What are the starting requirements?

None. No prior knowledge of management concepts and no formal application are needed. All you need is a web browser.

What does the course cost?

With the current discount, this course costs US$12, including the full course content and your personal certificate. There are no additional costs.

How do I get my certificate?

Work through the 9 chapters and pass the course quiz, which is multiple choice with free retakes and no time limit. The certificate is issued instantly as a digital PDF with a unique ID that employers can verify online.

What is the value of the certificate?

IBMI holds its programs to the same high standards applied by traditional educational institutions, and its certificates are acknowledged by employers worldwide as professional certificates. IBMI does not award academic titles or degrees.

Design Thinking — IBMI (preview)

All courses

Design
Thinking

4.7course rating

Design thinking is how good teams turn messy problems into ideas people actually want. In about two hours, you'll learn to understand your users, frame the real problem, and prototype solutions worth building — a way of working you can bring to any challenge.The mindset and tools of design thinking — understanding users, framing problems, and prototyping — in about two hours.

What you will learn

Design thinking comes down to a handful of skills you can learn — and this course covers the ones that matter most. Whether you're solving a customer problem or shaping a new idea, you'll leave able to empathize, frame, and prototype with confidence.

Core skills

Understand your users and frame the right problem
Turn ideas into quick prototypes you can test
Work the core design thinking tools (empathy maps, personas, journey maps, etc.)

More details

This isn't theory for its own sake. Across nine focused chapters you'll work through what design thinking actually involves — listening to users, defining the real problem, and testing ideas fast — with tools you can put to use the same day.

Why this matters

32%

higher revenue growth is what top design-led companies saw over five years versus their peers — design thinking is now a core driver of business performance.

Source: McKinsey

Across nine short chapters, you'll move through the full design thinking process — from understanding users and defining the problem to generating ideas, prototyping, and testing. Each chapter builds on the last, so you finish with a clear picture of how the whole approach fits together.

It's designed for a wide audience and open to everyone, with no prior experience needed. It's especially useful for anyone who wants to grow professionally, think more creatively at work, and advance their career.

The course takes about two hours in text and audio, is fully self-paced, and comes with lifetime access and no prerequisites. Pass the short final exam to earn a verifiable certificate.

What we will cover

9 focused chapters that build from the fundamentals to the tools you’ll actually use — each grounded in practical, real-world examples.

9chapters

~2hself-paced

Text & audioread or listen

See the full curriculum

Introduction

Problem-Solving
Core Principles
Benefits

Empathize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test

Interviews
Surveys
Focus Groups
Observations
Data Gathering Summary

User Personas
Customer Journey Mapping
Empathy Map
Problem Statement

Brainstorming
Mind Map
Affinity Diagram
Six Thinking Hats
Idea Prioritization

Paper Prototyping
Digital Prototyping
Physical Prototyping

Usability Testing
A/B Testing
Feedback Loop

Conclusion

Course Quiz & Your CertificateMultiple choice · free retakes · no time limit · certificate issued instantly on passing

Learn your way

Read or listen at your own pace, on any device — and yours to keep forever.

ibm-institute.com

Chapter 3 of 9Design Thinking Process

3:20 / 6:00

In this chapter we follow a project from kickoff to delivery — how scope, time, and people interact, and why even well-planned projects drift without active management.

In this chapter

Plans are delegated, work is executed, results are reviewed — and every review sharpens the next plan. Master the loop and you master delivery.

Using real project scenarios, you will learn to plan the critical path and spot the early warning signs that a deadline is at risk.

You will leave knowing exactly which three questions to ask before committing to any deadline.

PreviousNext chapter

Progress

48% complete

Content

Introduction

Design Thinking Essentials

Design Thinking Process

Empathize

5 Define

6 Ideate

7 Prototype

8 Test

ibm-institute.com

Chapter 4 of 9Empathize

3:20

In this chapter, we take what you have learned so far and apply it at the negotiating table — preparing your position, reading the other side, and trading concessions without giving away value.

Deal outcomes+38%

Through practical examples from different industries, you will see how skilled negotiators adapt their approach to every counterpart.

