Design Thinking Workshops

Early in my facilitation career, I made a big mistake. Spent hours crafting engaging activities and perfecting every little detail… Thinking that amazing learning design is what would make my workshops stand out and get me rehired. Some went great. Some bombed. You know the ones, sessions where: - One participant dominated the conversation. - People quietly disengaged, barely participating. - half the group visibly frustrated but not saying anything. I would push through, hoping things would course-correct. But by the end, it was a bit… meh. I knew my learning design was great so... What was I missing? Why the inconsistency between sessions? 💡I relied too much on implicit agreements. I realised that I either skipped or rushed the 'working agreements'. Treating it like a 'tick' box exercise. And it's here I needed to invest more time Other names for this: Contract, Culture or Design Alliance, etc... Now, I never start a session without setting a working agreement. And the longer I'm with the group, the longer I spend on it. 25 years of doing this. Here are my go-to Qs: 🔹 What would make this session a valuable use of your time? → This sets the north star. It ensures participants express their needs, not just my agenda. 🔹 What atmosphere do we want to create? → This sets the mood. Do they want an energising space? A reflective one? Let them decide. 🔹 What behaviours will support this? → This makes things concrete. It turns abstract hopes into tangible agreements. 🔹 How do we want to handle disagreement? → This makes it practical. Conflict isn’t the problem—how we navigate it is. ... The result? - More engaged participants. - Smoother facilitation. - Ultimately, a reputation as the go-to person for high-impact sessions. You probably already know this. But if things don't go smoothly in your session. Might be worth investing a bit more time at the start to prevent problems later on. Great facilitation doesn't just happen, It's intentional, and it's designed. ~~ ♻️ Share if this is a useful reminder ✍️ Have you ever used a working agreement in your workshops? What’s one question you always ask? Drop it in the comments!

💎 60 UX Strategy Methods And Activities (Figma) (https://lnkd.in/eCDU-vhR), a large repository of UX methods, templates and activities for ideation sessions and product sprints, from storyboards and brainwriting to 6 thinking hats, journey mapping and concept testing. Neatly put together in one single place by fine folks at Merck. The team has also put together a very thorough overview of their UX Strategy Kit (https://lnkd.in/ek5dEYn4), broken down by categories for strategy, observation, ideation and warm-up, along with detailed video walkthroughs, examples and step-by-step guides. Frankly, most of these methods are unfamiliar to me. And by no means is the point to actually study and apply all of them. What works for you works for you. To strategize, I rely on How Might We but also think about metrics that should be moved once we implement some features or refine some user flows. For event storming and brainstorming, I tend to rely on Bono’s 6 thinking hats to align brainstorming, and (of course) journey mapping. For ideation, I love using storyboards to jump right into the user’s success story, but would also use card sorting with cut-out paper cards to understand user’s mental model. And for almost every project, I’d run concept testing with tree testing or Kano model, or low-fidelity/paper prototyping to understand if we are on the right track. Once you sprinkle a bit of critical thinking, early user testing and strategic planning across the design work, you gain confidence that you are moving in the right direction. And really that’s all you need. A few of my personal bookmarks with UX methods and activities: UX Tools For Better Thinking, by Adam Amran 👏🏽 https://untools.co/ Playbook For Universal Design (+ PDF/Powerpoint templates) https://lnkd.in/ernris4g UX Methods & Projects, by Vernon Fowler https://lnkd.in/eAHaiaSm 18F Method Cards https://methods.18f.gov/ Hyperisland UX Methods Resource Kit 👍 https://lnkd.in/eDTaci7T How To Design Better UX Workshops, by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/edxqCC-n How To Run UX Workshops With Users, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/ejm7_TsS Happy designing, everyone — I hope you’ll find these guides and resources helpful to get started. Just don’t feel like you have to try out all of them. It might be much more worthwhile to get early feedback from stakeholders and end users, even if your work isn’t really “good” enough. Good luck! #ux #design

