Frequently Asked Questions

In today's dynamic business world, where disruption is the norm and customer expectations are constantly evolving, leadership goes beyond just managing tasks. Leaders are expected to adapt quickly and efficiently to new challenges. That’s where design thinking and innovation management come in. 

A McKinsey study found that around 300 publicly listed enterprises from multiple countries and industries with design thinking maturity reaped revenue twice the rate of their competitors over 5 years. These companies prioritised understanding user needs and built products and services that resonate with customers. Another global study found that 10% of companies surveyed earned twice as much revenue from products and services that didn’t exist a year before, thanks to their innovation efforts. 

These frameworks equip leaders with a range of benefits, including:

  • Enhanced problem-solving through a structured, creative approach, addressing complex business challenges.
  • Customer-centric focus,leading to building better products and services.
  • Adaptability to navigate and thrive in rapidly changing and uncertain environments.
  • Cultivating a culture of innovation where experimentation and new ideas are encouraged.
  • Embracing new technologies to drive transformation and boost productivity
  • Empower diverse teams, encouraging teamwork and fostering cross-functional collaboration.
  • Leading innovation initiatives in the organisation, achieving long-term business goals.
  • Support iterative development and continuous refinement of ideas and solutions.

Design thinking provides a customer-centric problem-solving approach organisations can use to respond to fast-evolving environments. Its versatility allows business leaders across diverse sectors to harness its power.

Leading companies like Apple, Samsung, Netflix, Microsoft, PepsiCo, and Nike are thriving today, disrupting entire industries because they have embraced design thinking. This shift from creating for customers to creating with them, blending creativity and innovation, propels them to the top. 

The key steps of the design thinking process include,

  1. Empathise: Research your users’ needs, desires, and challenges through observation and interaction.
  2. Define: Establish clarity about your users’ needs and problems based on the insights gathered.
  3. Ideate: Brainstorm a wide range of ideas.
  4. Prototype: Build tangible representations of select ideas to explore their potential impact.
  5. Test: Gather insights from users. Refine the prototypes based on the responses until the best solution emerges.

We are navigating a dynamic business landscape characterised by constant flux - the VUCA effect. A set of conditions defining today’s business environment are characterised by 

  • Volatility: Rapid and unexpected changes disrupt the status quo.
  • Uncertainty: Predicting future events becomes difficult
  • Complexity: Interconnected systems create challenges.
  • Ambiguity: Situations with multiple interpretations.

In such an environment where traditional planning falls short, design thinking bridges the gap. A proven way to navigate in a VUCA world, design thinking 

  • Focuses on user needs. Airbnb developed a user-friendly platform that catered to both parties - travellers and property owners, disrupting the traditional hospitality space. 
  • Embraces iteration, rapid prototyping, and testing of ideas, allowing businesses to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and market feedback. Despite 46 similar products launched by competitors, Intuit, a financial software company, still gained the ‘47th mover advantage’ for its products through its D4D (Design for Delight) approach. 
  • Promotes collaboration and innovation, fostering a culture of creative problem-solving within the organisation. Nike organises design thinking workshops, bringing its designers, engineers, and marketers together to create athletic shoes that are both stylish and high-performing.
  • Improves decision-making. User research and testing enable businesses to make informed choices even in ambiguous situations. GE Healthcare works directly with healthcare professionals, ensuring its products address specific needs and improve patient care experiences.

Design thinking as a skill has become a launchpad for professionals seeking to accelerate their careers, especially towards leadership positions. Here's how it equips you for the climb:

  • Future-Proof Capabilities: Companies like Google, Apple, Netflix, GE, Samsung, and many more recognize the immense value of design thinking. Upskilling in design thinking gives you an edge over others in a job market that increasingly demands this expertise.
  • Growth Mindset: Design thinking empowers you to break out of traditional thinking and generate fresh ideas, sparking innovation. You could be a driving force for your organisational success. 
  • Earning Potential: As per Glassdoor reports, Design Thinking Strategists can command lucrative remuneration. For instance, in India professionals can command an average salary of ₹14,39,216. The number may continue to soar as organizations increasingly leverage design thinking for strategic advantage.

IIM Lucknow Advantage: Get recognition as the Executive Alumnus Status from IIM Lucknow. An IIM Certification can give you a significant edge in the job landscape, especially when applying for leadership positions where design thinking skills are highly sought-after. The certification demonstrates your commitment to professional development and positions you as a highly qualified candidate.

World-class Academia: IIM Lucknow boasts a highly accomplished faculty group of academicians and researchers, recognised in their respective fields. They can provide practical insights, real-world case studies, and valuable mentorship, accelerating your understanding.

Networking Opportunities: Gain lifelong access to the illustrious IIM Lucknow Executive Alumni Network. This network can be a valuable resource for career advancement, providing access to potential career opportunities, mentors, and business collaborations.

  • Real-world Curriculum: Gain an insight into diverse design thinking methods and enhance leadership skills to navigate and lead through the VUCA world.
  • Industry-Trusted Pedagogy: The programme delivers a dynamic mix of sessions by IIM Lucknow faculty, use cases, capstone projects, simulations and campus visits.
  • Leverage design thinking techniques to gather insights, validate ideas, and make informed decisions.
  • Clearly communicate complex ideas and designs, fostering collaboration and buy-in from stakeholders.
  • Guide cross-functional teams through the design thinking process to generate innovative solutions.
  • Develop a future-proof skillset to create customer-centric experiences that stand out in the market.
  • Design thinking mastery will help evolve and refine your business model, driving sustainable success.
  • Become a more valuable asset to your organisation by driving successful innovation initiatives.
    • Senior and mid-level executives looking to cultivate an innovation mindset, gain strategic insights, and lead their organisations to success.
    • Consultants and Project Managers seeking to enhance their problem-solving skills and deliver innovative solutions.
    • Marketers and Product Managers who want to understand customer needs better, drive user-centric solutions, and foster customer loyalty.
    • Entrepreneurs and Business Owners who want to transform their vision into reality, develop innovative products and processes, and achieve sustainable growth.

