A design thinking workshop helps teams solve complex problems by deeply understanding users and rapidly testing ideas. These 22+ facilitation methods are curated for human-centered design sessions.
Move from empathy to prototype in a single day — with the right methods at every stage.
Plan your design thinking workshopThe design thinking process follows a four-phase arc from understanding users to testing solutions. Each phase has a distinct purpose.
Phase 1
Morning (9:00–11:00)
Understand your users deeply. Conduct research, observe behavior, and build genuine empathy before jumping to solutions.
Phase 2
Late Morning (11:00–12:30)
Synthesize your research into a clear problem statement. Cluster insights and frame the challenge in a way that inspires action.
Phase 3
Afternoon (13:30–15:30)
Generate a wide range of ideas. Suspend judgment and push for quantity — the best ideas emerge after the obvious ones.
Phase 4
Late Afternoon (15:30–17:00)
Build rough prototypes, share with users, and gather feedback. Iterate quickly — fail fast to learn fast.
Organized by phase. Click any method to see full instructions, tips, and facilitation guidance.
The Empathy Map is a tool designed to help teams gain a deeper understanding of their stakeholders, such as customers…
A visual map of a user's experience with a product, service, or process over time. It traces each step of the user's …
A design research tool for creating realistic, composite representations of key user groups based on research data. A…
This method visualizes the steps a customer takes while using a product or service, along with their reactions. It he…
Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) is a strategic framework developed by Clayton Christensen that reframes how you think about cu…
Bodystorming is an innovative approach to brainstorming that involves physical role-playing to explore and develop id…
Card Sort is a method used to organize and categorize information by arranging cards, each containing a piece of info…
A reframing technique popularised by IDEO and the Stanford d.school that transforms problem statements and observatio…
Affinity Mapping is a technique used to organize ideas and data into meaningful clusters. It is ideal for identifying…
1-2-4-All is a structured method that engages every participant in generating ideas and solutions. It is particularly…
Teams distill a solution concept onto a single poster as if they were designing a billboard or magazine ad for it. Th…
Mapping Design Operations is a strategic exercise aimed at visualizing and understanding the role of Design Ops withi…
A fast ideation exercise from Google Design Sprints. Participants fold a sheet of paper into eight panels and sketch …
The Four-Step Sketch is a method that guides participants to develop ideas in a structured way. It focuses on reviewi…
Design The Box is a creative exercise where teams conceptualize and design a box to represent their product or idea. …
The 'Back of the Napkin' method encourages teams to brainstorm and capture their ideas on a napkin, inspired by the i…
Agile UX Sketching and Scrum is a collaborative sketching exercise designed to generate a wide array of ideas quickly…
Design StoryBoards is a method for creating a detailed and visual plan to guide group interactions and achieve a clea…
A structured review session where design, product, or creative work is evaluated against specific goals — not persona…
A democratic prioritisation technique where each participant receives a fixed number of votes (represented by dot sti…
A five-day intensive framework developed at Google Ventures by Jake Knapp. Each day has a specific focus: Map (unders…
This method helps teams quickly prototype and test new ideas. It is structured to encourage fast-paced creativity and…
Workshop Weaver helps you design, structure, and run design thinking workshops with AI-powered facilitation support. Build your agenda, pick the right methods, and walk in prepared.
Plan your design thinking workshop