idea and implementation will always be led by original thinkers. Help these thinkers and doers by giving them the tools to make the journey easier, don’t pitch for best possible on paper ROI to your business leader to make the decision process easier.

Start with yourself – Use Design Thinking principles to design a Design Thinking Training Program

Design Thinking focuses on what users want, seeks to understand their met and unmet needs, diverge and converge to identify solutions, do quick prototypes and pivot when necessary.

Adopting design thinking to create training programs allows organisations to do the following:

Understand the on-the-job learning needs for different audience personas
Explore how they will be able to internalize this learning and make it a living reality for themselves
Create training plan which adds value to the organization and the teams, including mode, course material, delivery methods, exercises, pre and post reading material, videos and other mediums
Increase engagement and maintain participants’ understanding. Impact is always more important than coverage
Innovation is a byproduct of organizational culture more than anything else. If the right environment is not there, people will not experiment and take risks. No innovation happens in risk averse, command and control led organizational culture
Discuss everything in detail with the client stakeholders. Explore all ideas with them and then select the most appropriate and impactful ones to create maximum value

Key Elements of a Successful Design Thinking Training Program

A Design Thinking training program focuses on five steps, and a program should be built around them.

Try to imagine what the learner is encountering.
Frame the description of what you want your learners to learn
Conjure up different ways to teach your pupils
Construct and pilot training exercises and materials.
Fetch input from participants and adjust your training based on it.

To achieve good results:

Try to combine experiential lessons with learning concepts.
Ensure that outcomes support each learner’s responsibilities and the organisation’s main objectives.
Support group collaboration involving stories.

How to Build a Design Thinking Training Program from Scratch?

Below are the key steps which you can follow to build a successful design thinking training program from start to finish:

Know your Training Goals

In the first step, determine what the Design Thinking Training Workshop aims to achieve – What are the training objectives?

Are we trying to disrupt the current ways of working to challenge the status quo?

Do we intend to pursue really outrageous goals to fuel exponential growth?

Are we changing the organizational culture to be more innovation led where people experiment and are not afraid to fail?

Is customer centricity an issue that we need to solve urgently in the wake of stiff competition?

Do we want to enable our future leadership to break away from the tried and tested and be more dynamic and disruptive?

Are we planning the training to encourage mid-level managers to come up with new fresh ideas?

Do we want a particular department like Sales, Operations, HR, Delivery or Finance to use a human centered problem solving approach?

Ask questions, when the objectives are clear, planning the course and content becomes much easier. Don’t take certifications or case studies as an answer. Ask why? Why now? What do we achieve? What will be the business impact?

Know your audience

We need to know the job role, background, cultural context and experience levels of the participants to ensure that the training is appropriate for their needs. We may need to plan different levels of training for different groups of participants. It is also important to know what are current practices for innovation and problem solving and the organizational culture

Select the right format

Deciding on the format for Design Thinking training programs, such as in-person or remote workshops depends on the preferences and needs of the participants, budgets available, business objectives of the training as well as the availability of trainers and resources. It is preferable to do advanced design thinking training programs in in-person classroom mode as the interaction levels are much higher and the format allows for quick pivot based on immediate feedback.

Find the right fit as a ‘Trainer’

Choose a trainer who has the appropriate experience and expertise to deliver the training. Consider their credentials, references, previous training experience and their overall consulting and training depth as a practitioner.

Build the curriculum

Develop a detailed training plan that covers all the topics and practices that the participants need to know. Ensure that the content is relevant, engaging and appropriate for the audience. Ensure that the modules you create match the five stages. Add real cases and tasks that needs to be ‘done’ by the participants

Schedule the training

Decide on a suitable time and location for the training. Consider the schedules and availability of the participants, as well as any logistical or resource constraints. People should be focusing only on the workshop during that scheduled time. Open Laptops are bad for any training workshop – particularly for a topic like Design Thinking. ‘Busy’ leadership does not internalize any learnings and will approach problems exactly in the same was as before but use 4 or 5 jargons they overhear while scrolling their emails during the workshop. Nothing can be worse than that.

