Overview
The innovation landscape is constantly changing,
and your next opportunity may be where you
least expect it. To gain a competitive edge, you
must break down your assumptions, take on a
different perspective, and put people first.
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to
problem solving that prioritizes the development
of products, services, business models, and
experiences that address consumers' actual
needs. Experts have shown that design-led
companies outperform their more traditional
counterparts by a factor of two to one.* So,
how do you develop an edge? You start by
breaking down your assumptions, adopting a
new mindset, and looking at the world from a
different perspective.
Kellogg Executive Education's Design Thinking:
A Toolkit for Breakthrough Innovation program
offers participants a powerful framework for
recognizing opportunities, generating and testing
new ideas, and realizing new solutions.
Through a combination of interactive sessions,
guest lectures, and demonstrations, Kellogg
School of Management professor and IDEO
designer David Schonthal will take you on an
experiential learning journey that covers the
entire arc of the design process from inspiration
to implementation—and every step in between.
Regardless of your role or industry, you will walk
away from the program equipped with the tools
and techniques to apply this design approach to
a wide array of products, services, interfaces,
and interactions.
*Source: McKinsey & Company
2 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION
Who is this program for?
This program teaches a method of problem solving
that will give any professional an advantage in their
industry or career. It will be particularly beneficial for
Product or service managers seeking an innovative,
consumer-oriented strategy that minimizes the risk of
bringing a new product to market by developing deep
insights, rapid prototyping, and designing thoughtful
experiments
Designers who want to address people's needs
(both, stated and unstated) through creative thought
processes and advance their careers with a hands-on
certificate program
Consultants who want to offer clients far more
differentiated and disruptive solutions using a
step-by-step method of problem solving and
integrated design thinking approaches
C-suite professionals, heads of business, and
entrepreneurs who recognize that gaining an edge
and increasing market share require re-imagining their
businesses from the bottom up and wish to make
design thinking an inherent philosophy in their
organizations
Individuals or teams that are developing
transformational business models and searching for
new ways to bring offerings to the market with lower
risk and strong customer focus
"Design Thinking provides the essential toolkit
to discover opportunities for radical new offers
and to quickly make those ideas real."
- David Schonthal, Clinical Professor of
Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Kellogg
Designer at IDEO
 Key Takeaways
This program will equip you to unpack your assumptions about problem solving and approach new opportunities
with the human experience in mind. In this program, you will

● Learn to apply design thinking fundamentals to ensure that a solution is desirable from a human point of view
and aligns with what is technologically feasible and economically viable

● Develop an in-depth understanding of the full design process from inspiration to implementation and learn to
transform an idea into an innovative product, service, or business model

● Gain hands-on experience with key methods and tools including the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework to
create and communicate offerings that address customer needs

● Discover how design thinking can nurture your individual creativity, help you overcome resistance to new
ideas, and provide advantages such as reduced time-to-market, lower costs, and increased market share

3 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 Why Learn Design Thinking from Kellogg
Executive Education?
Taught by David Schonthal, an award-winning Kellogg professor and IDEO designer, our program offers
distinctive insights into design thinking and its applications. Here are a few reasons why our learning journey
is unique:

Learn form Bob Moesta, co-creator of the JTBD framework, and gain a deeper understanding on how
design thinking can be applied together with the JTBD to tap into consumer needs and behaviors

See how brands like Airbnb, Cisco, General Electric, and Eli Lilly and Company have integrated design
thinking into their product strategies

Participate in a simulation of the design process in live studio sessions with program faculty

Leave with a personalized design thinking field guide, a playbook you can use to capture key insights
from the program and your own learnings and applications

Master the five stages of design thinking and the steps that follow—iteration and launch

Learn strategies to overcome resistance to new ideas, including targeted communication

Explore nontraditional applications of design thinking and its impact on future trends

Experience hands-on learning as you practice design thinking techniques using digital tools

Learn from examples drawn from real-world experience helping organizations innovate

4 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 Studio Sessions with David Schonthal
Participate in three interactive studio sessions that will give you the opportunity to practice the design process
and practice innovative techniques you can immediately put to use in your personal and professional life.

