Information on individual educational components (ECTS-Course descriptions) per semester

Time slot: Intensive training week (= Blockwoche) from 13 to 16 October 2025

Attendance is very important for all courses. 

Course language: English

Course occupancy: Minimum 12 persons / Maximum 21 persons

Course costs: None

Sustainability: SDG 9 - promote innovation

In addition, we very often work in the projects in the context of other SDGs and contribute to their achievability. 

Design Thinking is a thought and work culture, that enables the generation of human and need oriented innovations. The scope ranges from classical product development to (ever getting stronger) social problem solutions and innovations. Design Thinking can be used as a holistic philosophy of an organisation but also as a tool to work on a specific subject.

This lecture is strongly based on practical work. The application of Design Thinking as a tool will be experienced on the basis of a concrete challenge. The students are actively engaged through all the phases, from the identification of the problem over the research and creative phases to the implementation. So they experience Design Thinking in a realistic environment.

The accompanying impulse lecture goes beyond the specific topic and shows the application in the larger environment.

As the course has a bootcamp character, it is very intensive and demanding. Expect busy but inspiring days ahead.

The students are familiar with the problem-solving/innovation method of Design Thinking and some areas of application.

They know the framework conditions for a Design Thinking project and the criteria for putting together a team. They can help prepare a project and suggest team members.

They are familiar with the individual phases of Design Thinking and know exemplary methods from the design thinking tool portfolio.

They are able to help participate in facilitating a design thinking session as a supporter.

Realisation of a Design Thinking project accompanied by impulse lectures.

Active attendance and co-operative teamwork, presentations.

Ideally, students of all study programs participate in this course. The more the heterogeneity and interdisciplinarity the better.

Please note that the self-study time takes place largely during the block week and keep the evenings free for project work.

For further questions please contact: heidi.weber@fhv.at 

• Brown, Tim (2019): Change by Design, Revised and Updated: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation. New York: HarperBusiness.
• Lewrick, Michael; Link, Patrick; Leifer, Larry J. (2018): The design thinking playbook: mindful digital transformation of teams, products, services, businesses and ecosystems. Hoboken: Wiley.
• Osterwalder, Alexander; Pigneur, Yves (2010): Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers. 1. Aufl. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
• Lewrick, Michael (2023): Design thinking and innovation metrics: powerful tools to manage creativity, OKRs, product, and business success. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.
• Stickdorn, Marc u.a. (2018): This is service design doing: applying service design thinking in the real world: a practitionersʹ handbook. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly.
• Hehn, Jennifer u.a. (2022): Design thinking for software engineering: creating human-oriented software-intensive products and services. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

In class lecture with compulsory attendance