Design Thinking Certificate Program Curriculum
This isn’t a seminar or trade conference. The Design Thinking certificate program meets the same high academic standards of the USF MUMA College of Business, with a challenging interdisciplinary curriculum designed to prepare you to analyze, create, and deliver unique experiences. Learn to ask relevant questions, facilitate Design Thinking methodologies, and gain a deep understanding of what it takes to lead this effort within your organization.
Module 1
Introduction to Design Thinking
Learn a practical definition of Design Thinking and the ways it’s used to solve business, technology and social problems across industries.
Learn a practical definition of Design Thinking and the ways it’s used to solve business, technology and social problems across industries.
- Define Design Thinking as an effective approach to creative problem-solving.
- Understand how human-centered design and methodology influence Design Thinking.
- Review of practices and case studies of Design Thinking in the real world.
Module 2
Designing for Empathy
Evaluate case studies to understand and apply empathy in business environments. Discover the value of empathy-based research and elicitation.
Evaluate case studies to understand and apply empathy in business environments. Discover the value of empathy-based research and elicitation.
- Identify effective approaches and tools for research.
- Design conversations and interviews that honor stakeholders.
- Frame problem statements that facilitate problem-solving.
Module 3
Introduction to Visualization
Discover the most common visualization tools in Design Thinking and the best methods for collaborating to understand, explore and discover ideas.
Discover the most common visualization tools in Design Thinking and the best methods for collaborating to understand, explore and discover ideas.
- Align the right visualizations to the right Design Thinking tools.
- Learn the visualization tools that best fit specific challenges.
- Explore the use of visualization tools in real-life scenarios.
Module 4
Persona and Journey Mapping Design
Understand the importance of customer experience-based visualizations that help define customer attributes and their experiences with your products, services and stakeholders.
Understand the importance of customer experience-based visualizations that help define customer attributes and their experiences with your products, services and stakeholders.
- Create personas that describe stakeholder characteristics.
- Build journey maps that help define critical moments of truth.
- Identify the right tools for measuring success in Customer Experience.
Module 5
Ideation in the Design Thinking Process
Discover the concept of ideation as a process for developing, communicating and synthesizing prescriptive ideas to others to solve the right problem.
Discover the concept of ideation as a process for developing, communicating and synthesizing prescriptive ideas to others to solve the right problem.
- Develop creative processes for developing new ideas.
- Understand mind-mapping and brainstorming approaches.
- Learn best practices for ideation workshops.
Module 6
Prototyping
Uncover potential approaches for prototyping concepts, products and services that solve problems in collaboration with the people experiencing the problem.
Uncover potential approaches for prototyping concepts, products and services that solve problems in collaboration with the people experiencing the problem.
- Understand low and high-fidelity prototyping.
- Design approaches for bringing ideas to life.
- Discuss prototyping approaches and tools.
Module 7
Validation
Leverage previous module knowledge of ideation and prototype design to help design thinkers properly test and validate ideas and prototypes.
Leverage previous module knowledge of ideation and prototype design to help design thinkers properly test and validate ideas and prototypes.
- Identify methods for researching and validating outcomes.
- Evaluate recommendations for stakeholder collaboration and participation.
- Develop considerations for design validation.
Module 8
Design Thinking Implementation
- Develop processes for deployment and launch.
- Explore collaboration methods with stakeholders and success partners.
- Design plans for applying Design Thinking at your organization.
Capstone Project
Your Design Thinking Portfolio
- Completed project from beginning to end.
- Customize templates and practices you can employ at your organization.
- Evaluate distinctive and measurable outcomes.
- Continue mentoring after the program ends.
