Bootcamp for 14 - 19 year olds fully booked
Design Sprint
Get your creativity flowing on this three-day design bootcamp. Investigate what makes people tick, generate ideas to solve problems, then pitch your ideas – all the while challenged by some of Europe’s best design thinkers.
Who it's for
If you’re going to succeed in the workplace, you’ll need more than qualifications. Employers are looking for young people who are flexible, resourceful and who think creatively.
This three day project is for people aged 14-19 years, who are up for the challenge of solving real-world problems using design thinking. To take part you could be studying design and technology or just have an interest in design.
What you'll learn
For five hours a day, you’ll learn by doing as you solve the challenge we set. By the end of the three days, you’ll know how to think like a designer.
Learn how to:
- Think like a designer.
- Watch what makes people tick and understand them better.
- Identify and reframe challenges.
- Prototype ideas and choose the best ones.
- Learn from each other and work in teams.
- Understand communities and cities in a user-focused way.
- Day 1: Find and Frame
- The day starts with an introduction to design thinking and you’ll meet some designers. Then we’ll put your imagination to work with a real-life challenge to solve by the end of the course. You’ll go outside to watch people facing the challenge in action. You’ll observe and video interview them. Then you’ll come back to the workshop and use design strategies, tools and exercises to rethink the challenge we’ve set.
- Day 2: Make and narrate
- The race is on to come up with a range of concepts for testing and refining. Explore your ideas with others so that you learn together, share ideas with each other and move on to better iterations.
- Day 3: Pitch
- Share your ideas and compete. You’ll spend the morning refining your solutions into a final concept. Make models, design posters, illustrate the customer experience and finally prepare to pitch your brand new ideas. Over lunch we’ll discuss the project, what you’ve learnt and how you’ll be putting design thinking into practice back at school or college. The day ends with a reflection on design thinking to inspire you for the future.
How to book
There are limited number of places available for young people aged 14 to 19 years. Please enquire online or phone (0)20 7940 8798 for more details.
Please note this course will be held off-site at the City of Westminster College. On day 2 the group will conduct research along Church Street, Westminster. By submitting this form, you give permission for your child to take part in this external research activity.
This course is now fully booked
more about the speakers
Becky Rowe
Ethnography & research guru Managing director of award-winning strategic research agency Revealing Reality, Becky’s specialisms lie in behavioural insight & observational research. Over the course of her career, she has worked for a wide range of big brands, marketing agencies, governments & charities. Recent clients include No 10 Downing Street & Pepsi.
Clive Grinyer
Design evangelist Leading the design of digital customer experiences at Barclays, Clive devises innovative ways for customers to build relationships with the bank. Over his career, he’s been a product designer with IDEO founder Bill Moggridge, and Head of Design for Samsung and Cisco. He is also a visiting Professor at Glasgow School of Art.
Tim Schuurman
Leading design thinker A management consultant by profession & one of the founders of the Design Thinkers Group, Tim specialises in bringing innovation & user-centred design principles to large organisations. He’s led projects for Bosch, SAP & Schiphol Airport. Tim holds a doctorate in business administration from Groningen University.
Magda Buchczyk
Ethnography academic A researcher at Revealing Reality, Magda specialises in museum ethnography & healthcare research. She uses her academic expertise to inform projects for business, the public sector & charities. Recent clients include Macmillan Cancer Support as well as Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
David Kester
Pioneer in design thinking David leads & advises on complex innovation projects for government & industry, pioneering ways to turn social & business challenges into innovation & enterprise. Formerly chief executive of both the Design Council & D&AD, David is an honorary professor at Warwick Business School as well as the founder of Design Thinkers Academy London.
Payal Wadhwa
Design leader & storyteller Combining expertise in design, interpretation & engagement to help clients build strong narratives, Payal is Design Director at DK&A. An experience designer & cultural strategist formerly at Imagination & The Storytellers, she has worked with the London Olympics, Essex Council, Archaeological Survey of India & Google Cultural Institute.
Fiona Myles
Leading brand strategist A brand & innovation consultant, Fiona founded consultancy Kin after working for branding agencies Wolff Olins & Elmwood. She has facilitated courses for the Design Council’s Designing Demand programme & worked on projects for AstraZeneca & the British Council. She is also a lecturer on the MBA programme at Imperial College London.
Design Thinkers Academy London is the UK arm of the Design Thinkers Academy, a training organisation for business. Design Thinkers Academy was founded in Amsterdam in 2011 by leading innovation agency Design Thinkers Group in response to the demand from global clients to develop high-level design thinking skills within leadership teams. Design Thinkers Group is one of the leading ‘design driven’ Innovation Agencies, facilitating organisations around the world making the transition from being strictly product orientated and sales driven, towards being service orientated and human centred. We are a Global Agency, represented in 18 countries and train, develop and facilitate creative multidisciplinary teams and communities to drive positive change.