The Power of Design Thinking to Solve Complex Challenges
Harness the power of design thinking to boost your ability to tackle complex, customer-centric business challenges and address impending threats.
Benefits

- Customer centricity. Learn how cross-functional teams can coalesce around customer needs to build a shared understanding of purpose and clear user-centered focus.
- Novel solutions. Explore new approaches to solve customer-centered problems in a wide range of business contexts.
- Turn risk into opportunity. Learn how to turn obstacles into new business opportunities by engaging your team and leveraging their unique talents and perspectives.
- Better results at lower risk. Create and implement customer-centric solutions with business impact, faster and more effectively.
The first block of the program focuses on the need for novel approaches like design thinking to catalyze strategic transformation and bridge the gap between dramatic change and positive corporate outcomes.
In the second block, participants will explore the power of design thinking as a problem-solving approach and its ability to simultaneously serve both customer and corporate interests. By combining concrete tools and techniques, design thinking offers organizations an in-depth understanding of end-user needs, while enhancing managerial competencies to solve human-centered challenges.
Theory comes to life in the final block, which features numerous examples of real-world design-thinking applications in a range of corporate contexts.
- Corporate Transformation: Navigating Complexity
Strategies to integrate design thinking into corporate decision-making frameworks and guidelines to address threats head-on. - Hands-On Exercise: Inspiration, Ideation and Implementation
An engaging simulation to acquire an up-close understanding of distinct phases in the design-thinking methodology. - Uncovering Needs and Generating Opportunities
Insights to develop a deeper understanding of customer interests by discovering latent needs and focusing on the original challenge. - Concept Validation
Prototyping and experimentation to test ideas and learn from them quickly. - Design-Thinking Applications
Apply key learnings to dissolve crisis situations, design and develop new customer-centric initiatives, redefine business models and apply strategic problem-solving.

Academic Director
Professor of Strategic Management
PhD in Strategic Management, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Master’s in Organization and Strategy, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Degree in Industrial Engineer, Universitat Politècnica de Barcelona
Degree in Business Administration, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Certified Design Thinking, IDEO and Experience Point
IAP-Harvard Business School on Design Thinking

Growth and Digital Transformation Consultant
Executive Master in Business Innovation, Deusto Business School
Executive MBA, EADA and University of Stellenbosch Business Schools

Founder and CEO, Binnakle Innovation Games
Co-Organizer of Gamification Day
MBA and BSc in Business Administration, Solvay Business School

Professor and Head of Production, Technology and Operations Management
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering, University of California at Berkeley
MSc in Engineering, University of California at Berkeley

Global Services Concept Lead, Roche Diabetes Care
Professor Design Manager, Istituto Europeo di Design
MSc in Design Thinking-Integrative Thinking, Illinois Institute of Technology
Degree in Industrial Design, Llotja Advanced School of Art and Design.

CEO and Founder, Adventuring Ventures
Senior Lecturer, California College of the Arts
MSc in Advanced Architectural Design, Columbia University
BSc in Architecture, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Assistant Professor of Complex Systems Leadership, Thomas Jefferson University
Founder and Principal Consultant, Systems Wisdom
Former Associate Director, Ackoff Collaboratory for Advancement of the Systems Approach, University of Pennsylvania
PhD in System Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
This program comprises two online modules and a three-day on-site module on IESE’s campus in Barcelona. All modules deliver an engaging, high-impact learning experience by interweaving a strategic blend of academic methodologies, including the case method, lectures, expert-panel session, exercises, best practices and a design-thinking simulation.
The program is modular in structure, offering participants the option of participating in (1) the full blended program (2) Module 1 only or (3) online Modules 1 and 3.
- Participants complete and submit the online application.
- The Executive Education Department emails the participant to acknowledge receipt and provide further details on program dates, pre-program academic materials and bank details to submit payment.
- The participant pays the program fee. This is an essential requisite to access the pre-readings and participate in the program.
- Before the start date, participants receive an email with a user name to access the IESE Virtual Campus and pre-readings.
Fees
- Full Blended Program:
General fee: € 5,250
Alumni fee: € 4,725
IESE Alumni Assn. members: € 4,462.50
Executive Education Certificate fee: An additional 5% discount on the general or IESE Alumni Association member fee.
- Online Module 1:
General fee: € 750
IESE members fee: € 675
IESE Alumni Assn. members: € 637.50
Executive Education Certificate fee: An additional 5% discount on the general or IESE Alumni Association member fee.
- Online Modules 1 and 3:
General fee: € 1,100
IESE members fee: € 990
IESE Alumni Assn. members: € 935
Executive Education Certificate fee: An additional 5% discount on the general or IESE Alumni Association member fee.
The program fee is tax-exempt and includes academic materials and most meals during the on-campus module. Travel and accommodation expenses are not included. Please contact us about discounts for IESE graduates, Alumni Association members, corporate agreements and multiple registrations from the same company.
The program includes preparatory coursework, which participants will receive with sufficient lead time. Payment is required in order to access this material.
Please consult our cancellation policy. Places are limited and filled in strict order of registration.
Participants in the on-campus Barcelona edition can benefit from special rates at the following hotels: AC Victoria Suites (Marriot) 4*, Sansi Pedralbes 4*, Abba Garden 4*, Meliá Sarriá Barcelona 5*, Upper Diagonal 4*.
Payment Details
We accept payments by credit card, check or wire.
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received within 20 days before the program launch are subject to a fee equivalent to 25% of tuition. IESE reserves the right to cancel this edition or modify dates up to 20 days prior to its start. IESE is under no circumstances responsible for travel expenses incurred. Participants should consider travel cancellation coverage in the exceptional event that the program is cancelled or if they are unable to attend for personal or professional reasons.
UPCOMING EDITION
Online Module
Module 1: June 7-28, 2021
On-Campus Module: Barcelona
Module 2: June 29 – July 1, 2021
Online Module
Module 3: July 2-16, 2021
CONTACT US
IESE Business School
Focused Programs
Anna Vera
(+34) 93 253 4395
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