Introduction to Design Thinking

Audience: Professionals in economic development, FDI and place branding

Objective: Provide a foundational understanding of the Design Thinking methodology and showcase how it can be applied to real-world challenges in economic development and place branding. In this workshop we will guide you through the Design Thinking steps with fun and interactive exercises, you'll engage with and learn from your peers.

Part 1: Introduction to Design Thinking 

Objective: Familiarize participants with the core concepts of Design Thinking, including its stages and how it fosters innovation.

Overview of the 5 stages of Design Thinking. Brief examples of how Design Thinking has been used in place branding and economic development (e.g., understanding investor needs, reimagining city identity).

Part 2: Empathize - Understanding Stakeholders 

Objective: Learn to see from the perspective of different stakeholders, like investors, local businesses, and residents.

Empathy map for a stakeholder (e.g., foreign investors, local SMEs), mapping out what your stakeholder says, thinks, feels, and does during their engagement with the region. Discuss insights gained from seeing the experience through the stakeholder’s eyes. Understand how empathy-driven insights help create effective place branding strategies or craft investor relations approaches.

Part 3: Define - Framing the Problem 

Objective: Focus on how to clearly define the challenge based on insights gained from the empathy phase.

Problem Statement Creation: Participants will take the insights from the empathy map and work in groups to frame a clear, concise problem statement (e.g., “Investors are unsure of the long-term sustainability of our region’s business infrastructure.”). Defining problems correctly ensures that solutions are targeted and effective, particularly when crafting place value propositions for investors.

Part 4: Ideate - Generating Creative Solutions 

Objective: Learn to brainstorm solutions for the defined problem without limitations, encouraging creative and bold thinking.

Rapid Ideation by using the defined problem statements, participants brainstorm as many ideas as possible to address the challenge in a 10-minute session. After ideation, the group clusters similar ideas and selects one or two to develop further. Groups share their top ideas, discussing how they could apply to place branding or improving the business environment in their region.

Part 5: Prototype & Test - Bringing Ideas to Life 

Objective: Learn how to quickly prototype a concept and test it for feedback, refining it iteratively.

Groups will take one of their solutions (from ideation) and rapidly design a prototype, such as a new landing page for an economic development website, a place branding slogan, or a pitch deck for foreign investors. Teams present their prototype, and other participants give feedback based on real-world stakeholder expectations.

Conclusion and Q&A 

Objective: Recap the key takeaways from each stage of Design Thinking and how participants can apply the methodology to their work.

Discussion: How Design Thinking can help with ongoing challenges like attracting investment, branding regions, and engaging stakeholders.

Key Takeaways

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

- Have a clear understanding of the Design Thinking process.

- Understand how to apply empathy-driven insights to economic development and place branding.

- Gain experience in problem framing, creative ideation, and rapid prototyping.

- Leave with practical tools to apply Design Thinking in their day-to-day work to solve complex challenges.

📅 Date: [Insert Date]

🕑 Duration: 2.5 hours

👥 Small Group Setting: Max. 15 participants

💻 Price: $270 USD

🔗 Register now to secure your spot and gain valuable tools for solving complex challenges in your field!