Organizations are struggling with how to drive innovation and become their own “outside expertise.”

Talented people are out there yet many remain an untapped resource for an invention. All too often their challenge is how to apply out of the box thinking for their organizations within the constraints of today’s business world.

I recently sat down for a Q&A with highly-accomplished entrepreneur and business strategist Andreas Graesser to discuss how thought leaders can leverage the potential of the DesignThinking methodology – as well as his upcoming workshop in Philadelphia.

Q: Hello Andreas, it’s a pleasure to meet you. To help us get started, can you describe a little about your background?

A: Nice to meet you as well. I’m a passionate “Design Thinker” applying the methodology to innovate and to transform. I have led many workshops around the globe and across many industries. Additionally, I’ve taught at d.schools (School of DesignThinking) in Stanford (USA), Potsdam (Germany), and Beijing (China).

Q: You’ve truly taken DesignThinking global. What lead or inspired you to start offering the workshops?

A: There’s a real need for businesses to innovate. But the question becomes just how to do it. DesignThinking is a staged approach to invent new “stuff”, or in our context new products and new services.

Q: What’s does the term DesignThinking mean to you?

A: The meaning is two-fold: “designing” the things right is the foundation for success. If you apply the wrong design, it will be costly and lengthy to change afterwards. “Thinking” is the strategic component of the methodology: think through everything that will happen with the product or service over a period of time (months or years).

Q: We’ve all been to a seminar or workshop where we got to disconnect for a day or two and get to go do something completely different. However, it seems that for many, much of the experience was not relatable to “the real world.”  How is this workshop different?

A: DesignThinking gets you engaged in a ‘total’ way that makes your brain start working and even spinning (in a good way of course.) And the best part of it is the fact that you collaborate with participants in a matter of minutes! This collaboration approach is something you can take home and apply easily in your own field or company after the workshop!

Q: Who should attend a DesignThinking Workshop?

A: If you’re passionate about ‘changing things’, in other words, if you see yourself as an agent of transformation, then you should attend this workshop. You will learn how powerful DesignThinking is and how easy it is to run DesignThinking exercises. You can apply it later in your own team, or within cross-functional settings.

Q: How do you feel the setting of an art gallery in Philadelphia enhances the workshop?

A: The gallery will inspire and boost our creativity. To have an artistic environment will also help us to depart from technology and business constraints for a few hours. This will be the perfect place to ideate new approaches, be it processes, products, or services.

Q: Are participants able to have follow up with you after the Philadelphia workshop?

A: You’ll absolutely be able to connect with me after the workshop. For questions, advice, and even follow-up workshops if this is what you need and wish!

A few seats still remain for this exciting upcoming DesignThinking workshop.

WHEN: December 4-5, 2017

WHERE: Pentimenti Gallery, 145 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Click here for additional information.