The Global Design Thinking Workshop (GDTW) is our entry-level program bringing together students and young professionals worldwide to tackle real-life innovation challenges with Design Thinking.

In this program, participants experience Design Thinking not only as a process of this life-centered approach by dealing with complex innovation problems and a creative mindset in diverse teams.We combine this life-centered approach with the perspective of technological feasibility (how can ideas be realized?) and economic viability (how can new business models look like?).

In our GDTW program we offer three different workshops with a respective focus topic, which we deepen into:

Strategic Design: From Human-Centered Design to Strategic Futures
Designing for Global Impact
Teamed Leadership

We combine the work on a concrete innovation project with reflections on a specific topic. Our learning approach is based on the concept of problem-based experiential learning. We implement this approach as a project-oriented course in which the participants collaborate with a partner organization (NPOs and NGOs, large companies, SMEs, young start-ups, social organizations and public institutions).

What makes it global?

In every GDTW, you’ll work in diverse teams coached by an international network of Design Thinking experts. Together with partners from academia, business, and society, you’ll tackle real-world challenges — and build friendships across continents

Strategic Design:

From Human-Centered Design to Strategic Futures. Learn how to turn human-centered insights into bold strategies for the future.

Designing for Global Impact

Co-create solutions that address urgent global and social challenges”

Teamed Leadership

Experience leadership in diverse, international teams and grow your collaborative confidence.

You are invited to participate in more than GDTW workshop. If you are interested in more than one topic/focus, you can apply for several GDTWs. There is no fixed sequential order of the GDTW workshops.

Join the next GDTW and design the future with us.

Interested students of all disciplines and universities and young professionals with less than two years of work experience can apply for the Global Design Thinking Workshops. The participation fee is 200 euros.

Applications for the Global Design Thinking Workshop “Designing for Global Impact” are now open: 

Apply via the HPI D-School online platform.

To learn about the application process and how to become a project partner, please visit the website of the 

HPI D-School.

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