Innovation and Design Thinking
Rapid prototyping for innovation
Innovation and Design Thinking
About the program
In this program, participants will discover new ways to move their organization forward through business model innovation and design thinking – a human-centred, rapid prototyping approach that helps tap in to creative potential.
When we think of innovation, we often focus of the realm of products - shiny, larger, smaller, faster, connected products. More often, an innovation focus gives us the ability to improve processes, services, and even our business model and the way the firm behaves and competes. One significant and underappreciated barrier to innovation, however, is a perceived lack of resources, where in reality, most organizations have all the resources they need, yet those resources remain mired in complexity and unnecessary processes.
This interactive session provides managers and executives the perspective and tools necessary to identify resource-rich opportunities and free up the time, space, and funds they need to focus on what matters most. Discussions and exercises will align the team and enable the ability to see things differently.
In this program you will learn to:
- Realize the creative potential within your group
- Align ideation and creativity to customer needs
- Identify and free up the resources necessary to support new initiatives
- Translate ideas into execution and action
- Lead effective brainstorming sessions
- Empathize to discover new customer needs
- Develop rapid prototypes to evaluate and communicate proposals
Who should attend
Anyone involved in generating new ideas, products and/or processes.
Discounts Available
Volume Discounts
Queen's Executive Education is pleased to offer a 15% discount for organizations that pre-pay for five or more seats on any of our programs within a 12-month period. Check your eligibility to receive a volume discount
Registered Charities
Queen's Executive Education is pleased to offer a limited number of discounted seats in every program to employees of Canadian registered charities. Check your eligibility to receive a registered charity discount
Personal Benefits
- Improved ability to lead creative brainstorming sessions
- Increased acuity for discovering customer needs
- Deliver your ideas with clarity and confidence
- Greater motivation and alignment to corporate goals and objectives
- Access to tools that can be applied throughout the workplace
Organizational benefits
- Higher employee engagement and morale
- Decreased development times thanks to rapid prototyping
- New products or services better aligned with customer needs
- A proactive, "what's next?" innovation culture
The Program covers the following curriculum:
- Introduction to Design Thinking
- Needfinding Field Research
- Focused Brainstorming
- Focused idea development through Storyboarding
- Low-cost idea refinement
- Prototyping and Presentations
- Aligning innovation with projects for successful execution
In-Person Learning
Learn alongside fellow participants from across the country, discovering best practices that span industries and sectors.
Our in-person programs include classroom learning sessions led by award-winning Smith School of Business professors and industry experts. Practice new skills in breakout sessions, projects and simulations, and apply your learning toward real-world case studies.
SmithToronto
SmithToronto is located on the 30th floor, 200 Front Street West in the heart of Canada's financial centre and is easily accessible by GO, subway and the PATH system.
Smith School of Business delivers many programs and classes at SmithToronto and it is home to the Master of Finance, Master of Management Analytics, and Master of Management in Artificial Intelligence programs. The site includes classrooms, meeting rooms, staff offices, special events spaces, and a variety of multi-media presentation systems.
As well, it includes three Boardroom Learning Centres with fully interactive videoconference capabilities. These rooms are used to deliver classes for Smith’s Executive and Accelerated MBA programs.
Session Leaders
Session leaders include senior professors from Smith School of Business and knowledgeable experts from industry. These outstanding teachers are constantly in touch with today's business world through real-world business experience, Board memberships and their own consulting practices.
Queen’s Executive Education programs rely on faculty from Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, executive education partner HEC Montreal, as well as domain experts from industry. Our teachers come with deep expertise and are constantly in touch with today’s business world and research to formulate the best-fit education for each program.
Barry Cross is an award-winning professor and speaker, and an expert in operations strategy. He joined Smith School of Business in 2006 after nearly 20 years in leadership and executive roles in a global industry career./p>
Today, Barry speaks widely in the areas of Productivity, Innovation, Strategy, and Execution, helping organizations and leaders be their best. He is the bestselling author of three books, dozens of journal articles and case studies.
Salman Mufti is Associate Professor of Digital Technology at Smith School of Business, Queen’s University. He specializes in the areas of decision making, technology strategy, and digital transformation. He is a former Associate Dean and Executive Director of Queen's Executive Education. He has extensive teaching experience in both degree and non-degree executive education at Queen’s University Smith School of Business, and with other national and international schools including University of Alberta School of Business in Canada, Cornell University Johnson School of Management in the United States, Karachi-Institute of Business Administration (IBA) and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Pakistan, IEDC-Bled School of Management in Slovenia, SKOLKOVO-Moscow School of Business in Russia, and Vin University College of Business and Management in Vietnam. Prior to joining Smith School of Business in 1997, he spent twelve years as a manager and consultant working with organizations in the private and public sectors. He continues to advise senior managers in corporations and the government, and is a regular speaker on corporate conferences and executive education programs. He has a BSc from McMaster University, an MBA from Queen's University, and a PhD from McGill University.
Available for Teams & Organizations
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