Carla V. Leite (PhD Student) participated in a Erasmus+ funded Design Thinking training course that took place in Zagreb, Croatia, from November 16 to 22. The Agora Aveiro, a local NGO, was responsible for selecting and sending 4 Portuguese participants, and the course was organised and provided by Brodoto, a social impact agency, committed to support ideas to be both competitive and socially responsible and included participants from 5 different countries: Portugal, Greece, Lithuania, Romania, and Croatia.

Goals of the course:

– How to use design thinking, a methodology based on creativity that approaches problem solving and project-based work in a practical and creative way focused entirely on the end-user experience.

– How to introduce critical thinking, entrepreneurial skills, finding innovative and creative solutions, and empathy in the process of designing activities, and connecting with their targeted audience.

All mornings were filled with workshops run by Prof. Gordana Ćorić (VERN’ University of Applied Sciences), an external expert and trainer specialized on the design thinking methodology. The afternoon sessions were dedicated to non-formal learning techniques such as group work and discussions.