One critical skill of great Product Managers is that they can take an immense amount of information and make sense out of it to find a path forward. Your job isn’t just to get the data, it’s to create action out of that data. But this is where many people get paralyzed. For product managers who struggle with this, I find tools like Affinity mapping extremely helpful to help organize your thoughts. Affinity Mapping is a basic facilitation and collaboration tool, but it’s extremely powerful. Put simply, it’s a practical way to sort through different pieces of data, group them into common themes, and discover valuable insights. Whether you're dealing with complicated user research or trying to get everyone on the same page, this method helps you focus and find your way forward. Here's how to run an Affinity Mapping session that's not just productive, but also a bit of fun: 1️⃣ Gather Your Data: Start with all the raw data you have – post-its from brainstorming, customer feedback, interview notes, you name it. Get it all on the table. Literally. 2️⃣ Invite the Right People: Bring together a diverse group from your team. Yes, diversity! You want different perspectives – designers, developers, marketers, and especially those who are often quiet but have brilliant thoughts simmering under the surface. 🧠 3️⃣ Create a Safe Space: Before diving in, set the stage for open collaboration. Remind everyone that every idea is valuable and we're here to discover, not judge. This is about finding patterns, not picking favorites. 4️⃣ Sort and Cluster: Now, get sticky! Start placing related ideas together. Don't overthink it. Go with your gut. You'll see themes start to emerge as you cluster similar thoughts. It's like a puzzle where the picture becomes clearer with each piece. 🧩 5️⃣ Label the Themes: Once you have your clusters, give each one a name that captures the essence of the ideas within it. These labels will be your guideposts for action later on. 6️⃣ Reflect and Discuss: Take a step back. What do you see? Any surprises? Discuss as a group and make sure everyone's voice is heard. This is where the magic happens – insights start to bubble up to the surface. 7️⃣ Prioritize and Act: Finally, decide what's most important. Which themes align with your goals? Which insights are game-changers? Make a plan to act on these priorities. Affinity mapping is not just about organizing thoughts; it's about unlocking the collective wisdom of your team. It's a powerful way to build consensus and ensure everyone's voice is heard. So, next time you're grappling with data overload, grab some sticky notes and start mapping! What else have you used to help organize your thoughts and data? #ProductManagement #UserResearch #Collaboration #AffinityMapping

If your team’s not speaking up… you’ve already lost. Not ideas. Not productivity. Trust. And once trust is gone? Innovation stalls. Collaboration dies. People check out—or walk out. The fix? Not another tool. Not another policy. But something far more powerful: Psychological safety. It’s not a “nice to have.” It’s the hidden engine behind every high-performing team. Here’s how you build it—one conversation, one decision, one moment at a time 👇🏼 1. Lead with curiosity, not judgment. ↳ “Help me understand…” beats “Why’d you do that?” 2. Admit your own mistakes. ↳ Model the safety you want others to feel. 3. Give credit generously. ↳ Shine the light on others—often and publicly. 4. Respond, don’t react. ↳ Let people tell the truth without fear of fallout. 5. Invite pushback. ↳ Ask: “What am I missing?” 6. Remove silent punishments. ↳ Reward honesty, not just agreement. 7. Normalize “I don’t know.” ↳ That’s how real learning starts. 8. Make feedback feel safe. ↳ Correct with care. Aim for growth, not shame. 9. Start meetings with check-ins. ↳ Connection before conversation. 10. Celebrate courage, not just results. ↳ Applaud the voice, not just the victory. Because when people feel safe, they don’t hold back. They contribute. They challenge. They soar. If you want your team to rise—safety comes first. Which one of these 10 will you lead with this week? ♻️ Share this with your network if it resonates. ☝️ And follow Stuart Andrews for more insights like this.

Teams often implement solutions that do not fix the problem they were trying to address. That's because the issue wasn’t framed correctly in the first place. This is especially true in complex or unfamiliar situations, where quick conclusions feel comforting but are often wrong. When I work with teams on decision-making, I turn to a framework developed by Julia Binder and Michael Watkins. Their E5 approach helps leaders define the right problem before trying to solve it. Phase 1: EXPAND Suspend early judgments and deliberately broaden how the challenge is understood. By exploring multiple interpretations of the issue, teams uncover hidden assumptions, surface blind spots, and create the conditions for more original thinking before jumping to answers. Phase 2: EXAMINE Shift from scope to depth. Teams analyze the problem rigorously, moving beyond visible symptoms to identify behavioral patterns, structural drivers, and underlying beliefs that reveal what is truly at play. Phase 3: EMPATHIZE Center on the perspectives of those most affected by the issue. Through (real) listening and reflection, teams gain insight into stakeholders’ motivations, emotions, concerns, and behaviors, often uncovering needs that data alone cannot reveal. Phase 4: ELEVATE Step back to see how it fits within the broader organization. Viewing the challenge through lenses such as structure, people, power, and culture exposes interdependencies and systemic tensions that shape outcomes. Phase 5: ENVISION Articulate a clear future state and map a path to reach it. Working backward from a shared definition of success, teams prioritize initiatives, sequence efforts, and align resources to move from understanding to execution. I've found that when leaders take the time to frame problems well, they increase the likelihood that those solutions will actually matter. #decisionMaking #leadership #perspective #learning #problems Source: The model is described in more details in this Harvard Business Review article: https://lnkd.in/gAeBb5uT