PreviousNext chapter

62% complete

No app neededIn your browser
Any devicePhone to laptop
Auto-savedContinue anytime
Stay focusedDistraction-free

Certificate

A certificate you can
actually use

Instantas a digital PDFPDF download
Includedno extra fees
Lifetimeno expiry
ShareableLinkedIn & CV

Verifiableunique ID number

Demo verification

IBMI-BM-8F3K2

Valid certificateDesign ThinkingIssued by IBMI Berlin to David Fischer · 15 July 2025

Check any real certificate ID on our verification page.Check any real certificate ID here.

Ratings & feedback

Rated 4.7/5.0 by our users

The average rating from users who’ve taken this course.

"Beautifully organized — each module flows into the next so you're never scrambling to catch up."

OOlivia P.

United Kingdom★★★★★

"Design thinking finally clicked for me here; the process was broken into steps I could actually follow and reuse."

JJacob R.

United States★★★★★

"Concise and to the point without ever feeling rushed — exactly what a busy person needs."

PPetra A.

Czechia★★★★★

"The pacing was spot on and the examples were easy to relate to my own work."

LLuka K.

Slovenia★★★★★

"Came in curious and left genuinely equipped — plus the certificate gave me something tangible to show for it."

KKristjan A.

Estonia★★★★★

"A clear and enjoyable introduction; I'd have loved a touch more depth toward the end, but it's still well worth the time."

AAizhan S.

Kazakhstan★★★★☆

"Everything was explained with such care that even brand-new ideas felt approachable."

OOmar A.

Jordan★★★★★

"If you want a practical grounding in design thinking without the fluff, this is a great place to start."

LLarissa C.

Brazil★★★★★

"Refreshingly clear from beginning to end — I'd recommend it to anyone weighing whether it's worth signing up."

PPriya S.

India★★★★★

Drag to explore more reviewsSwipe to explore more reviews

Quotes from verified users. Selected and shortened for length; wording unchanged.
You can also find independent reviews on our Trustpilot profile.

Featured in

Program

This course is part of
a larger credential

It’s a required course in the Innovation Management program — and it counts toward that program certificate at no extra cost.

Innovation Management

4 courses

Finish all 4 courses and your program certificate is issued automatically — at no extra cost.

Explore the program →

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Add the course to your cart and create your student account during checkout. You can start right after payment — and you keep lifetime access, so breaks and retakes are always possible.

It’s a focused short course — 9 chapters and 30 topics, about 2 hours in total, 100% online and self-paced. Read the content or listen to the audio on your computer, tablet, or phone, and pick up exactly where you left off. No additional reading material required.

None. This course is designed for students and non-students alike — no prior knowledge and no formal application. All you need is a web browser and some motivation.

With the current discount, this course costs US$1212 €£12CHF 12SAR 45AED 44₹1,140₱760Rp215.000EGP 640MAD 118MX$220R200R$61Rs 3,300₦16,000₺590QAR 44. That includes the full course content and your personal certificate — there are no additional costs.

Work through the 9 chapters and pass the course quiz — multiple choice, with free retakes and no time limit. Your certificate is issued instantly as a digital PDF that you can download, print, share on LinkedIn, and that employers can verify online via its unique ID.

IBMI holds its distance learning programs to the same high standards applied by traditional educational institutions, and our certificates are acknowledged by employers around the world as professional certificates. Please note we do not award academic titles or degrees.

The full course — audio and text — is in English. You can also read the course text in 100+ other languages via automatic (machine) translation, so you can follow along in whichever language you’re most comfortable with. See available languages →

Yes. Alongside your course certificate, this course counts toward the Innovation Management program certificate — at no extra cost. Finish the required courses in a program and you earn its certificate too.

More questions? Visit the Help Center →

Short course, fast results

From start to certificate
in about 2 hours

Start Enroll & start instantly

Checkout takes a minute — chapter one opens right away.

2 hours Read or listen to the content

Compact topics and real case studies, at your own pace.

The quiz Take the course quiz

Multiple choice, free retakes, no time limit.

Finish Certificate in hand

Issued instantly — add it to your CV and LinkedIn.

Design Thinking

Start now and get certified today

~~US$3030 €£30CHF 30SAR 113AED 110₹2,850₱1,890Rp538.000EGP 1,600MAD 295MX$550R500R$151Rs 8,300₦39,900₺1.480QAR 109~~US$1212 €£12CHF 12SAR 45AED 44₹1,140₱760Rp215.000EGP 640MAD 118MX$220R200R$61Rs 3,300₦16,000₺590QAR 44−60%

Self-paced online courseOnline course · Personalized certificate
One-time payment · Lifetime access

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