Design Thinking Tools & Resources

My compilation of favorite design thinking tools, resources, & literature.

This curated collection of resources continues to grow as I’ve grown as a design thinking practitioner. I’ve been amazed and humbled by the generosity of the design thinking community and the willingness to share best practices. I strive to do the same, sharing best-of-the-best design thinking tools from both leading institutions and practitioners.

I’m always on the lookout for new design thinking tools & resources as I continue to practice and teach design thinking. Please feel free to recommend others!

Last Updated – 6/23/18 – (new items are in red font)

Free Online Resources

• Stanford d.School Resources & Tools
  • (https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources-collections/)
• frog design’s 43 page Collective Action Toolkit
  • (https://www.frogdesign.com/work/frog-collective-action-toolkit)
• SessionLab Brainstorming Facilitation Tools
  • (https://www.sessionlab.com/library)
• 45 Design Thinking Resources for Educators
  • (http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/45-design-thinking-resources-for-educators/#ixzz2bnMyQLfC)
• IDEO.org Field Guide to Human Centered Design
  • (http://www.designkit.org/resources/1)
• Design Thinking for Educators Toolkit co-developed by IDEO
  • (https://designthinkingforeducators.com/)
• Google Design Sprint Kit
  • (https://designsprintkit.withgoogle.com/)
• IBM Design Thinking Field Guide
  • (https://www-356.ibm.com/partnerworld/IBM)
• Alexandar Cowan Venture Design (great tools/templates for Empathy, Ideation, & Agile)
  • (https://www.alexandercowan.com/venture-design/)
• Public Design Vault (500 design and design thinking tools, all in one spot!)
  • (Link to the design vault)

Online Training

• Stanford d.School Virtual Crash Course (https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources-collections/a-virtual-crash-course-in-design-thinking) – Free
• University of Virginia (via Coursera) – Design Thinking for Innovation (https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-design-thinking-innovation) – Free videos, $ for certificate
• University of Virginia (via Coursera) – Design Thinking for the Great Good: Innovation in the Social Sector (https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-design-thinking-social-sector) – Free videos, $ for certificate
• University of Virginia (via Coursera) – Agile Meets Design Thinking (https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-getting-started-agile) – Free videos, $ for certificate
• Cooper Hewitt (via EDX) – Design in the Classroom – Free online class, $ for certificate (https://www.edx.org/course/design-classroom-cooper-hewitt-smithsonianx-eddesign1-1x#!)
• IDEO U (https://www.ideou.com/) – $
• Acumen & IDEO.org – Introduction to Human Centered Design – Free online class on how to use HCD for social innovation (https://www.plusacumen.org/courses/introduction-human-centered-design)
• Acumen & IDEO.org – Facilitator’s Guide to Human Centered Design – Free online class on leading others through the HCD process (https://www.plusacumen.org/courses/facilitator%E2%80%99s-guide-human-centered-design)

Design Thinking Playbooks & Toolkits

• Deutsche Telekom’s awesome ‘Design Thinking Doing’ Playbook
  • (https://telekom.design/media/Telekom_Design_-_Design_Thinking_Doing.pdf)
• ‘Design Thinking for Business Innovation’ book by MJV (some great visuals!)
  • (Link to Design Thinking for Business Innovation Book)
• ‘Design Thinking for Communications Professionals’ playbook by PWR New Media
  • (https://apps.prsa.org/Network/_includes/Storytell.pdf)
• ‘The Service Design Playbook’ by BCPS in British Columbia, Canada
  • (Link to The Service Design Playbook by British Columbia Public Service)
• ‘Design Thinking The Guidebook’ by Royal Civil Service Commission in Bhutan
  • (Link to Design Thinking The Guidebook)
• ‘IBM ‘Design Thinking Field Guide’ (pocket-sized but mighty field guide!)
  • (Link to IBM Design Thinking Field Guide from IBM DT Page)
• Human Centered Design Discovery Guide by Lab @ OPM & GSA
  • (Link to HCD Discovery Guide)
• Nesta’s ‘Playbook for Innovation Learning’ (great tools for enabling overall innovation & design thinking)
  • (Link to Nesta’s 100 page Innovation Playbook)
• Luma Institute’s ‘Empowering People to Use Design Thinking in Their Everyday Work’ Decklet
  • (Skip to pages 28-68 for some very handy DT tools & charts)
• ‘How Design Thinking Supports Innovation in K-12 Education’ by IDEO & WISE
  • (Link to the 118 page report)
• ‘Designing for Public Service’ Playbook by IDEO and Nesta
  • (Link to this incredibly robust guidebook)

Design Thinking Conferences & Connection

• List of Global Design Thinking Conferences for 2018
• Tips for Connecting with the Design Thinking Community

Design Thinking Business Case Building

• ‘The Total Economic Impact of IBM’s Design Thinking Practice’ by Forrester
  • (Impressive research supporting business case and ROI for design thinking)

Design Sprint Resources

• Ultimate Guide to Design Sprint Training, Tools, & Resources

Books

• Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation (by Tim Brown)
• Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Tool Kit for Managers (by Jeanne Liedtka)
• Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All (by Tom Kelley & David Kelley)
• The Achievement Habit: Stop Wishing, Start Doing, and Take Command of Your Life (by Bernard Roth)
• The Design Gym Design Thinking Reading List (quite comprehensive!) (http://www.thedesigngym.com/the-never-ending-design-thinking-reading-list/)
• Design for Strengths: Applying Design Thinking to Individual and Team Strengths (by John Coyle, a design thinker with a very interesting background and story!)

Videos

• Onopia by Peter  Keates (https://tv.onopia.com/henry-ford-hfli-design-thinking-designthinking-learning/)
• Tom Kelley (from IDEO) makes the case for design thinking in a 1 hour interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1pBhHjGKvI)
• Design Thinking = Method, Not Magic (Stanford University webinar) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSuK2C89yjA)
• Essential Design Thinking Videos & Methods by Interaction Design Foundation (Link to videos)

Case Studies

• Collection of 40 Design Thinking Success Stories
• Design Thinking’s role in transforming Airbnb from failing start-up to billion dollar business
• Design Thinking & Innovation at Apple
• Design Thinking the IBM Way
• P&G Using Design Thinking as a Competitive Advantage

Articles

• Empathy:
  • Updated Empathy Map Canvas
  • Great UX Docs Including Empathy & Experience Maps
  • A Guide to Personas
  • 14 Brilliant Resources to Help Master Empathy
• Ideate:
  • The 5 Minute Brainstorm
  • How Brainstorming Questions, Not Ideas, Spark Creativity
  • 10 New Rules for Brainstorming Without Alienating Introverts
  • A Designers Guide to Brainstorms That Are Actually Useful
  • 5 Brainstorming Exercises for Introverts
  • 1 Day Ideation Workshop Guide & Tools
• Prototype:
  • Designers Guide to Prototyping 2017
  • Quick Prototyping Tools for Emerging Technologies
  • Awesome 1 Page Overview of Prototyping Tools (created by Emily Schwartzman)