This unique and valuable two-day workshop will be led by 3 instructors who have taught students at Stanford University/d.school in the US, the birthplace of design thinking, and will allow participants to experience Silicon Valley-style facilitation, which is fast-paced and keeps participants entertained.
Overview
- In a borderless society, proactively creating new value requires individuals to acquire leadership and entrepreneurial skills. Design Thinking is an effective foundation for this as methodology for creating “INNOVATIONS”. Recently, many companies both in Japan and overseas have been actively adopting Design Thinking.
- The program will make students engage in several types of workshops with varying participants. Through these workshops, participants will experience and understand the concepts of Creative Confidence and User Centric, which are the essence of Design Thinking, and most importantly, aim to strengthen your creativity. This program will be an authentic experience of a workshop held at Stanford University/d.school in the United States, the birthplace of design thinking. We have invited 3 US facilitators and instructors: Thomas Both, David Janka, and Scott Witthouft. These 3 professional designers and educators teach Design Thinking at Stanford University/d.school, the University of Texas at Austin, and at various organizations around the world.
| 📂 Category | Innovation |
| 📌 Keywords | Design Thinking, Issue Identification, Empathy, Ideate, Test |
| 🎯 Objectives | Through experience, you will understand design thinking not as a “how-to” for creating innovation, but as a concept of Creative Confidence & User Centirc |
| 🌐 Language | English |
| 👥 Target Participants | Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral students |
| 🗓 Format | 2 days (in person) |
| ✅ Past & Upcoming Sessions | Day 1: 6/Dec/2025 (Sat) 10:00-18:00 Day 2: 7/Dec/2025 (Sun) 10:00-18:00 Held annually since 2018 |
| 📍 Venue | S4-202/203, Ookayama |
| 🌟 Recommended for | – Students who want to understand the essence of design thinking. – Students who want to strengthen my own creativity. – Students who want to develop new value and establish it in society. – Students who want to experience a workshop at Stanford University’s d.school in the United States. – Students who want to build a new network of international and Japanese students. |
| 📊 Points | 14 points in total (Points to be awarded to students enrolled in the courses for credits. Please refer to the syllabus for details.) |
| 🎟️ Capacity | Around 35 participants In the event of a large number of applications, applications will be considered in the following order: Total students, course students, and spot participants in this event. In addition, your English proficiency rating (including self-assessment, TOEIC 750 or above, TOEFL ibt 80 or above is preferred), as well as your purpose for participating, will also be taken into consideration. Only those who can attend the full days of Day 1/2 and strictly can make a commitment to follow rules regarding not arriving late or leaving the room earlier during each session, are eligible to apply. |
Main Content
Day 1:
- Workshop 1: Advertisement Creation
- Workshop 2: Observation in the fields
- Workshop 3: Synthesis
- Debriefing & Reflection
Day 2:
- Workshop 4: Radical Ideation & Prototyping
- Workshop 5: Reframing-why and how-
- Personal Reflection and Program Reflection
- Well-done party (voluntary)
Facilitators
Thomas Both
Thomas is a designer and design educator whose passion is helping people understand the practice of human-centered design—and their ability as designers—to innovate how they learn, think, and solve problems. He is director of the Designing for Social Systems program at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) at Stanford University. In this program, he teaches professionals how to apply design thinking to complex social challenges and facilitates workshops for social impact leaders to develop a more human and strategic practice.
David Janka
Design consultant and creative strategist; former Fellow and current lecturer at the Stanford University d.school. David has a medical degree from Stanford and works to integrate design thinking principles into medical education, healthcare delivery, and medical device design.
Scott Witthouft
Professional space and product designer; Associate Professor of Practice at University of Texas at Austin; former Fellow and lecturer at the Stanford University d.school. Scott is author of the book “Make Space,” a tool for designing collaborative spaces. He has a professional background in structural engineering.
Past Event Records
Voices from Participants
- I highly recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to try something new but can’t seem to break out of their shell. This fulfilling two-day workshop will give you powerful tools, approaches, and an important mindset! (D2)
- I’d heard the term “design thinking” often, but I had always wondered what it really meant. (It was familiar enough that it was even included in required courses, but I couldn’t really grasp its merits and even thought it seemed a little shady…!) However, through the workshop’s cycle of ① interactive lectures → ② physical activities that really brought home the significance → ① → ②… I began to understand that design thinking is not just a foreign word! It’s true. It’s an amazing two days learning from young Stanford professors at the forefront of design thinking. Apply now! (M2)
- This workshop is a valuable opportunity to develop creative problem-solving skills through practical activities and discussions. It’s highly stimulating for anyone interested in design and innovation, as well as anyone who wants to think about things from a new perspective. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with like-minded peers and learn from passionate instructors! (M1)
- I was able to learn Design Thinking in a practical way, something a little different from what I learned in classes at Tokyo Tech. (B4)
- Come this class to notice small details in your life and new opportunities for improvements to the science. This workshop will change your mindset to thinking about your personal and professional life.(B1)
- If you want to escape from your research life, try this workshop. Although it’s 2 days on the weekend, it’s really fun to do collaborate with new friends, learn something mind-opening things from amazing native English speaker instructors.(M2)
- I decided to attend the workshop to reskill my design thinking. However, this provide me a new perspective of design thinking following the basic framework and interactive activities. Although, I’m quite sleepy the class make me active almost all the time. (M2)
- I strongly encourage everyone to participate in this event at least once, as it offers an invaluable learning experience. The mentors are not only highly skilled experts in design systems but also exceptional at sharing their insights and experiences in a way that is both engaging and inspiring. Their ability to simplify complex concepts and present them in exciting, interactive ways makes this event a must-attend for anyone looking to deepen their understanding and enhance their skills. Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from the best and be part of a truly enriching experience!(D1)
Event Report
Contact Faculty
Keisuke Yamada, Specially Appointed Professor, Academy for Leadership
📩 yamada.k.9f82 [at] m.isct.ac.jp