CIVIC Challenge - 2023

Think of a problem or challenge you had to solve at work recently. How did you approach it? Did you find yourself overwhelmed with the number of possible solutions? Were you unsure how to even start? Design thinking can help. Design thinking is a five-step human-centered process for creative problem solving. It was popularized by the Stanford school, and has been used by organizations around the world to solve complex problems. It is all about understanding your user's needs and solving the right problem. By using this human-centered design approach, you can develop products and services that truly help the user.

In this five-day workshop you will learn the basic principles of Design Thinking, specifically focused on a complex and realistic healthcare problem in close collaboration with the work field. Each day will encompass a step of the design thinking process. At the start of the day, you will gain insights in the basic principles and techniques of each stage, followed by interactive handson group sessions.

In short, you will analyze the needs of your target groups in creative, structured work processes, develop a multitude of innovative solutions with the aid of various ideas methods and test your approaches with the help of previously developed prototypes. In a pleasant, personal atmosphere, you will interactively deal with the process in a small team. Eventually you will be able to apply the experience you gained to your own situation and develop your toolbox for your own projects.

The workshop will be guided by coaches of the THINK3 simulation & innovation lab of the Faculty Medicine and Life Sciences – UHasselt.

An overview of the daily workshop program can be found here (pdf, 161 KB).

Learning outcomes

By the end of the program, participants will ...

• know how to apply the 5-step design thinking process to a real healthcare problem
• know how to empathize with users through interviews and observations, in order to take a
  human-centered approach to a challenge
• know how to define a core problem by synthesizing and analyzing information gathered
  during the empathy work.
• know how to ideate solutions to a problem by different brainstorming techniques
• know how to prototype ideas rapidly to identify the best possible solution for a problem
• know how to test prototypes with users to gather feedback on a proposed solution
• know how to pitch design thinking to a team or organization using storytelling
• have practiced several creative techniques of the design thinking process
• have learned how to work within a transdisciplinary team
• have learned how to manage a project in a short period of time

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current workshop, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

• interpersonal competences:
  • leadership
  • vision
  • innovativeness
  • problem solving
  • creativity

For whom?

• PhD students and postdocs
• 24 places available
• As you will interact with a local healthcare organization, we recommend a basic level of proficiency of the Dutch language

When and where?

• October 16-20, 2023 - 09:00-17:00
• Campus Diepenbeek, THINK³ simulation & innovation lab, D22-D24

Registration?

• Send a short bio (educational background) and a motivation of maximum 3 sentences explaining why we need to select you to think3@uhasselt.be.

• Deadline of application is September 25, 2023. You will receive an e-mail on October 02, 2023 to inform you if you are selected.

• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• DS HLS: category 'scientific skills' - compulsory elective technical/methods course