● Studio Session 1: Experience the design process from beginning to end while working
with fellow participants and designing a new product or service for your peers
(Live with David Schonthal)

● Studio Session 2: In this two-part session,

practice applying techniques of design thinking to
your idea using collaborative digital tools. Then
prototype and share your idea, with the opportunity
to receive feedback
(Asynchronous)

● Studio Session 3: Learn to apply frameworks, and

practice offering constructive feedback during the
design review process
(Live with David Schonthal)

Design Thinking Field Guide

Reflect on your learning in the program to build a personalized field guide that you can use to navigate the
design process in the real world. During the program, you will use the guide to complete activities, generate
ideas, and record reflections while receiving peer feedback on your work. The tools, frameworks, methods,
and examples will serve as a helpful reference when applying design thinking techniques in your
professional life.

Gain Insights Prototype Iterate

Empathize Ideate Test Launch

5 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 Program Modules
Module 1
Introduction to Design Thinking
Survey the fundamentals of design thinking and learn
how they apply to solving business problems.
● Define the concept of design thinking
● Apply its principles to catalyze innovation
● Demonstrate how the process helps professionals
solve challenging business problems
● Challenge assumptions using a rigorous,
human-centered approach to creative problem
solving
Activities
● Studio Session 1 (Live)—Design Project 0:
Practice the three steps of the design process
while working with fellow participants and designing
a new product or service for your peers
Module 3
Translating Observations to Insights
Transform observations into meaningful insights that
fuel innovation, using the process of synthesis.
● Externalize your data using the power of storytelling
● Identify common themes in your data to better
understand your customers' desired progress
● Translate your insights into opportunities for new
and well-differentiated solutions
Activities
● Studio Session 2, Part I (Asynchronous): Interact
with other learners to practice design thinking
techniques, such as group brainstorming, ideation,
and insight analysis
6 //
Module 2
The Power of Why
Examine the functional, social, and emotional needs
of users and stakeholders, and explore the connection
between those needs and the decision-making
process.
● Apply the JTBD method of interviewing to yield
powerful insights into consumer needs and
behaviors
● Zero in on the moment of struggle that underlies a
customer's decision to "purchase" a product,
service, or experience
● Identify the push and pull factors that influence your
customers’ decisions
● Understand the timeline of events in the
decision-making process, and target your
messaging effectively
Guest Lecturer
● Bob Moesta, Adjunct Professor of Innovation &
Entrepreneurship and CEO and Founder of the
Re-Wired Group
Module 4
Reframing Opportunities and
Generating Ideas
Learn how to generate novel ideas using insights
captured during synthesis.
● Employ ideation as a generative process for
developing design principles
● Apply the techniques of reframing and group
brainstorming to develop actionable ideas and
articulate business challenges
● Reframe questions to promote revolutionary
innovation
● Follow the rules of brainstorming to support effective
ideation
Activities
● Studio Session 2, Part II (Asynchronous):
Synthesize the outputs of ideation to create a
compelling design brief
 Module 5
Making Ideas Real
Discuss methods for prototyping ideas and testing
their underlying assumptions.
● Implement prototyping to learn, communicate, and
validate
● Apply the concepts and tools to develop a solution
for your business
● Discuss techniques for executing and testing
ideas, including sketches, mock-ups, videos, and
storyboards
● Challenge assumptions about when, how, and why
to prototype
Activities
● Prototype and share your idea in Mural, an online
collaboration platform, to discuss your idea with
your peers and receive feedback
Module 7
Nontraditional Domains for Design
Thinking
See how design thinking is making a difference in
unexpected ways.
● Anticipate trends and developments in the field
● Hear guest lecturers from a variety of firms and
industries reflect on future trends to inspire your
journey to innovation
Activities
● Develop a short pitch for your idea
Guest Contributors
● Efosa Ojomo, Leader, Global Prosperity Research
Group at the Clayton Christensen Institute
● Shoshana Berger, Co-author of A Beginner's
Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life
and Facing Death
7 //
Module 6
Overcoming Resistance to New Ideas
and Change
New ideas frequently encounter resistance, often from
the very people they are meant to help. Use the
principles of friction theory to recognize and address
factors that hinder the customer journey.
● Explain why consumers are often reluctant to adopt
new ideas
● Use a friction map to identify bottlenecks
● Align remedies with forces of friction to overcome
resistance
Activities
● Complete friction and remedy reports for your idea
Module 8
Designing Communication that Moves
People
Apply creative techniques to design ways of
communicating that are as unique as your ideas.
● Use visualization, storytelling, and design fiction to
bring your ideas to life
● Leverage communication strategies to promote
innovation and overcome resistance to new ideas
● Discuss the role of media and technology in
communications design
● Build compelling stories using a narrative structure
that comprises an emotional and a business
arc
Activities
● Studio Session 3 (Live): Share the pitch for your
idea with your peers
 Industry Examples
Each week's lesson will feature one or more industry examples, giving you the opportunity to examine how
design thinking has been successfully integrated into organizations across a wide variety of markets. See
unique applications from brands such as

