Design Thinkers Bootcamp
Explore the design and innovation cycle in five fast-paced days. You’ll build your knowledge progressively as you work on a real-life challenge. Throughout, our expert coaches will be there to inspire, support and stretch your thinking.

Design Thinkers Bootcamp
Our intensive Design Thinkers Bootcamp will give you hands-on Design Thinking tools to innovate in business. It is our most renowned course, led by two Design Thinking facilitators, with a different masterclass with a leading Design Thinking expert on each morning. This is a unique opportunity to become fully skilled in Design Thinking over the course of just one week and to then take that knowledge back to your office and change the way you work.
Length
5 days
09.00 – 18.00 GMT
Next courses
21 - 25 Nov 2022
20 - 24 Feb 2023
Location – The Factory, London, SW18
Max number of places - 18
Early Bird
£2,450 + VAT SOLD OUT
Regular Rate
£2,750 +VAT (8 Places left)

Course Prospectus
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Bootcamps attract a global mix of leaders and managers from corporates, start-ups, government and the third sector.
If you want to shift your game to the next level or it’s your job to implement and drive innovation in your organisation, the Design Thinkers Bootcamp will transform how you do business.
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- 4.4/5 Course Rating
- 99.9% Course Recommendation Rate
- Over 450 alumni across our courses
Want to find out more about the course? Fill in the form below and we’ll get in touch:
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On each day of the course you will receive a masterclass from an expert in Design Thinking. In the past these have included:
- DAVID KESTER: David is co-founder of DK&A and the Design Thinkers Academy London. He is the former CEO of the UK Design Council
- BECKY ROWE: Becky is a research specialist and the owner and Head of Research at the award-winning strategic research agency, Revealing Reality.
- JOE FERRY: Joe is a multi-award winning creative leader and inventor who challenges industry conventions to make a difference.
- ARNE VAN OOSTEROM: Arne is a leading Design Thinker, creative facilitator and leadership trainer.
- SIMON GOUGH: Simon is a is an experienced design consultant, facilitator, trainer, speaker and writer with clients ranging from fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies to central government.
- ARNOUD KONING: Arnoud has been driving Design Thinking in Proctor & Gamble since 2008, heading up their global Design Thinking program.
- SUSANA QUAST OSÓRIO: Susana is our Design Director, working with clients such as Conrad Hilton Hotels to develop new innovative solutions.
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Overview
From Day 1, you’ll learn how to be a Design Thinker, working on a unique challenge. By the end of the course, you’ll have the skills, tools and confidence you need to drive change across your business.
Learn how to:
1. Empathise with your customer.
2. Use observational techniques to gain deeper insights into your end users.
3. Engage Design Thinking and Design Thinking tools.
4. Prototype ideas and select the best ones.
5. Empower others in your organisation to co-create and use Design Thinking.Examples of tools you may learn: Research techniques / Persona / Stakeholder Mapping / Ideation Methods / Opportunity Statement / Customer Journey Map / Business Model Canvas / Concept Proposition / Service Blueprint / Problem Framing / Persuasive Selling / Storyboard Scenario
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Day 1: FIND
You’ll be introduced to each other and the week ahead, then set a real-life challenge by a guest sponsor client. World-leading research specialist Becky Rowe will lead a masterclass in observational techniques, including ethnography. Straight after that, we’ll send you out to conduct your own end-user research. You’ll return with new approaches to use together the following day.
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Day 2: FRAME
Joe Ferry’s masterclass will introduce Design Thinking tools such as Journey Mapping and Personas to create a pivotal shift in thinking. The exercises and insights from Day 1 will support you and your team to reframe the challenge. By the end of the day, you’ll have distilled the brief afresh – as a starting point for innovation.
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Day 3: MAKE
We will explore the philosophy of doing business in a new world. We’ll take you back to strategy and forward to new thinking. Today the race is on to build a portfolio of concepts for testing and refining. It’s a high-octane class where there’s no time to worry about being wrong or failing. Be brave. Share your ideas. Test them with end-users so that you learn together from mistakes and move on to better iterations.
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Day 4: NARRATE
Arnoud Koning will help you to synthesise and develop a business proposition. By the end of the day, you’ll have brought all the elements together into a powerful narrative and you’ll be ready to pitch to your sponsor client. In his masterclass, Arnoud will use a case study to explore how Design Thinking can be implemented in a big organisation, and he’ll share some guidelines on how you can apply it to your own situation. We’ll host an informal networking session to allow you to share experiences with your team members before the final day.
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Day 5: APPLY
The first four days are about learning by doing, whilst Day 5 is about processing, clarifying issues and conscious personal business growth. Beginning with a masterclass from David Kester, you’ll work with the coaching team and your peers on assessments and plans, reflecting on what you’ve learnt. This is your chance to consider your own organisation and how you can start applying Design Thinking on Monday. The day ends with a small celebration.
Length
5 days
09.00 – 18.00 GMT
Next courses
21 - 25 Nov 2022
20 - 24 Feb 2023
Location – The Factory, London, SW18
Max number of places - 18
Early Bird
£2,450 + VAT SOLD OUT
Regular Rate
£2,750 +VAT (8 Places left)
Q. Why Design Thinking?
A.
At the Design Thinkers Academy London, we recognise the huge and immediate challenges that businesses currently face. Now, more than ever, we need to face the world with a new mindset, realising that the traditional formulas that have served companies so steadily for generations, might not be the right answer for the new reality that faces us all. We want to offer an opportunity for you to become proactive and to meet these challenges head on. This is about understanding the new user that the world faces and building the right solutions for them. Design Thinking offers the perfect opportunity to develop your skill set for the future and be in the best placed position to prepare your business to flourish going forward.
Q. What's the real-life challenge?
A.
On Day 1, the delegates are presented with a real-life social challenge, sponsored by a client (previous sponsors incl. MoJ, HS2, NHS, Women in Sport and more). Throughout the week, learners work together to tackle this real world social issue. They conduct end-user interviews, develop personas, pitch ideas and learn new ways to collaborate with one another on an issue in need of innovation.
This is a truly hands-on course centred around the idea of “learning by doing”. Find out more here.
Q. Will I be able to access the tools after the course?
A.
All our methods and tools are shared openly. Although we have developed our material over many years we actively share our knowledge to expand the universe of Design Thinkers.
The value is in the people and the learning experience, not the tools themselves. On this basis, we do not attempt to protect our IP, so you will be welcome to use and adapt our tools for free.
Q. What safety precautions will be taken in regards to Covid-19?
A.
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have made a number of changes to how our in-person courses will be run. This means smaller groups taking part from our own studio in South London in a controlled environment. Our studio space in an ex-factory with high ceilings and good natural light. It can be accessed via the District Line, which runs above ground in this part of London, and is located in a quiet area where streets and public transport are very rarely crowded.
Click on this link to find out more about our covid health and safety measures.
Q. Are meals provided?
A.
We provide lunch every day, plus a variety of snacks to keep you going. Let us know if you’re vegetarian or on a special diet.
Q. Is it a residential course?
A.
No. If you’re from out of town, you’ll need to book your own accommodation. But we can suggest nearby hotels if you need us to.
Q. Do you offer concession prices for your courses?
A.
We do offer concessions and a sliding scale of discounts on this course. Pay full price for the first space you book, 10% off the second and third, and 15% off every space you book after that. If you’re booking a lot of spaces, you may want to talk to us about tailoring a course especially for your business. Call us on +44 7711 068 553 or email bookings@designthinkersacademy.co.uk to find out how we can help you.
Companies who have attended Bootcamp in the past










