About this course
Design Thinking and Innovation Leadership gives delegates a structured, practical understanding of design thinking stages: empathise to test and framing problems and generating ideas, then builds the skills to apply rapid prototyping and experimentation, building a culture of innovation and scaling ideas into results in real work. Leadership and management courses for supervisors, managers and executives who need to set direction, lead change and get results through people. Demand for these skills is expected to rise strongly by 2028.
Sessions are led by practitioners with at least 15 years in the field, and mix short input with exercises, case studies and group work, so delegates return with methods they can use straight away.
Who should attend
Managers, heads of department, team leaders and high-potential staff preparing for broader leadership roles. No specialist prerequisites are required for the Practitioner level; Foundation, Advanced and Executive versions are available on request.
What you will learn
- Design thinking stages: empathise to test
- Framing problems and generating ideas
- Rapid prototyping and experimentation
- Building a culture of innovation
- Scaling ideas into results
5-day course outline
- Day 1
Design thinking stages: empathise to test
Concepts, standards and terminology, with a diagnostic exercise to baseline the group.
- Day 2
Framing problems and generating ideas
Methods and tools explained step by step, with worked examples from real operations.
- Day 3
Rapid prototyping and experimentation
Hands-on practice in small groups using realistic data, cases and templates.
- Day 4
Building a culture of innovation
Case studies of successes and failures, and how to apply the lessons in your organisation.
- Day 5
Scaling ideas into results
Integration exercise, final knowledge check and a personal action plan.
10-day extended programme
The extended programme includes the full 5-day outline above, plus a second week of applied work.
- Day 6
Applied workshop: Design thinking stages: empathise to test
Deeper practice with your own data or site examples.
- Day 7
Applied workshop: Framing problems and generating ideas and rapid prototyping and experimentation
Group exercises that combine methods from week one.
- Day 8
Field case study: Building a culture of innovation
A detailed industry case worked through from start to finish.
- Day 9
Advanced practice: Scaling ideas into results
Tools, templates and checklists to take back to work.
- Day 10
Assessed project and presentation
Each delegate presents an improvement plan and completes the final assessment.
Upcoming classroom dates
| Dates | City | Length | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Nov 2026 to 20 Nov 2026 | Dubai | 5 days | $2,450 |
| 14 Dec 2026 to 18 Dec 2026 | Istanbul | 5 days | $2,450 |
| 4 Jan 2027 to 8 Jan 2027 | Kuala Lumpur | 5 days | $2,450 |
| 15 Feb 2027 to 26 Feb 2027 | Kuala Lumpur | 10 days | $4,450 |
| 7 Mar 2027 to 11 Mar 2027 | Cairo | 5 days | $2,450 |
| 12 Apr 2027 to 23 Apr 2027 | Barcelona | 10 days | $6,250 |
| 10 May 2027 to 21 May 2027 | Amsterdam | 10 days | $6,250 |
| 7 Jun 2027 to 11 Jun 2027 | London | 5 days | $3,450 |
| 19 Jul 2027 to 23 Jul 2027 | Kuala Lumpur | 5 days | $2,450 |
| 16 Aug 2027 to 20 Aug 2027 | Barcelona | 5 days | $3,450 |
Live online sessions run every month in GCC, Europe and Asia time slots. Other dates and cities on request.
Customise this course
Change the level, language, length and format, combine it with topics from other courses or ask for topics that are not in our catalogue, and add your own case studies, site visits or exam preparation. Open this course in the customiser to see the day-by-day outline and an instant indicative fee.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Design Thinking and Innovation Leadership course?
It runs as a 5-day core programme or a 10-day extended programme. The 10-day version adds a second week of workshops, case studies and an assessed project.
Where is the Design Thinking and Innovation Leadership course held?
Classroom sessions run in Dubai, Istanbul, London, Kuala Lumpur and Cairo, with more cities opening to 2030. It is also available live online and in-house at your site.
Can the Design Thinking and Innovation Leadership course be customised?
Yes. You can change the level, language, length from 1 to 20 days and format, add topics from other courses or new topics, and include your own case studies. Use the online customiser for an instant indicative fee.
How much does the Design Thinking and Innovation Leadership course cost?
From $2,450 for 5 days in Dubai, Istanbul, Cairo or Kuala Lumpur, $3,450 in London, and $1,450 live online. In-house delivery for up to 15 delegates starts at $12,900.