The Founding of the GDTA

The GDTA was officially launched 2007 during the 10th anniversary of the HPI School of Design Thinking in Potsdam — marking the start of a truly global alliance.

The goal of the Global Design Thinking Association (GDTA) is to preserve the diversity in Design Thinking that has developed all over the world as well as to set standards in teaching and research.

The GDTA currently consists of 10 founding institutions who are eager to intensify their dialogue and exchange on Design Thinking. Professor Ulrich Weinberg, head of the HPI School of Design Thinking, will be the first president of the newly founded GDTA which will be based in New York.

“The idea to found a global association came up first at the d.confestival in 2012”, Professor Weinberg told the 900 guests present when signing the foundation document. “The GDTA will allow us to exchange our experiences with Design Thinking in the field of scientific research as well as in regard to case studies. Furthermore we want to support the thriving core of our active Design Thinking community and preserve the impressive diversity in Design Thinking all over the world.”

Dato Lee Yew Meng from Genovasi Malaysia also strongly supports the founding of the new association. “The GDTA must set standards for coaches and teaching” he says, aiming to keep the standard high.

Founding members of the GDTA:

London School of Economics, Department of Management; Genovasi Malaysia; HP Institute of Design at the UCT; Ivey Business School; Open Lab Stockholm; Communication University China (CUC); University of British Columbia; Queensland University of Technology, V&A Museum of Design Dundee, and HPI School of Design Thinking.

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