Logistics

Make arrangements for any necessary resources and materials, such as computers, projectors, or training aids. Consider any additional support or resources that may be needed for the participants, such as transportation or accommodation. Take appropriate approvals from your IT department if you will be using any additional applications/tools for any module.

Take feedback, pivot as required

Plan for evaluating the effectiveness of the training program. This may include assessments, surveys, or feedback sessions to help you understand how well the training was received and what can be improved.Use surveys, reflection tasks and knowledge tests to get feedback. Regularly revise and fine tune the program.Sample Design Thinking Course Content and Curriculum IdeasHere’s a basic structure you can adapt and customize as per the unique organizational construct and learning needs:

Introduction to Design Thinking

What is a Design Thinking mindset?

What are the main concepts of Design Thinking?

Empathy
User Research
Customer journey map & persona map
Ethnography
Divergence & Convergence
Prototypes
Pitching and Storyboarding
Visual Thinking

Design Thinking Process

Double Diamond
5 Stages of Design Thinking
EIPP

Reframing the Problem Statement – How Might We?

How to generate insights and Ideation Techniques

Prototypes

Rapid Prototyping
DVF framework
Business Canvas model

Pitching

How to capture feedback
Storyboarding

Capstone project

Solving a real problem
Completing a final project is an excellent opportunity to showcase your skills

Tools and Materials Needed for Facilitation of Design Thinking TrainingsPhysical tools

Flipcharts, Projector, Post-its, markers, whiteboards, LEGO kits etc

Digital tools

Miro, MURAL, Figma etc

Reading & reference materials

Case studies

Empathy mapping templates

Design challenge worksheets

Online vs. In-Person Design Thinking ProgramsHow spread out your team is, how much money you have and their needs should determine whether you pick online or in-person training.Design Thinking remote courses enables learning for global teams. Zoom, Miro, breakout rooms and collaborative whiteboards can be used to replicate doing things hands-on online. They are best suited for anyone working remotely, on dispersed teams or in a mixture of classroom and online settings.Being together in a classroom in-person training encourages people to cooperate more authentically. Being in the same place helps people feel closer, allows for quick changes and encourages brainstorming. It is designed for teams who work closely together or take part in off-site workshops with set goals for innovation.

Aspect

Online

In-person

Flexibility

High

Limited

Collaboration

Moderate (tool-dependent)

High

Cost

Lower

Higher (venue, logistics)

Engagement

Requires creativity

Natural with physical presence

Discover the best design thinking courses that blend theory with real-world application to drive innovation and creative thinking.Best Practices and Tips for Implementation

Best Practices and Tips for Implementation

Make an effort to ensure people from various parts of the organisation are involved

Include actual problems that organisations encounter in the course but don’t solve them for participants, introduce solid theoretical background and encourage them to experiment and learn by doing

Practice and learn collaboratively

Support a process where people edit and review their ideas

Take steps to set up brainstorming sessions and pivot based on real time feedback

Examples of Design Thinking in Learning and Development Programs across the GlobeCase 1: Transforming Onboarding at a Global Tech FirmA major technology organization was found to be losing many new workers early in their employment and achieving low engagement among them. The way they brought new employees aboard was mostly about information and didn’t consider their feelings about starting a new job. Following design thinking, the L&D team talked to new employees, recognized that key difficulties were too much information, weak relationships and worked with them to make the whole onboarding process smoother.Part of the program, interactive stories, were paired with buddy systems and specific learning tracks suited to everyone’s job. As a result of the changes, scores on employee engagement climbed by 35% in the first 90 days and it reduced time-to-productivity by 25%, making employees happier and helping the business grow.Case 2: Leadership Development at a Global Healthcare OrganizationA global healthcare provider found that leaders in their organization lacked needed confidence and flexibility on teams where cultures differed. Rather than offering only one leadership program, they let emerging leaders come together, using design thinking. They were able to identify problems particular to the region and the blind spots in leadership with the use of empathy mapping and journey design workshops.

