Online Courses Design Thinking Design Thinking for Innovation: Elevate

self pacedUPSKILL

Design Thinking for Innovation: Elevate

Pay-in-full online from $2,520*(RRP $2,800)

From $53.85 per week

Upskill and boost your career with in-demand Design Thinking skills. You’ll learn how to develop a Design Thinking mindset, influence outcomes within your business, become a driver of change, and much more.

Self-paced
No prerequisites
6 months access, 60-80 hours
Personal project
Up to twelve 1:1 mentor sessions
Payment plans available
Digital Skills Masterclass Program

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*Save on our Elevate courses when you pay in full!

We’re launching a subscription model for all Elevate courses.

Academy Xi students now have the option to subscribe to our entire range of Elevate courses across all our portfolios for a monthly fee. Use this as a way to gain a wider digital skillset and give yourself an advantage as you compete for roles in the ever-changing employment landscape.

Our graduates are now the driving force behind some of Australia’s most innovative brands

Why choose this course?

No prerequisites or previous experience required

Launch your Design Thinking journey today, no matter what level of experience you have! Our beginner-friendly approach will help get you up to speed in no time.

Flexible and self-paced

With 6 months access, the speed at which you tackle online course content is up to you. Study at your own pace and fit learning into your busy lifestyle.

Created for Upskillers

Our Elevate courses help you boost your career with sought-after Design Thinking skills. Unlock higher salaries and job growth potential.

What your curriculum looks like

Upskill in Design Thinking within 6 months. You’ll work through interactive online course content at your own pace, and have the support of an industry mentor when you need it.

Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Module 7
Module 8
Module 9
Module 10

Module 1

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Thinking like a designer
Learn the fundamentals of Design Thinking, where it sits within the wider field of Human-Centred Design, and how you can apply it to drive innovation and solve business problems.

Introduction to Human-Centred Design
The benefits of Design Thinking to organisations
Design Thinking For Innovation
How to collect, analyse and present data to solve a problem
Facilitating groups and workshops
Using the Double Diamond framework for innovation

Module 2

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Research
A more detailed look into using Design Thinking to research a complex problem, determine the scope of a project, plus a review of best practices for research.

Preparing your mindset for Design Thinking
Design challenge #1
Human-Centred Design research and project scoping
Defining problems: briefs, best practices and problem solving roadmap
Quantitative and qualitative research techniques
Interviewing
Research ethics

Module 3

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Synthesise
Explore how to use data to reframe complex problems and simplify them. Using various collection, mapping and analysis techniques, learn how to make sense of data in a business context.

Mind mapping and stakeholder mapping
Note-taking and empathy mapping
Affinity mapping and analysis
Clustering insights
Visualising data using personas and journey mapping
Prioritisation: matrix and visualising the vote
Reframing the problem to unlock innovation
Working within business constraints

Module 4

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Make
A deep dive into creative brainstorming, including best practices for prioritising ideas and how to visually present them. Discover how to focus and refine ideas into a strong and cohesive value proposition.

Creative Problem Solving
Brainstorming, Creative session, Crazy 8’s
Concept cards and Prioritisation
Prototyping
Narratives and Storyboarding
Designing a compelling Value Proposition

Module 5

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Test
Understand why testing is so important, and the different methodologies used. Learn how to communicate this value to the wider business and strategise the way forward. Bring home your conclusions with a retrospective summary of the project.

The need for testing with users
Usability and Concept testing
Testing Your Hypothesis and Validating Concepts
Communicating the Business Value
Future Roadmap
Retrospective debrief
Reflection, critique and feedback

Module 6

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Designing in teams
In your second challenge, learn how to build a Design Thinking team and run effective workshops. Explore the importance of psychological behavioural research and how to integrate it with economic concerns.

Design challenge #2
Teams and team formation
How to run a Design Thinking workshop
Ethnography, immersive design research & guerilla research
Behavioural economics
Developing concepts

Module 7

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Telling the story
The second challenge continues with an examination of test-and-learn methodologies for innovation. Learn how to present compelling business rationales using engaging narratives.

Designing for extreme users
Testing a pilot
Business rationale and validating economic viability
Storytelling
Best practices to deliver amazing presentations

Module 8

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

The nature of problems
Practise your skills with a personal project solving a larger scale design and service problem. Review different thinking styles and decision-making tools to reframe complex problems.

Design Challenge #3: Global/societal design problems
Wicked problems
Maximising creativity
Thinking styles for empathy and collaboration
Radical reframing
Applying Design Thinking to services
A global perspective – Case studies

Module 9

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Design Thinking in organisations
Explore how to introduce and integrate Design Thinking day-to-day within companies, using growth mindset techniques, and developing a speak-up culture. Dissect what a design-led organisation looks like and the importance of customer ecosystems.

Sharing Design Thinking within organisations
Developing a growth mindset
Team psychological safety and a speak-up culture
Design Thinking and organisational culture
Designing in ecosystems
Integrating Design Thinking with other ways of working

Module 10

Recommended: 6-8 hours per module

Becoming a Design Thinking leader
Discover how Design Thinking can lead the conversation and influence outcomes within business, and how you can become the driver of that change. Harness the power of targeted metrics to drive innovation and help future-proof your organisation.

Rise of the Chief Design Officer
Applying Design Thinking to real world problems
Design Thinking metrics
How organisations are driving innovation
The future of Design Thinking

Outcomes

Need more details about our Design Thinking courses?

Our course guides contain everything you need to know about our Design Thinking courses, including…

Work 1:1 with an industry expert

All Elevate students have access to an industry mentor as they progress through their course. Your mentor is an expert in the field and can provide insider tips and guidance on-demand.

