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Innovative Solutions to Complex Challenges

Design Thinking
Innovative Solutions to Complex Challenges

Photography by HP d-school Afrika

Key Facts

Focus Area

Science + Education

Active since

2007 in Potsdam – HPI d-school 
2015 in Cape Town – HP d-school Afrika*

* In all the native languages of Africa, “Africa” is written with a “k.” Therefore, the d-school in Cape Town decided to follow this original spelling in its name.

News

Join the AI & Design Thinking Community Café - Monthly Online Meeting

 

This is a space for HPI d-school alumni and friends to gather, learn, and grow together, online and across borders. Whether you’re exploring your first AI tools or already prototyping with GPTs, this community is here to share, inspire, and support your journey.

 

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Pioneering Work for the Future

What is Design Thinking?

Since its inception in the 1960s, design thinking has evolved significantly. First developed in architecture and engineering, design thinking has become a critical cornerstone of innovative work. As a method, it enables teams to solve complex problems through human-centered design.

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The Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam is a leading institution in the design thinking movement, a distinction rooted in Prof. Hasso Plattner’s work at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford or colloquially known as the d.school. There, innovative methods were developed that are now applied at HPI in Potsdam and beyond. In particular, the d-school encourages collaboration between students of different disciplines to develop joint solutions through a structured, iterative process.

The HPI d-school in Potsdam offers research, education, and training in human-centered problem-solving. Through its interdisciplinary collaboration, the d-school empowers students and professionals to shape the future at the intersection of humans and technology. As the initiator of the Global Design Thinking Alliance (GDTA), the HPI d-school fosters exchange between educational institutions worldwide, including its sister school at the University of Cape Town (South Africa).

The Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking at the University of Cape Town (UCT), better known as the HP d-school Afrika*, was founded in 2015. The d-school offers a wide range of academic programs to students from UCT and other universities. For professionals, the d-school offers advanced training courses.

Shaping the Future

  • “The HPI d-school Academic Program introduces students and young professionals to the fundamentals of design thinking through a 20-day course. Those looking to go further can refine their innovation skills in our Design Thinking Studios, focusing on critical fields such as sustainability, digital education, and digital health. Our goal is to equip participants with the tools and methods they need to actively shape the future.”

    Monika Frech

    Co-Head of HPI d-school Potsdam

  • “Today, design thinking methods can be used to develop much more than just smart products. Instead, they can help us find solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time.”

    Richard Perez

    Director of HP d-school Afrika*

  • “By providing new perspectives on problems and practical solutions, design thinking delivers surprising results. It helps in unexpected ways.”

    Ameera Miller

    Digital Marketer and Content Creator 
    Graduate of the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika at UCT, October 2022 

Design Thinking in Potsdam and Cape Town

During the d-school program, student teams collaborate with partner organizations from business, nonprofits, and public administration. Together, they develop innovative ideas for the so-called design challenges, guided by experienced coaches throughout the process. Beyond teaching, the HPI d-school also conducts research in design thinking, innovation, and leadership.

Website

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  • HPI d-school 2024

The Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika* at the University of Cape Town (UCT) equips students to confront real-world challenges with fresh perspectives. The goal is to encourage students to use design thinking methods when navigating constant change. By learning to apply design thinking within organizational structures, students gain the skills to become design-thinking pioneers. The d-school Afrika* is housed in a unique building inaugurated in October 2022 in the middle of the UCT campus. Through its activities, the d-school Afrika* expanded its network to Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Morocco. It is also working with universities in Mauritius to introduce design thinking to MBA students there.

Website

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  • Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika building, Credits: Paris Bummer, 2022

Design Thinking Courses and Programs

The HPI d-school in Potsdam and Cape Town both offer courses for academic and professional development while also conducting research on design thinking and innovation. Students can choose from a wide range of academic programs. While professionals can opt for advanced training courses ranging from four-hour workshops on design thinking to fully customized programs.

  • Credits: HP d-school Afrika*

  • Credits: HP d-school Afrika*

Milestones

We focus our resources on long-term projects where we believe that we can make a difference. Our aim is to ensure that our philanthropic activities have a lasting positive impact on the people and organizations we work with. This requires time, perseverance, and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Discover some examples here:

Further Information

Download

Whitepaper: AI-enhanced Design Thinking

Download

d.confestival magazine 2022

More Projects in Science + Education

As part of this focus area, we support additional initiatives and partnerships, including:

Past Projects

Under this focus area, we supported several projects in the past, including: 

Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University in California

The Foundation supported the design thinking research program at the Stanford d.school until 2022. Its creation sparked the global design thinking movement in higher education and the beginning of new degree programs and institutes modeled after the d.school.  

Contact

Dr. Moritz Matthey

Head of Program Management

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