UW WI School of Business

Design Concepts and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin School of Business joined together to develop a graduate course created to bring design thinking to future business leaders. The course, titled "Design Thinking for Business," was first offered in the spring of 2009 to MBA students at the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Brand and Product Management (CPBM), and continues to be offered in spring semesters. Thomas O'Guinn, professor of marketing and executive director of CBPM, Stefanie Norvaisas, director of strategy & research and principal at Design Concepts and Ami Verhalen, director of industrial design and principal of Design Concepts, have collaborated to share practical and theoretical strategies in a user-centered, empathetic approach to design.

Norvaisas led the team-taught course highlighting the perspectives of multi-disciplinary experts, many from the staff of Design Concepts, in all aspects of product and service design.

The course, titled Design Thinking for Business, shared the tools, methods of processes of design thinking used to identify needs and define strategic opportunities. Two classes were taught during the 16-week semester with a total of nineteen graduate students participating.

Video Courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Madison To gain hands-on experience, students in the 2009 course designed service and product strategies for a partnering organization, the University of Wisconsin Credit Union. The students were broken up into six teams, and each team focused on developing a strategic opportunity for the UW Credit Union. Learn More About Wisconsin School of Business Center for Brand and Product Management Learn About Design Thinking for Business.