A recent research report prepared by Commonwealth Bank, appropriately titled “Jobs and Skills of the Future Report”, outlines the new types of jobs that will be created in Australia. A key finding of the data collected was that there will be a significant transformation in skills and education. New jobs that will exist in 2030 include ‘emotional experience experts’ and ‘data insights miners’. One of the most important take-aways of the report was that design thinking is a skill that Australians are going to need in the future. Translation - if you don't understand design thinking yet, start learning now.

For those looking to understand more about design thinking and deepen their understanding there are a vast number of free resources and tools available. All of these resources and interpretations of design thinking centre around the same core principle, human-centred design.

Here are six design thinking resources to help you learn Design Thinking.

Resource #1: Design Kit

http://www.designkit.org/

This is one of my favourite ‘go to’ design thinking resources. It highlights the mindset and method required to apply design thinking with several case studies that demonstrate the power of the human-centred approach. In addition there are details of the different tools and techniques that can be applied at each stage of design thinking including interviews, brainstorming, storyboarding and rapid prototyping.

Resource #2: Stanford d.school

www.dschool.stanford.edu/resources

Stanford d.School provide an abundance of free resources for those who want to learn and strengthen their design thinking skills. Along with IDEO, the Stanford d.School has been at the forefront of driving the uptake of design thinking by organisations across the world. Make sure you check out their 90-minute crash course on Design Thinking and the Bootcamp Bootleg that not only provides an overview of the design thinking stages but also some of the key tools to use at each stage.

Resource #3: Stop Talking. Start Making.

https://www.collectivecampus.com.au/resources/stop-talking-start-making-ebook

This design thinking guide is the perfect resource for those that are currently unfamiliar with the concept and want to gain a basic understanding of the methodology. This guide provides an overview of the five key stages of design thinking, from empathy through to test.

Download it for free here.

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Resource #4: 60 minutes interview with David Kelley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYkb6vfKMI4

Sometimes the best way to learn is to listen to the experts. Enter David Kelley. He is a founder of IDEO and a pioneer of design thinking - helping promote and apply it around the world. This video is of an interview with David Kelley on 60 minutes and provides a fantastic insight into his approach to design thinking and how IDEO applies it.

Resource #5 - Design Thinking resources for Practitioners

www.thisisdesignthinking.net/on-design-thinking/design-thinking- resources

This comprehensive resource list accommodates different learning styles, whether you like to listen, read or watch videos, this website has you covered. The page compiles some of the most influential and helpful practitioner material on design thinking.

Resources #6 Design Thinking for Educators

www.designthinkingforeducators.com

Application of design thinking is not limited to the corporate world. It can also have powerful results in the world of education. This resource provides tools and techniques to apply design thinking with specific application to education. One of my favourite examples is how design thinking was used by a teacher to reinvent his classroom layout over one weekend.

Design thinking is a methodology that actually does work. Companies such as Airbnb, IBM, Nike, Intuit, Marriott, LEGO, SAP and the Walt Disney Corporation all use design thinking to identify new product and service opportunities and deliver exceptional customer experiences. If you are looking to begin your design thinking journey, start by investing your time going through the resources outlined in this article.

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