Advanced Certificate in Design Thinking

Aims

This course is designed to provide business professionals with a practical understanding of Design Thinking concepts and principles, enabling them to apply its methods, processes, and tools effectively in professional contexts. Through a human-centered approach, participants will learn to focus on customer needs, analyze data, and transform insights into innovative and actionable solutions to address real-world business challenges.

Intended Learning Outcomes 

Upon satisfactory completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:

1. Understand the key concepts of Design Thinking and how they can solve business problems.
2. Use Design Thinking methods and tools to create practical and innovative solutions.
3. Apply creative and analytical thinking to address real-world business challenges with Design Thinking.
4. Recognize the importance of research in the Design Thinking process and insights to inform business decisions.

Target Students 

- Working professionals seeking practical problem-solving tools

- Managers and team leaders driving innovation in their teams

- Career switchers moving into innovation or design-related roles

   This course is recognized under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework (HKQF) at Level 5 and is now available on Qualifications Register (QR) (QR Registration No.: 25/001435/L5; Validity period from 29 Aug 2025 to On-going). For details of the HKQF, please visit the QR website: https://www.hkqr.gov.hk.

  This course has been included in the list of reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund (CEF) (CEF Course Code: 33K169044). This course is recognized under the Qualifications Framework (QF Level 5). For details of the CEF, please visit the CEF website: https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/cef.

Course Outline

(a) Introduction to Design Thinking
An overview of the Design Thinking process and its significance in innovative problem-solving.

(b) Design Brief
A concise document that outlines the project's objectives, target audience, and key challenges to guide the design efforts.

(c) Visualization
Utilizing graphics, sketches, or diagrams to clearly convey ideas and facilitate understanding.

(d) Ethnography
A research method involving direct observation and engagement with users to gain insights into their needs and behaviours.

(e) Mind Mapping 
A visual technique for brainstorming and organizing thoughts around a central idea, enhancing creativity.

(f) Concept Development
The process of expanding and refining initial ideas into detailed, actionable solutions.

(g) Napkin Pitch
A quick presentation of an idea, often sketched simply.

(h) Assumption Testing
Validating key assumptions to assess the idea’s potential.

(i) Prototyping
Creating tangible representations of ideas, from simple models to more complex versions, to test and iterate on concepts.

(j) Co-creation
Collaborative design involves engaging stakeholders and users to generate ideas and solutions together.

(k) Learning Launch
A trial implementation of a solution designed to gather user feedback and insights for future refinement.

(l) Group Project Presentations

Applicants:

• Must hold at least an Associate Degree or Higher Diploma in any discipline, or equivalent qualifications; AND
• Should be professionals or individuals aiming to enhance their innovation and critical thinking skills, with at least 2 years of work experience preferred; AND
• Must have a good command of English for active participation in discussions and completion of assignments (Interview may be required).

 
Applicants who do not possess the above entry requirement on academic qualification will be considered on case-by-case basis. These applicants may be required to attend an admission interview for better understanding of their goals and experiences.

Students who have completed and passed all assessments and attended at least 70% of the classes will be presented with an Advanced Certificate awarded by PolyU SPEED.

Upon successful completion of this course (equivalent to 3 credits), students are eligible to apply for credit transfer to the Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) in Innovation and Design Management at PolyU SPEED. Each credit transfer application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The final decision on credit transfer rests with the relevant programme offering unit.

Applicants for academic award programmes must also satisfy all the programme requirements before being considered for admission.

1. Application form can be downloaded from this website.  Before completing the application form, please read carefully the "Guide for Applicants" on the form.
2. Please submit one application form and settle the course fee by bank draft/ crossed cheque/ On-line Card Payment System for each course applied. For details of payment methods, please refer to Section 4 of the application form or this webpage.
3. Non-permanent residents of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) holding
   (i) work visa/ entry permit; OR
   (ii) visa/ entry permit under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) (except those from Mainland, Macao and Taiwan); OR
   (iii) dependent visa/ entry permit (except those from Mainland, Macao and Taiwan), issued by the Director of Immigration of HKSAR Government may enroll in short-term courses in SPEED without seeking prior approval from the Director of Immigration.
   
   These applicants are required to attach a copy of their identity document(s) and the valid visa/ entry permit to their application.  On admission, they will be required to provide the original identity document(s) and visa/ entry permit for verification. Throughout the course of study, it is the responsibility of individual students to ensure that their identity documents and visas/ entry permits are valid. Other non-local applicants can neither be registered as students nor commence their studies on the short-term courses in SPEED.
4. Applications should be submitted on or before the application deadline via one of the following means -
   (a) By post:
   Send the completed application form, supporting documents (if applicable) and a copy of your valid visa/ entry permit (if applicable) together with the bank draft/ crossed cheque/ payment confirmation page (for online payment) to CPCE Academic Registry - Continuing Education, Room N301, 3/F, North Tower, PolyU West Kowloon Campus, 9 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
   
   (b) By e-mail (only for application with payment settled via online system):
   Submit the completed application form, supporting documents (if applicable) and a copy of your valid visa/ entry permit (if applicable) together with the payment confirmation page by e-mail to ce.car@speed-polyu.edu.hk
   
   Applicants will be notified of their application results via email by the School after the application is closed. Please contact the School if you do not receive any notification 1 week before course commencement.

Please choose either one of the following payment methods for course fee: 

(1)  Bank Draft/ Crossed Cheque
You could submit a bank draft/ crossed cheque (made payable to "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University")  by post or by hand.  Please write your name, the course code and class code at the back of the bank draft/ crossed cheque.  Post-dated cheque will not be accepted.
 
(2)  On-line Card Payment System (by Visa/ Master/ China UnionPay card or FPS/ AlipayHK/ WeChat Pay HK)
You could settle the course fee via On-line Card Payment System by Visa/ Master/ China UnionPay card, or FPS/ AlipayHK/ WeChat Pay HK.  For successful payment, please print the payment confirmation page for record and quote the invoice number (as shown on the payment confirmation page) on Section 4 of the application form. No separate payment receipt will be issued to you.
 
According to the School's Refund Policy, course fees paid are normally not refundable, except for cases of unsuccessful applications/ course cancellation.  Fees paid and places allocated are not transferrable.

Eligible applicants may submit applications for reimbursement of tuition fee up to a maximum sum of HK$7,200 to the Office of Continuing Education Fund (OCEF) within one year upon the successful completion of this course. Under the CEF's co-payment ratios by learners, a minimum sum of HK$1,800 will be borne by eligible applicants. The actual subsidy amount depends on the balance of each individual applicant's CEF account. The final approval of application rests with the OCEF. The notification of application result and payment arrangement will be issued by the OCEF. 

To estimate the subsidy amount, applicants can visit the "Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency" (WFSFAA) website (https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/ce/cef/eligibility.php) and use the "Subsidy Calculator" under "Useful Tools".

Before enrolling in a course, applicants should check their eligibility for the Continuing Education Fund (CEF). For details, please refer to the WFSFAA website at https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/en/ce/cef/eligibility.php.