The final design created a program that was built in modules, gave hands-on experience and highlighted both peer guidance and awareness of feelings. After six months, surveys of employees revealed increased confidence among leaders and better teamwork among different areas, showing that a focus on people helped change leadership development in challenging conditions.ConclusionDesign thinking works. It guides teams in improving how they learn and effectively address challenges. When preparing a brief design thinking session or a more major executive education, don’t forget to use practices that improve by repetition, draw interest and place users at the forefront.Not sure how to implement this approach? Opt for an outside-in perspective like a Design Thinking Consulting company to develop programs suited to your business’s goals. Develop contextual design thinking courses to enable user-centric problem-solving in your teams.Explore our hands-on, practical design thinking training course designed to build innovation capabilities across teams.With this, our blog on “How to Develop a Design Thinking Training Program?” comes to an end. We sincerely hope it has helped our readers. NextAgile is also an experienced, award winning Design Thinking consulting firm, please write to us at consult@nextagile.ai for any suggestions or feedback or if you need support in planning customized Design Thinking Training programs.FAQs on How to Develop a Design Thinking Training Program?1. How long does it take to put together a design thinking training program starting from the beginning?It usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to create a design thinking training program from the beginning, depending on the organisation’s objectives, how many people will be trained and what they hope to achieve. During this time, adequate research is carried out, there is enough time for stakeholder comments, new exercises can be designed, workshop materials are created, and learning modules are tried out. You may have to allow extra time for programs that use case studies from specific industries or that offer their workbooks online. When followed, a phased approach guarantees engagement with business goals and ensures learners get what they need.2. Do students need design background experience for a design thinking training course?You do not need to have design experience to participate. Such training programs are set up so that professionals in marketing, HR, IT, operations or any other departments can participate without difficulty. You begin by learning the basics and then develop the ability to solve challenges, think up ideas and design prototypes. No previous experience is required, as focus shifts to attitude and teamwork, so anyone new to design can join in right away.3. How many people should attend a design thinking workshop?We suggest that 8 to 15 participants join each team in a design thinking workshop. With this range, participants stay engaged, share various ideas and collaborate well, all without straining the facilitators. Because teams are small, everyone has a significant role to play in brainstorming and building prototypes. In sessions with many participants, it is possible to divide teams into various subgroups. Outcomes are often better if there is a good balance between the two styles of discussion and decision-making.4. Could design thinking play a role in problems other than product design?Absolutely. Even though design thinking began with product development, now it is used in human resources, customer service, business planning, schools, healthcare and social issues. As an example, HR teams use design thinking to update their onboarding processes, and teachers utilise it to make learning more focused on students. Using design thinking sharpens empathy, inspires new ideas and promotes finding solutions that meet user needs, in any field or problem.5. How do I measure if a design thinking training program was successful?The success of a design thinking training program is evaluated using statistics and other types of data. Significant measures include the number of original ideas created, how many participants successfully finished, what participants state about the training and surveys conducted after the training to assess the application. It’s possible to compare how well employees can handle problems and how fast they can implement changes, both before and after the program. Advanced metrics also cover the growth of innovation projects, team culture changes and the return from ideas established through training.6. How do I increase the number of people interested in a design thinking course?A strong way to promote your business is to present a sample PDF of the design thinking course to prospective clients. It allows possible participants to see what the course is about and how it is arranged. It’s helpful to use case studies, testimonials and quick video previews too. Hosting free short webinars or workshops not only makes you more trustworthy but also helps attract new customers.

Alok Dimri

Alok Dimri is the co-founder and leads the overall business at NextAgile, where he is responsible for strategy, client and consultant partnerships, and a whole lot of other core business activities like solutioning, branding, and customer engagement.

Over the past 16 years, he has worked extensively in business strategy, new business development, and key account management initiatives across process consulting and training domains.

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