Air New Zealand: See how

executives embraced the power of
prototyping to create a more
comfortable in-flight experience.

Airbnb: Learn how Airbnb tested their

offer quickly and cheaply by creating
simple prototypes with just enough
fidelity to communicate the company’s
ideas. FlyHomes: Understand how this
innovative start-up removed the forces
of friction to simplify the process of
buying and selling a home.

Cisco: Learn how Cisco

successfully reimagine its virtual
telepresence facilities.

Eli Lilly and Company: Discover

how insects provided unexpected
inspiration for administering
medications.

General Electric: Explore how the

company designed a pirate ship
adventure to calm and engage
children undergoing MRI procedures.

Note: All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Their use does
not imply any affiliation or endorsement.

8 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 Program Experience

A personalized field guide to Live, interactive studio sessions with

reference in future design efforts award-winning faculty and practitioners

Guest lectures from leaders in the Hands-on activities and projects providing
world of design and innovation real-world application of techniques

Collaborative opportunities with Industry examples from renowned

peers brands

Innovative frameworks with

A dedicated program support team
immediate applications

Knowledge checks Breakthrough discussions

9 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 Program Faculty

David Schonthal
Clinical Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship
at Kellogg
Designer at IDEO

David Schonthal is a Clinical Professor of Innovation &

Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of
Management, where he teaches courses in new venture
creation, design thinking, business acquisition, healthcare
entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, and creativity. He also
serves as the Faculty Director of Kellogg's Zell Fellows
Program, a selective venture accelerator program designed to
help student entrepreneurs successfully launch or acquire new
businesses.

Outside of Kellogg, David is a Designer at IDEO, where he

focuses on helping organizations build and launch new
ventures, designing transformational business models, and
establishing novel go-to-market strategies. David also serves as
an Operating Partner at 7wire Ventures, a Venture Partner at
Pritzker Group Venture Capital, and a Global Advisor at Design
for Ventures (D4V), a Tokyo-based venture capital fund.

Prior to his time in Chicago, David spent nearly a decade in the

healthcare venture capital and start-up world as a Partner at
Fusion Ventures and the Director of Strategy and Venture
Development for Tavistock Life Sciences. He has also held
numerous senior operating roles at start-ups in the technology
and life sciences sectors.

David is a contributing writer for Forbes, Fortune, and Harvard

Business Review and has authored articles on corporate
entrepreneurship, innovation, and business design. He has
been named the Most Outstanding Professor in Kellogg's EMBA
program four times and has received several awards for his
work, including a Kellogg Faculty Impact Award for excellence in
teaching.

David earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management

at Northwestern University and his BA in international relations
from Boston University.

The Human Element, David’s

forthcoming book written in
partnership with Loran
Nordgren, offers innovative
insights for overcoming
resistance to new ideas and
will be in bookstores on
October 5, 2021. Learn more
about the authors’ work here.
10 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION
 Featured Guest Contributors
Bob Moesta
Adjunct Lecturer of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
CEO and Founder of the Re-Wired Group

Bob Moesta is an Adjunct Professor of Innovation &

Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University's Kellogg
School of Management. In addition to his role at Kellogg,
he is the CEO and Founder of the Re-Wired Group, a
guest lecturer at Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan
School of Entrepreneurship, and a research fellow at the
Christensen Institute in Boston. Bob, along with Harvard
Business School professor Clayton Christensen, is one
of the principal architects of the jobs-to-be-done theory, a
revolutionary framework that pinpoints disruptive
innovation by identifying the factors that drive customers
to make purchase decisions.

