Strategic Consulting
Using Design Thinking

Master of Business Administration (MBA) and MBA Global students at Curtin University complete the Strategy, Change and Innovation unit during their final semester of studies. The unit was designed in collaboration and consultation with an industry partner and revolves around the concept of Design Thinking.

The academic staff member sources a small to medium enterprise (SME) to be involved in the unit, creating a real-life case study for two Design Thinking workshops attended by students, academic staff and the SME representative. During the Design Thinking workshops the SME representative delivers a focused presentation to students that has been guided by the academic staff member to cover an overview of the SMEs current business model, their value proposition, current challenges and their revenue model.  

In groups, students then share ideas and collectively problem solve using Design Thinking principles. Their role is to identify all stakeholders and their characteristics and interpret the SMEs challenges. Students then spend approximately 30 to 40 hours working in groups to determine a new value proposition, identify potential business solutions, and identify a new business model for the SME. Students individually submit these findings as a report that forms part of the unit assessment. The highest quality reports are presented to the SME representative.

Impact / outcomes

Students: learn new techniques and gain skills that are transferable to consultancy-based projects with unpredictable scenarios. Students gain confidence to explore business solutions and a better sense of personal capacity – increased self-efficacy, awareness of strengths and gaps. The unit experiences prepares students for the transition to the workplace providing the skills, knowledge and networks that ensure they are more industry-ready.

Host Organisations: the SME’s receive quality business reports documenting different business models and solutions.

Teaching Staff: The unit enhances Curtin’s reputation as an industry connected university that offers new techniques, skills and frameworks to be more industry engaged than a traditional approach to university education. It builds industry networks for teaching staff and ensures an awareness of contemporary industry practices and problems.

Student Assessment

Students complete the following assessment as part of the Strategy, Change and Innovation unit:

• Strategy Investigation – a critique on traditional approaches to business strategy.
• Innovation Report – a report on a new business model for the SME using the Design Thinking framework.
• A video Presentation of the Innovation Report.
• Group project – reflection on the Design Thinking workshop.

Evaluation

Student feedback is collated via eVALUate, Curtin University’s online system for gathering and reporting student feedback on teaching and learning experiences.