8 Hadenfeld Avenue
Macquarie University NSW 2109
Design Thinking Program
Join us at Macquarie University Incubator for a free program that helps you master innovative problem-solving skills through engaging daily workshops.
The past couple of years have brought with them an increased need to be innovative, to learn fast, and tolerate stress.
Subsequently, the top skills for 2025 have been redefined in three clusters:
- analytical thinking and innovation
- active learning and learning strategies
- resilience, stress tolerance, and flexibility.
Design thinking is a way to develop this important skillset.
The Design Thinking Program runs over one week, where you will learn design thinking techniques so you can practice creative problem solving and innovative thinking everyday. This is a free program offered by the Macquarie University Incubator to complement any degree. The techniques and skills that you are taught throughout this program are life-skills applicable to any industry or career you undertake.
Each weekday you will attend a workshop of two to three hours focusing on:
Visioning
Reframing the challenge question using creative language (How might we...) to develop an aspirational question that will be the beacon for your project. We will also touch on insights you can do outside of the workshop. In this workshop you will cover possibilities thinking vs problem-solving thinking.
Ideation
How to do brainstorming properly and since brainstorming is a principle, ideation tool and a mindset – teaching you two other tools to do outside of the workshop: analogous categories and extremes.
Development
You should now have some ideas that you're excited about – now you need to challenge yourself to take them further. We'll look at future forecasting and storytelling and do some flamethrowing – a creative way of getting feedback on your ideas!
Pitching and celebration
Showcasing your work and getting feedback from their peers and panel. Finished off with a celebration and networking event. All participants that successfully complete the program will be awarded a digital certificate and badge.
Note: This program is only available to current Macquarie University Students.
Programs run once per semester. Subscribe to our newsletter to find out about upcoming program dates.
By the end of the program, you'll have a deeper understanding of:
- how social innovation makes a difference
- creative thinking techniques and creative leadership
- how to use empathy to solve problems
- frame specific opportunities based on user needs and insights
- clearly define challenges to engage, excite and align teams
- rapid prototyping
- ability to work with ambiguity and
- build resilience