Bob earned a BS in electrical engineering from Michigan

State University, an executive MBA from the Harvard
Business School, and an MS in design from the Stanford
Design School. He has also studied extensively at
Boston University’s School of Management (Brussels)
and at the MIT School of Engineering, where he focused
on postgraduate-level work in chemical and mechanical
engineering.

11 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 Efosa Ojomo
Leader, Global Prosperity Research Group at the
Clayton Christensen Institute

Efosa Ojomo leads the Global Prosperity research group

at the Clayton Christensen Institute, a think tank whose
mission is to improve the world with disruptive innovation.
He authored The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation
Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty, a book that earned
accolades from the Wall Street Journal, in partnership
with Karen Dillon and late Harvard Business School
professor Clayton Christensen.

His work has appeared in a number of high-profile

publications, including Harvard Business Review, the
Guardian, Forbes, and Fortune. He has also shared his
expertise in innovation and economic development at
many conferences and institutions, including TED, the
World Bank, Harvard, Yale, and Oxford. Efosa earned a
BS in computer engineering from Vanderbilt University
and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

12 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 Shoshana Berger
Co-author of A Beginner's Guide to the End:
Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death

Shoshana is the Global Editorial Director of IDEO, where

she has worked on projects related to organization
transformation, the end of life, modern Judaism, and
school lunch. She has written for The New York Times,
TIME, Fast Company, WIRED, and Quart and spoken
widely about how to redesign our experience of death at
Creative Mornings, Slush, Tech Festival, and the
Commonwealth Club.

Before joining IDEO, Shoshana was a Senior Editor at

WIRED, where she launched WIRED Design, and prior
to that, founder of the DIY magazine, ReadyMade, later
turning it into the book, Ready Made: How to Make
(Almost) Everything. She is the co-author, with Dr. BJ
Miller, of A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice
for Living Life and Facing Death. In 2019, Shoshana
moved to Denmark for a year with her husband and two
wily teenagers to work with the Copenhagen Institute of
Interaction Design and learn why the dark, cold Nordics
are the happiest places on earth.

13 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 Certificate

Upon successful completion of the program, Kellogg Executive Education grants a verified digital certificate of
completion to participants. This program is graded as pass or fail; participants must receive 80% to pass and
obtain the certificate of completion.

CERTIFICATE AWARDED TO

First Last
P L E
A M
EX
FOR COMPLETION OF

Design Thinking: A Toolkit for

Breakthrough Innovation

Date

FRANCESCA CORNELLI THOMAS O’TOOLE

Dean, Kellogg School of Management Associate Dean of Executive Education
Donald P. Jacobs Professor of Finance Clinical Professor of Marketing

After successful completion of the program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program.
All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of Kellogg Executive Education.

Note: This online certificate program does not grant academic credit or a degree from Kellogg School of Management.

14 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

 ABOUT KELLOGG EXECUTIVE
EDUCATION
Kellogg Executive Education empowers business
leaders to foster growth in themselves, their teams
and their organizations. Our renowned faculty,
consisting of the world’s best researchers, educators
and practitioners, provide practical insight that
participants can apply as soon as they return to work.
Providing a collaborative, immersive environment for
our executive development programs, we serve a
variety of businesses and executives from a myriad of
industries and geographies.

ABOUT EMERITUS
Kellogg Executive Education is collaborating with
online education provider Emeritus to offer a
portfolio of high-impact online programs. By working
with Emeritus, we are able to broaden access
beyond our on-campus offerings in a collaborative
and engaging format that stays true to the quality of
ABOUT
Kellogg. EMERITUS

Emeritus’ approach to learning is based on a

cohort-based design to maximize peer-to-peer
sharing and includes live teaching with world-class
faculty and hands-on project-based learning. In the
last year, more than 100,000 students from over 80
countries have benefitted professionally from
Emeritus’ courses.

DURATION
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4–6 hours per week

PROGRAM FEES
$2,600

15 // DESIGN THINKING: A TOOLKIT FOR BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION

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