Approaching Business: Creative Leadership & Design Thinking

***DATE & LOCATION CHANGE: Tune Up will now be on December 14th, 10am - 4pm at Camaraderie, 2241 Dundas Street West

Design Thinking is a people-centred approach to problem solving that helps businesses thrive by developing better relationships and fostering greater trust between people across an organization - from clients to customers to stakeholders to the members of your high performing team.

The series of workshops focus on approaching business through Creative Leadership and Design Thinking. They can be taken together as a package or as a choose your own adventure.

Each workshop will present the tools and techniques typically used in various phases of Design Thinking, providing you the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the concepts, start conversations on how to use these ideas to move your organization forward, connect with your community, and create new and innovative services.

Workshops

Class 1: Problem Solving with Design: Introduction to Design Thinking - Monday, November 3 6:30 - 8:30pm

• Understanding the basics of Design Thinking and people-centred problem solving

• Focusing on problem definition in the process of problem solving

Class 2: Understanding Users: Community Research - Monday, November 10 6:30 - 8:30pm

• Engaging with stakeholders for behaviour insights

• Building relationships with clients and stakeholders

Class 3: Documenting the Process: Synthesizing - Monday, November 17 6:30 - 8:30pm

• Practicing the art of questioning and facilitation

• Designing frameworks for synthesizing and organization

Class 4: Setting your Goals: Task, Team, Self - Monday, November 24 6:30 - 8:30pm

• Developing clear expectations for teams and clients

• Creating effective strategies for collaboration

Class 5: Designing Services: Co-Designing with Stakeholders - Monday, December 1 6:30 - 8:30pm

• Understanding the different needs of clients and users

• Hosting collaborative spaces

Class 6: Tune Up: Taking Design Thinking to Action - Sunday December 14th 10am - 4pm

• Practicing taking idea to action on a real life case study

These sessions are for all individuals looking to add Creative Leadership and Design Thinking skills to add to their portfolios; for managers looking for ways to engage their teams in collaboration, entrepreneurs looking to increase their social impact and professionals looking to foster and develop new business ideas and services.

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding the basics of Design Thinking and people-centred problem solving

• Focusing on problem definition in the process of problem solving

• Engaging with stakeholders for behaviour insights

• Building relationships with clients and stakeholders

• Practicing the art of questioning and facilitation

• Designing frameworks for synthesizing and organization

• Developing clear expectations for teams and clients

• Creating effective strategies for collaboration

• Understanding the different needs of clients and users

• Hosting collaborative spaces

• Practicing taking an idea to action

Relevance for Audience

This series of workshops is being offered as a package, but each workshop has been designed with stand-alone content to suit individuals who like to choose what works best for their learning style.

Each workshop is hands-on, interactive and crafted to help ground theoretical design-based processes with practical solutions that support everything from day-to-day operations to long-term planning. These workshops are best suited for professionals, entrepreneurs and team members who are craving ways to innovate on their current services and business ideas, ways to engage their stakeholders and community in the design of feedback and product offerings and ways to collaborate to maximize your reach and impact.

Our Background and Expertise

The Exhibit Change team works and teaches about design thinking in community organizations, non-profits, social enterprises and schools. Each team member brings a different perspective and skill set to this workshop series. For this series of workshops, the workshops will each be co-led by Jennifer Chan, Nisha Haji & Clara Stewart-Robertson.

Jennifer Chan is a facilitator, designer and provocateur. Jenn brings her designerly mind to process design, idea generation and helping organizations connect with their community and stakeholders.

Nisha Haji is a design facilitator and workplace culture innovator. Nisha brings her public sector experience to service design and collaboration.

Clara Stewart-Robertson is a community urban planner and facilitator. Clara brings her holistic perspectives to community engagement and project management.

For any questions: Contact us at designthinking [at] exhibit-change.com

Refund Policy: If you need to cancel your participation in this workshop within 2 weeks of the workshop date, 50% of your ticket price will be re-imbursed to you to cover administration & workshop fee costs. No refunds will be issued within 48 hours of the workshop date. You are welcome to transfer your ticket to an alternative participant if you are no longer able to attend.