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Design+ Legitimizing design thinking in companies

participants became more dispersed, having become more debated the position of each sticky note/idea. In this
accessible and at ease. Throughout the training, the group rich, intense, and extensive debate, they shared various
frequently sought the facilitator’s assistance with questions. perspectives, which sparked even more ideas. These new
It was evident that, toward the end of the theoretical ideas were added to the matrix and organized into clusters.
workshop, some participants were growing impatient to One member of Team Alpha, who had been more reserved
finish the activities and conclude the training day. during the previous days and had not contributed as much,
The room lacked natural light and was closed off. The became more collaborative and engaged. Overall, all team
chairs were arranged in a semicircle to promote interaction members contributed with more commitment during this
and provide good proximity to the facilitator. There were workshop.
many cables and devices on display, contributing to some The final step involved selecting one of the clusters
clutter. The facilitator had brought all the materials in a to focus on. They applied the 5 W’s and 1 H tools for
suitcase, which was placed on a table in an open corner for individual reflection before discussing everyone’s ideas. At
everyone to see. this stage, the group was highly focused.
During the theoretical training sessions over the It was noticeable that the team naturally used DT terms
2 days, some participants voiced complaints about the such as “diverge,” “converge,” and “share ideas without
environment, including remarks such as: “A whole day judgment.” They were also committed to making their
spent in here,” “The white lights are tiring,” “These chairs solution a reality as they delved deeply into the topic. At
are not comfortable for sleeping,” “This environment feels a the end of the workshop, the group shared some feedback:
bit claustrophobic, it suffocates me,” and “It was very noisy.” “unfortunately, what happens with these trainings is that,
3.5.2. Workshop with team alpha as much as we want to implement DT daily, we think,
tomorrow we can try it next week we can try it... but then,
Initially, the facilitator faced some difficulties in at work, we have to focus on individual tasks. For example,
understanding the challenge presented by the manager. the mental part is the brainstorming process, where we
However, he was very cooperative and organized the work individually on our own ideas.” “It’s a new way of
workshop accordingly. thinking. It’s a much more organized approach, with a
Team Alpha’s practical workshop was held the morning process already in place. The exercise of deconstructing
after the company’s theoretical workshop. The facilitator our preconceptions and coming up with a solution to the
welcomed the participants with quiet background music as problem identified by the manager is invaluable.” “This is
they entered the room. On this morning, a more subdued a great methodology. I’m thrilled that I came here.” “We
atmosphere prevailed compared to the theoretical sessions need to force ourselves to do these things regularly so that
held over the previous 2 days. they become part of our routine and finding solutions to
our challenges becomes automatic,” said the team leader.
After presenting the challenge, Team Alpha initially
responded with heavy breathing and appeared slightly 3.5.3. Workshop with team beta leader
withdrawn. However, they soon became engaged and
recognized the challenge as something they needed to Team Beta coordinator demonstrated strong leadership
overcome: “it is complicated to get customers to share their qualities, showing confidence and a keen interest in the

needs. We also conduct surveys, but extracting their actual topic under study. He was open to the ideaChef tool and
needs from that is very difficult.” committed to learning how to facilitate the workshop.
However, he requested technical support related to the tool
The first step was brainstorming: individual ideation in while conducting the workshop with Team Beta.
silence, with one idea per sticky note. The team gathered
at a table, working silently with background music. They 3.5.4. Workshop with team beta
felt more comfortable with the brainstorming process, as The workshop with Team Beta was held outside MEO in
they had already practiced it the day before. Following this, a room adapted for training in a co-working space. This
the group shared their ideas, which quickly led to a more room is notable for its spaciousness, natural light, and
serious debate. During this discussion, the team aired their garden space. Half of the team, along with the team leader
professional frustrations, and ideation flowed freely as they and the ideaChef facilitator, attended the workshop.

addressed real problems drawn from their professional The team leader’s first impression of the space was, “It’s
experiences. different from usual.” Initially, the team leader framed the
Finally, each participant placed their sticky notes on problem to be addressed: how to increase the C-level. His
the wall, arranging them in an Effort Matrix. The group team clearly understood the explanation, and the leader

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2025) 9 doi: 10.36922/dp.4292