One of my client companies recently made a bold shift: They replaced their Engagement KPI with a Trust KPI. And it’s one of the smartest moves I’ve seen. Why? Because trust is not a byproduct of engagement - it’s the precondition. 📚 Research backs this up: A meta-analysis by De Jong et al. (2016) found that team trust is a strong predictor of performance, especially in high-interdependence teams. Yet we treat trust like something we either have or don’t. 👉But trust isn’t a mood but rather a design decision. To start with, we need to understand 3 types of trust: 1. Cognitive 2. Affective 3. Swift Most leaders focus on cognitive or affective trust - built over time. But there’s a third type they don’t know about: Swift Trust. 📍Swift Trust forms quickly in temporary, remote, or fast-moving teams. It doesn’t require deep familiarity, it requires structure. And here’s how leaders can engineer it: ✔️ Start with clearly defined roles and expectations ✔️ Align fast around shared goals and purpose ✔️ Create quick wins that build early credibility ✔️ Model openness and ask for input from day one ✔️ Name the importance of trust explicitly In other words, trust isn’t “earned slowly” in every context. It can be catalyzed intentionally if you know how. That’s what I’m helping this client do: not just educate about trust but build it inside the team with psychological safety and my method, one behavior and ritual at a time. Because when trust becomes a designed feature, not an accidental outcome - performance, inclusion, and engagement follow. P.S.: Which type of trust is most alive in your team right now?

My workshop feedback method has a 100% response rate — and uses zero forms. I ditched post-workshop surveys because… no one filled them out and the ones who did wrote things like “Great workshop 🤗 ” (helpful… ish ⁉️ ). So now I use my four-question, four-colour sticky-note system at the closing of a workshop. It’s fast, visual, and human. It surfaces real language, real commitments, and real insight. Reflection becomes baked into the workshop instead of bolted on. Here’s the magic. I ask everyone to respond to these phrases individually 🟡 “I learned / liked / aha!” - Quick bursts of insight. One idea per sticky. No faffing. 🟢 “I will…” (What ideas do you plan to implement immediately?) - The gold. Actual commitments. I can instantly see what’s going to live beyond the room. 🔴 “I wish…” (What support do you need or what else do you wish we had explored today?) - Constructive, honest improvement ideas and what they need to succeed post-workshop. Better than any anonymous text box. 🔵 One word (What single word best describes your overall reaction to the session?) - These become my word cloud*, and it tells me the emotional temperature in one glance. Then, in small groups, participants choose their top insights, star them, and share them with the room. It turns into this joyful moment where you can see what activities really landed and what learning truly stuck. Impact? • I can literally see what resonated. • The “I will…” notes show behaviour change starting before people even leave the room. • The “I wish…” notes help me evolve each workshop immediately. • And the one-word cloud gives me a pulse check that’s surprisingly accurate. (see word cloud from 10 workshops* - 210 words - in comments) Yes, I still type them all into a spreadsheet by hand (there’s something human and connective about reading people’s handwriting). Then I let AI help me spot themes and patterns. It’s simple. It’s human. It works. And gives clients tangible, meaningful insights... Curious: how do you gather feedback that actually helps you get better? #PlayMore #JudgeLess #feedback #facilitation

🚀 Mastering Design Criteria for Chemical Process Engineering 🚀 Designing a chemical process plant is no small feat. It requires a deep understanding of design criteria to ensure safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Whether you're working on a Conceptual Design,Feasibility Study, getting the design criteria right is crucial for the success of your project. Here are some key insights from the Design Criteria for Chemical Process Engineering that every engineer should know: 1. Risk Management: - Risk = Probability x Impact Understanding risks is at the core of any design. From process safety to environmental protection,risk management ensures that your plant operates safely and efficiently. -Critical Services & Items: Identify operations and equipment that are vital to the process. 2. Operating Life & Time - Operating Life: Most process plants are designed to operate for 20 to 40 years. However, some plants, may have a shorter life. -Operating Time: Understanding the operating time helps in selecting the right equipment and designing for reliability. 3. Design Conditions: -Design Pressure & Temperature: These are critical for ensuring that equipment can withstand normal and abnormal operating conditions. -Pressure-Temperature Ratings: Pipe flanges and fittings have specific pressure-temperature ratings based on materials and applications. 4. Capacity & Quantity: - Capacity: Equipment is typically designed to handle 100% capacity, but sometimes partial capacity is sufficient. - Quantity: The number of equipment units depends on the capacity and operational needs. 5. Materials of Construction: Durability and Cost - Material Selection: The choice of materials depends on factors like corrosion resistance, temperature, and pressure. -Cost Considerations: Materials like titanium or Hastelloy are expensive but necessary for extreme conditions. 6. Utilities & Treatment Media: -Utilities: These include air, water, steam, and power, which are essential for the process. -Treatment Media: Materials like catalysts or absorbents are used to remove undesired components or speed up reactions. 7. Cost Estimation: -Economic Objectives: Every project is an investment. The design must balance cost-effectiveness with performance, and regulatory compliance. -Cost Estimation Models: Use models like the Rule of Six-Tenths or Cost Indices to estimate equipment costs. 📌Key Takeaway:  Design criteria are the backbone of any chemical process engineering project.Understanding these criteria is essential for delivering a successful project. 🔗 Download the full guide to dive deeper into the design criteria for chemical process engineering. 📢 Call to Action:  If you’ve worked on chemical process design, what’s the most challenging aspect of defining design criteria? Share your experiences in the comments below! Let’s learn from each other and grow as professionals. 💪 #ChemicalEngineering #ProcessDesign #DesignCriteria #EngineeringDesign #LinkedInCommunity

