• Executive education

Innovation: A Design Thinking Approach

This four-day course guides participants towards becoming champions of innovation within their organisations.

Course key facts

  • Date

    6 - 9 July 2026

    2 - 5 November 2026

    7 - 10 December 2026

  • Duration

    5 days

  • Credits

    Non credit bearing

  • Format

    In-person

  • Fee

    £5,450

  • Location

    On Campus (South Kensington)

Overview

Imperial Innovation: A Design Thinking Approach programme is a four-day course that guides participants towards becoming champions of innovation within their organisations. The programme delivers hands-on learning experiences that will give participants the mindset and practical tools to develop business ideas into commercial propositions.

Business ideas, design thinking & innovation
Participants will emerge with a solid understanding of how to be entrepreneurial within their organisations and inspire innovation from others. This management course will help maintain and grow innovative thinking within business; it will help attendees deal with the complexities of change in uncertain times; it will improve methods for creative thinking which will benefit product & service delivery design; and as well as help the attendees succeed in their own role it will help move business forward thanks to an understanding of corporate innovation and a new found thinking for the design of strategy in business.

Learning journey

Disruption, Innovation and Uncertainty
Explore how rapid change challenges innovation—and how uncertainty, when understood and embraced, can become a powerful driver of strategy and competitive advantage.

An Introduction to Design Thinking
Discover the principles of Design Thinking, a human-centred approach that turns complex challenges into opportunities for innovation.

Design Thinking Discover Phase
Step into the discovery process, uncovering user insights and fresh perspectives that spark meaningful innovation.

Field Work
Take your ideas into the real world. Collect first-hand data to fuel your Design Thinking journey.

Video

Programme Testimonial

Peter Hannam, Head of Data and AI at Virtuoso Partners shares his experience after studying with Imperial Executive Education.

Course details

What participants say

The provided innovation frameworks emphasised the significance of diversification and calculated risk-taking. If you're seeking to understand clients better and revolutionise your approach, this course is a game-changer! Highly recommend it. Othman Mohammad Said Executive Design Systems, Petronas Digital Sdn. Bhd.

Course instructors

Anu Wadhwa

Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship

Anu Wadhwa is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and the Programme Director of the Imperial Innovation: A Design Thinking Approach programme at Imperial Business School. Anu’s research helps established organisations examine patterns and processes of entrepreneurship, the impact of corporate entrepreneurship on organisational innovation, how entrepreneurial actors make decisions under extreme uncertainty and how pre-entry experience and knowledge impact post-entry innovation choices and outcomes.

Ileana Stigliani

Associate Professor of Design and Innovation

Ileana Stigliani is Associate Professor of Design and Innovation at Imperial Business School. She received her PhD in Management from Bocconi University, Milan. Her research focuses on the cognitive aspects of innovation. In particular, she studies how material artefacts and practices influence cognitive processes – such as sensemaking and sensegiving, categorisation, and perceptions of organisational and professional identities – within organisations.

Bart Clarysse

Visiting Professor at Imperial Business School

Bart Clarysse is visiting professor at Imperial Business School. Following his PhD studies, Bart was an advisor in technology policy at the European Commission and he still consults on innovation and technology matters for various European governments and agencies. He is founding partner of Inceptum, a company that offers support to build a business plan out of an initial idea; and he sits on the board of Siruna, a mobile internet start-up. He also is an advisor in innovation policy to the Flemish Government, the Belgian Government and European Commission.

Dr Sankalp Chaturvedi

Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Leadership

Dr Sankalp Chaturvedi is an Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Leadership at Imperial Business School. The central focus of Sankalp’s research is in the areas of organisational citizenship behaviour, leadership, and interpersonal trust. In addition, Sankalp is interested in examining the “nature vs. nurture” debates with regard to behaviours in organisations. He is active in executive education where he has been involved in program design and delivery for a wide range of clients including Royal Society, Saif, EDF, and others.

Contact us

Hannah Hynd

Business Development Manager – Open Programmes