Holistically the best, most immersive training course I’ve attended. I can’t recommend it enough!
Warren Kearney, Director of Business Solutions, BT
Absolutely the best course I’ve ever been on- everything was superbly organised and made for a perfect learning environment
John Wood, Associate Director, Trades Union Congress
Best investment of 5 days I have ever made
Neil Halls, Innovation Strategist, VISA
I can certainly say the design journey we went on was insightful, fully immersive, highly educational, challenging and a brilliant, useful, practical experience. Go for it, you won’t regret it.
Kate Hall, Design Director, HS2
A brilliant training experience where to learn by applying theory to a real world problem from day one.
Joe Silverman, Delivery Manager, Ministry of Justice
The Design Thinkers Academy Bootcamp is a truly immersive experience that managed to provide real-world tools and techniques, rigorous evidence for the power of design, and a great deal of fun.
Ezri Carlebach, Senior Associate, The PR Network and Visiting Lecturer, University of Greenwich
These skills will go with you anywhere; invest in your future - you’ll think of the world differently - do it!
Gary Hartley, General Manager, GS1 New Zealand
I left this course feeling genuinely empowered to change the way we do things for the better. Thank you!
Toby Garrood, Consultant Rheumatologist at Guy's and St Thomas' (NHS Foundation Trust)
Fantastic team and set of coaches. Work on a real world problem for a client with the possibility to see it implemented was an unexpected bonus that really brought the course to life.
Ranjiva Prasad, Chief Architect, Innovation Solutions, Visa
This bootcamp made me live and breath design thinking and it wouldn't have been possible without David and the eminent coaches.
Kranthi Bairi, Head of Delivery, Atos
Team
David Kester
Founder & Managing Director
DTA London,
DK&A
Joe Ferry
Brand & Experience Architect
Becky Rowe
Ethnographer & Coach
Revealing Reality
Arnoud Koning
Design Thinking Facilitator
Procter & Gamble
Susana Osório
Design Director
DTA London,
DK&A
Simon Gough
Service Designer & Coach
Design Thinkers Academy London
Arne van Oosterom
Associate Creative Director & Coach
Design Thinkers Academy London & DK&A
David Kester
Founder & Managing Director
DTA London,
DK&A
Joe Ferry
Brand & Experience Architect
Becky Rowe
Ethnographer & Coach
Revealing Reality
Arnoud Koning
Design Thinking Facilitator
Procter & Gamble
Susana Osório
Design Director
DTA London,
DK&A
Simon Gough
Service Designer & Coach
Design Thinkers Academy London
Arne van Oosterom
Associate Creative Director & Coach
Design Thinkers Academy London & DK&A

THE SMALL PRINT
Discount- We offer a sliding scale of discounts on this course. Pay full price for the first space you book, 10% off the second and third, and 15% off every space you book after that.
If you’re booking a lot of spaces, you may want to talk to us about tailoring a course especially for your business.
Read our terms and conditions for booking here
Price Comparison
Our courses are designed to give delegates the highest quality learning experience possible in a condensed time frame. We do this by bringing together expert coaches, who distill and share their knowledge to ensure that each of our delegates walks away with a lasting set of skills and tools for change.
We endeavour to keep our pricing highly competitive and are happy to discuss this further, should you have any questions.
Need more help?
We’re here to help if you’d like to find out more. If you have a quick query then please click on the orange chat box on the right, and one of the team can answer your questions. Or use the options below.
Get in touch:
Call here: +44 (0)7552 730 231 | WhatsApp
info@designthinkersacademy.co.uk
Or fill out the form below:

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