You're not a designer, but everyone should think like one. This $20 book will change how you approach every business interaction. The Design of Everyday Things taught me why most businesses leak money - and it has nothing to do with strategy. Here's the breakdown: 1. Your communication needs a mental map. Norman's "conceptual models": Your audience builds a picture of how things work. Give them the right picture upfront. When information is laid out like a table-of-contents first, people remember 17% more of it. In beginners, recall jumped 42%. McKinsey uses this religiously - tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them. 2. People create desire paths - so pave them. You know those dirt trails cutting across campus lawns? Same thing happens in meetings. Everyone scans for the bottom line first. Eye-tracking found recruiters decide on resumes in under 8 seconds - but only when the headline was crystal-clear. So flip your approach: Start with the outcome, then explain why. Give people the shortcut they're already taking. 3. First impressions happen faster than thought. Norman's "visceral level": People react emotionally before logic kicks in. Princeton researchers found it takes just 100 milliseconds for the brain to lock in a judgment. If they can't instantly see themselves in your message, you've already lost. Make their problem impossible to miss in that first glance. 4. Design for your worst-case audience. Someone checking email during your pitch. Someone who's half-listening. Assume your slide competes with an inbox - because 9 out of 10 people multitask during virtual meetings. Norman's constraints principle: make misunderstanding impossible. Headers that summarize everything below. The distracted executive should still get your point. 5. Eliminate unnecessary decisions. Norman's "knowledge in the world": Don't make people think - make the right choice obvious. Any choice that takes longer than 100 milliseconds to confirm stops feeling automatic - and conversions fall. Amazon created one-click buying. Apple standardized on USB-C. Trader Joe's limits to 4,000 SKUs versus 30,000-50,000 elsewhere - and generates 4-5x more revenue per square foot. — I spent years thinking design was about making things pretty. Norman showed me it's about making things work. The difference between professionals who struggle and professionals who scale. Stop making people think harder. Start making their lives easier.

I spent the day with academicians reflecting on a simple but important question: Are we teaching subjects, or are we shaping thinking? What became clear through the dialogue is that education today needs more than incremental change. It needs reimagination. From curriculum to pedagogy to assessments, every layer must evolve in the context of Design Thinking and AI. Design Thinking, in my view, is not a tool or a course. It is a shift in worldview. When the way we see changes, knowledge reorganises. When knowledge changes, capability evolves. And when capability evolves, outcomes transform. Without this shift in thinking, any change we make will remain superficial. One of the core gaps in our system is this: - We focus on content, but not on purpose - Students learn subjects, but not why they are learning them - Problem solving is taught, but problem framing is not Education must move from content delivery to problem orientation. AI now accelerates this shift. For decades, education has been centred around answers. Today, answers are easily available. What is becoming scarce is the ability to ask the right questions. This changes the role of education fundamentally: - From answers to questions - From memory to thinking - From linear learning to multi-dimensional problem solving It also requires a rethink of assessments. Not just evaluating answers, but evaluating how students frame problems and approach solutions. At the same time, we must be conscious of the risks. Easy access to knowledge can weaken cognitive depth. Foundations matter. Concepts matter. Thinking cannot be outsourced. The balance is clear: - Human for thinking - AI for doing Another important insight is that change in education cannot be driven through isolated interventions. It requires sustained effort, dialogue, and a structured approach to transformation. Institutions will have to identify their friction points, prioritise them, and work through them over time. What encouraged me most was the intent across institutions. There is openness to rethink, to experiment, and to evolve. The opportunity ahead is significant. To move from teaching subjects to shaping thinkers, from solving problems to defining them, and from producing graduates to building agenda setters. That, to me, is the real purpose of education in an AI-first world. Intellect Design Arena Ltd School of Design Thinking Purple Fabric #DesignThinking #8012FinTechDesignCenter #AIinEducation #FutureOfLearning #HigherEducation #ReimagineEducation #Innovation #Learning #Leadership #DigitalTransformation