An excellent course - thoughtfully curated blend of strategic insights and hands-on tools, ably facilitated by a brilliant instructor.

Reuben Young, Design Thinking for Innovation: Elevate

"Academy Xi is Australia-based, highly collaborative and places a strong emphasis on practical experience. The Design Thinking for Innovation course has set me up for success with a full Human-Centred Design toolkit, as well as the methods, mindset and technical approaches needed to apply the principles of Human-Centred Design on the job. Not long after the course finished I got hired as a Human-Centred Designer at Nous Group."

Simon Jankelson, Design Thinking for Innovation: Elevate

"I had a great time at Academy Xi, tutors are very friendly and supportive, classmates were fun to hang out with. It was more than just a learning experience to me. During the course, I was able to apply some of the design thinking to daily jobs, it changed the way I think about design. Prior to the course, I was focusing more on the design details, how it looks etc. Now I think more about the function and structure."

Lin Mei, User Experience Elevate

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Why study Design Thinking at Academy Xi?

Industry-aligned content

What you’ll learn is always current, and industry applicable, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve in a fast-changing industry.

1:1 mentoring

Book up to twelve 1:1 mentor sessions to discuss course material, consult about project decisions and ask questions.

Real-world projects

Practise real-world application of your learning with three Design Thinking challenges and bring your own meaningful problem to solve in your final project.

Exclusive Masterclass program

Access a monthly webinar program designed specifically for our self-paced learners. Learn critical digital skills from industry experts, grow your network, and get advice from graduates now working in the field.

Industry-recognised certificate

Graduate with an industry-recognised digital credential and certificate to boost your employment prospects.

Design Thinking toolkit

Get access to a comprehensive toolkit containing all the templates and tools needed to practise Design Thinking activities throughout your course and after you graduate.

Fees & payment options

We offer a range of flexible payment options so you can achieve your goals today, and pay at your own pace.

No deposit

Study Now, Pay Later

Choose weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments over a repayment term of up to 6 months, with no deposit and 100% interest-free.

Weekly repayments from

$53.85/week

PAYMENTS

From $55 /week

No deposit

Study Now, Pay Later

Choose weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments over a repayment term of up to 12 months, with no deposit and 100% interest-free

Weekly payments from

$68.92/week

PAYMENTS

From $55 /week

DISCOUNTED

Pay upfront

Pay for your course upfront to receive a discount on the full amount, and be eligible for any additional special offers.

Total cost of course

$2,520

TOTAL COST OF COURSE

$TBC $TBC

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Student success stories

Our students come from different walks of life and have supercharged their careers, landing coveted jobs in the Design, Tech, and Marketing fields.

4.6 star rating on Google

From HR to Entrepreneur

Julie Dal Santo

After working for years in Human Resources, Julie was looking for something new to study to reclaim her ‘professional mojo’. Little did Julie know at the time, but training in User Experience Design was going to lead to her leaving her profession and starting up her own successful enterprise.

Julie Dal Santo, abc

Read Julie Dal Santo’s story1 of 3

From Fine Art to Service Design

Cilla De Nadai

A firm believer in the benefits of lifelong learning, Cilla decided to add a new dimension to her design process by upskilling with Academy Xi. Reads about how she decided to deepen her problem-solving skills by connecting with the customer and enrolling in the Service Design: Elevate course.

Cilla De Nadai, Service Design Elevate

Read Cilla De Nadai’s story2 of 3

From Music Program Manager to Experience Designer

Simon Jankelson

From expanding the services of an Australian charity, to getting hired as a Human-Centred Designer, Simon’s decision to upskill in Design Thinking has enabled him to make bold changes in his career.

Simon Jankelson, Studied Design Thinking

Read Simon Jankelson’s story3 of 3

Some frequently asked questions

What is Design Thinking?

Design thinking is about developing and applying design solutions that simplify a company’s problems and help projects move beyond their limitations. Instead of fixating on obstacles, a design thinker will prioritise tangible outcomes, using innovative design ideas and processes to create and implement strategic improvements.

Why study a Design Thinking course online?

Companies that excel with design innovation report nearly twice the stakeholder returns as industry peers, which means people who can think up and carry out design solutions are in high demand.

If you want to upskill, a Design Thinking course online can quickly get you to where you want to be. At Academy Xi, we offer intensive online programs that equip you with the full spectrum of theoretical and practical skills required in the workforce.

Do you have to be a Designer to study Design Thinking?

Don’t be fooled by the words – you don’t need to be a designer or involved in design-based industries to benefit from design thinking. It can be used to effectively problem-solve in a range of roles and projects.

Will I earn a credential in Design Thinking?

We partner with Credly to deliver digital credentials for our graduates. Digital credentials are a graphical representation of your skills, combined with a description of the knowledge and activities it took to earn them.

Digital badges can be used in email signatures or digital resumes, and on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

For more info, click here.

How will I learn at Academy Xi?

In this course you’ll experience flexible and self-paced learning, where students cover course content independently and browse material on our engaging learning platform. You’ll learn through a combination of:

readings
pre-recorded videos
1:1 support sessions
hands-on activities and practical project work
Q&A via chat and discussion boards

What is the difference between Transform, Elevate & Foundations courses?

We offer three online course formats across design, tech and business that deliver a range of practical outcomes:

Transform courses teach job-ready skills and help you launch a new career
Elevate courses expand your existing skill set and progress your career
Foundations courses teach introductory skills and build a knowledge base

Have questions? We’re here to listen.

…and any other concerns!