Design Thinking for Research

Lecturer: Sebastian Kernbach

Modality: In presence

Week 1: 10-14 August 2026

Workshop Contents and Objectives

The workshop in a nutshell

This workshop is inspired by our Stanford course Research as Design and our book Creativity in Research (www.creativityinresearch.org). It combines analytical rigor with playful creativity – helping you become a more innovative, confident, and resilient scholar.

Doing a PhD is intellectually demanding – but it doesn’t have to feel heavy, lonely, or stuck. This workshop gives you practical, creative ways to generate new insights, make strong research contributions, and move forward with clarity and momentum. You will learn how to work more creatively, think more visually, and integrate healthy, enjoyable routines into your research process so you can do better work with less friction.

A key focus is helping you get unstuck. Whether you struggle with procrastination, perfectionism, overload, or simply the “fog” of complex research, you will learn science-based methods to overcome blocks and turn ideas into action. We draw on design thinking, the science of action, visual thinking, storytelling, and energy competence to help you work in a way that is productive, sustainable, and inspiring.

You will walk away with:

• Creative tools to develop new insights and refine your research questions
• Visual thinking methods to clarify arguments, structure papers, and make complex ideas visible
• Energy-based techniques to design a healthy and powerful research routine
• Storytelling approaches to communicate confidently and understand “the story of your PhD”
• Strategies from positive psychology to strengthen your motivation and emotional well-being
• Evidence-based solutions to overcome procrastination and build momentum
  And throughout the week, you will apply everything directly to your own PhD or research project, supported by peer coaching and hands-on guidance.

The workshop in a nutshell in this video message from the instructor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKNAM2QQBBg&t=7s

Full workshop description

Participants will apply design thinking tools and methods directly to their own research projects: creating visual prototypes of papers, iterating ideas, testing narratives, and seeking feedback to strengthen their scholarly contribution. Design thinking is introduced not as a rigid process but as a flexible, iterative approach for navigating complex research challenges, supporting both creative divergence and analytical convergence.

Originating from the Stanford d.school – where design thinking was first applied to research across engineering, medicine, business, humanities, and the sciences – this workshop extends that tradition. You will explore a constellation of practices that help you think differently, challenge assumptions, and discover unexpected solutions.

Building on the d.school mindset, you will develop creative confidence, stronger problem-solving abilities, and greater awareness of your own research process. You will learn how to deal productively with ambiguity, reframe setbacks as learning opportunities, and combine analytical skills with creative intelligence.

A central theme of the workshop is understanding your research process as a psychological process. Through insights from positive psychology and positive leadership, the workshop helps you build routines and environments that strengthen your emotional well-being – because healthy researchers do better work. You will learn how to design your energy, create supportive habits, and establish social support structures that make your research journey more sustainable.

We will also take dedicated time to address academic procrastination through the “science of action.” You will explore the seven most common reasons researchers procrastinate – such as perfectionism, overload, distraction, or fear – and learn seven practical, theory-based strategies to overcome them. These strategies are designed to help you turn insights into action, maintain momentum, and finish what matters.

During this workshop, participants will gain…

Creative confidence

• Tools and techniques for generating new ideas and perspectives
• Practices for improving research processes and sharpening contributions
• Methods to overcome blocks and regain momentum

Problem-solving abilities

• Techniques for reflecting, iterating, and handling ambiguity
• Skills for refining questions, methods, and arguments
• A mindset that treats setbacks as opportunities for learning

Emotional well-being & energy competence

• Strategies to design healthy, motivating research routines
• Awareness of emotional needs and how they influence productivity
• A supportive, non-judgmental environment with peer coaching
• Social support structures that make the research journey more sustainable

At the end of the week, participants present their prototypes, visualizations, and iterative developments. They also present their research story using alternative formats (e.g., Pecha Kucha or a 180-second Lightning Talk), helping them communicate their work with clarity, energy, and confidence.

Prerequisites

No particular prerequisites are required, especially not in terms of being creative or being good at drawing. All you need is a mindset of curiosity, openness and experimentation.

This workshop is designed for participants without previous experience in design thinking (especially those who may have very little idea what “design thinking” even means!).

Contact

If you have any questions, please get in contact with the instructor by email: [email protected].

Recommended Reading

• Adams, J. L. (2001) Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide To Better Ideas. Designerly Ways of Knowing
• Amabile, T. M. (1997). Motivating creativity in organizations: On doing what you love and loving what you do. California management review, 40(1), 39-58.
• Amabile, T. M. (1985). Motivation and creativity: Effects of motivational orientation on creative writers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48 (2), 393-399.
• Beckman, S. L., & Barry, M. (2009). Design and innovation through storytelling. International Journal of Innovation Science, 1(4), 151-160.
• Beckman, S. L., & Barry, M. (2007). Innovation as a learning process: Embedding design thinking. California Management Review, 50(1), 25-56.
• Brown, T. (2008). Design thinking. Harvard Business Review, 86(6), 84-92.
• Brown, T. & Katz, B. (2009). Change by design: How design thinking transforms organizations and inspires innovation. New York: Harper Business.
• Craig, L. (1990) A Guide to Increased Creativity in Research- Inspiration or Perspiration? Bioscience, 40, 2, p.123.
• Cross, N. (2006) Designerly Ways of Knowing, http://www.amazon.com/Designerly-Ways-Knowing-Nigel-Cross/dp/1846283000.
• Heinze, T., Shaoira, P., Rogers, J., Senker, J. (2009) Organizational and institutional influences on creativity in scientific research, Research Policy, 38, p. 610-623.
• Junginger, S. (2007). Learning to design: Giving purpose to heart, hand and mind. Journal of Business Strategy, 28(4), 59-65.
• McGuire, W. (1997) Creative Hypothesis Generating in Psychology: Some Useful Heuristics, Annual Review in Psychology.
• Ulibarri, N., Cravens, A. E., Nabergoj, A. S., Kernbach, S., & Royalty, A. (2019). Creativity in research. Cambridge University Press.