What is design thinking, and what part does it play in the wider scheme of user experience design?

This short design thinking course will teach you the basics you need to kickstart your career as a digital designer in UX. You’ll develop the knowledge and skills needed to successfully implement design thinking practices grounded in solid UX fundamentals in the workplace.

By getting to grips with the design thinking framework, you’ll be able to tackle large, complex and even unknown issues within product development. It will give you the tools, skills and mindset to seek out practical and logical innovation, and to take a solution-based view to solving problems as a UX designer.

Empathise to test: the five stages of design thinking

You’ll examine the five-stage design thinking model proposed by the Hasso-Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University: empathise, define (the problem), ideate, prototype and test. You’ll explore the non-linear nature of this methodology that will allow you to work through obstacles and bring ideas to life.

Understand the design thinking mindset: ideation and implementation

On this course you’ll deep dive into two key design elements – ideation and implementation.

You’ll find out why ideation matters, learn its content and carry out differentiation activities and exercises. And you’ll explore the purpose of implementation, its context, different types of interaction and its requirements in terms of business and resources. You’ll also learn how to use a number of powerful tools to help you with the implementation process.

What topics will you cover?

Introduction to ideation
Brainstorming and prototyping
Implementation methods and tools
Factors affecting implementation

Prove you're job ready

Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.

Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
Complete each course and pass assessments.
Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
Make your career dreams a reality.

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Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Define and justify an ideation plan
Articulate how to leverage the concepts of diverge/converge in order to find wise solutions
Articulate the key elements of an implementation plan
Justify the right moment to execute an implementation plan
Recognise support mechanisms to keep an implementation plan going

Who is the course for?

This course is ideal for developing theoretical and practical expertise in the fundamentals of design thinking.

You may be an entry-level or intermediate graphic or digital designer, a non-technical digital team leader or an aspiring product manager.

What software or tools do you need?

In this course, you will use Canva.

Who will you learn with?

Nuno Sobrinho

I create positive impact through Design Thinking.

Mainly across topics such as Business & Service design, UX/CX/EX Design, Product Management, Strategy, Innovation, Training & Facilitation.

Who developed the course?

FutureLearn

FutureLearn is a leading social learning platform and has been providing high quality online courses for learners around the world over the last ten years.

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Endorsers and supporters

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About this ExpertTrack

Launch your career in user experience (UX) design by developing your skills and knowledge of UX principles.

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Start learning today - free 7-day trial

After your free trial you can:

Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends

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Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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