    The programme will be taught by the esteemed IIM Lucknow Faculty. To meet your future mentors, visit here.

    The programme will be delivered in an interactive online format, retaining effectiveness while maintaining safety. The format uniquely combines the benefits of an in-class programme with the flexibility and safety of online learning.

    • Synchronous programme delivery by expert faculty
    • Interact and get doubts answered by faculty
    • Peer learning through working in groups with other participants
    • Support from mentors for projects

    Your peers will be managers, aspiring leaders or entrepreneurs interested in strengthening their decision-making and problem solving capabilities.

    You will get access to TalentSprint’s career accelerator program designed to empower and guide you toward professional success.

    Participants of this program will receive a prestigious certification from IIM Lucknow, leading Asian business school renowned for its excellence in management education. There is no Alumni status for the program.

    The programme format with LIVE Interactive Sessions, capstones, group projects and case study analysis enables a conducive environment to network with your peers in the cohort.

    As an Institution of National Importance, IIM Lucknow enjoys autonomous status under the MHRD. This program is a fully approved certificate program offered through IIM Lucknow's Executive Education.

    All participants are required to execute, before the start of the program, an agreement that consists of the standard programme Terms and Conditions. It has the following components:

    • Part A: Etiquette and Platform Rights
      Classroom Etiquette & General Policy Guidelines
      Tools and Platforms in Use
      Tools and Platforms: Terms of Use
    • Part B: Honor Code
    • Part C: Certification
    • Part D: Programme Fee, Refund, and Termination Policy

    Eligibility and Selection Process

    Candidates will be selected based on the details of education, work experience, and a statement of purpose submitted along with the application.

    A Relationship Manager will be assigned to the applicant, who will gather all the necessary information and represent his/her candidature to the selection committee for review. The profiles will be sent to IIM Lucknow for selection.

    Education: Graduates/Post Graduates/Diploma in any discipline with minimum 50% marks.

    Experience: Professionals with Minimum 5 years of work experience can apply

    Join in these easy steps:

    • Share your details and apply for the programme
    • Submit all the necessary documents
    • The programme selection committee will evaluate your candidature
    • Upon selection, complete your enrollment and join the programme

    Programme Content

    Module I: Building Competitive Advantage through Innovation

    • Strategic Decision-Making in a VUCA world
    • Building Competitive Advantage through Innovation and Entrepreneurship
    • Managing Open Innovation
    • Introduction to Design Thinking and Design Thinking Mindset

    Module II: Process of Design Thinking

    • Design Thinking Process
    • Empathising to discover the problem
    • Problem Framing and Reframing
    • Ideation and Creative Thinking
    • Prototyping and Testing

    Module III: Applying Design Thinking and Innovation in Business

    • Transforming Business and Business Functions Using Design Thinking
    • Simulations for Applying Design Thinking and Innovation
    • Practice applications across different industries

    Module IV: Strategic Leadership for Design Thinking and Innovation

    • Team building and collaboration for Innovation
    • Integrative view of design thinking
    • Managing change to implement strategic innovation
    • Leading Innovation and Design Thinking

    Schedule and Details

    The programme starts in December 2024.

    It is a 6 months programme comprising of

    • 2 days of campus visit to IIM Lucknow
    • Live Interactive Sessions by IIM Lucknow Faculty on weekends.
    • Best-in-class Self-learning Content, Simulation, Case Studies, Quizzes and Assignments

    The programme will be delivered through faculty-led interactive live sessions on TalentSprint’s ipearl.ai. These online sessions will be held at a schedule convenient for working professionals. Participants will be able to interact with the faculty through video, audio, and chat. They will also be able to chat with fellow participants of the programme during online sessions.

    To ensure the best learning experience, we strongly encourage you to attend all classes. Due to the interactive nature of the program, we do not record sessions. If you miss a class due to unavoidable circumstances, we recommend connecting with classmates to review notes and materials.

    The programme includes continuous formative and summative assessments. The final scores will be determined based on the sum of scores of various assessments.

    Yes, participants are required to have their laptops.

    Reading material (pre/post session) will be shared regularly through the Online Learning Management System in the PDF format and it is downloadable. The access to the learning platform is valid only till the end of the course duration of the participant.

    A certificate of successful completion is provided upon completion of all requirements of the programme. All examinations and evaluations related to the certification are carried out by IIM Lucknow.

    Programme Fee

    For programme fee-related details, please visit Fee page

    Yes, flexible EMI options are available that enable you to pay the programme fee in instalments. Please reach out to your RM to know about the details of the schemes available.

    For scholarship-related details please visit Fee page. You can also reach out to your RM for more details.

    No, the application fee is non-refundable.

    No. The programme fee is non-refundable and non-transferable under any circumstances.

    Professionals have multiple options for funding.

    Sponsored by employer

    Self-funded: Based on our experience of enabling 3000+ professionals who have participated in our executive programs, self-funding is the most preferred option with over 80% choosing this.

    Three key reasons why professionals opt for it:

    • Freedom: To opt for a programme of their choice, at a time of their choice, with an institution of their choice and not be restrained by the organization’s policy.
    • Flexibility: To pursue greater career opportunities well even beyond their current employer or to nurture their entrepreneurial ambitions.
    • Funding: Access to flexible EMI schemes. We have also observed that the commitment levels were higher among self-funding participants.

    About the Platform

    ipearl.ai (Interactive Platform for Experiential and Remote Learning) is created by TalentSprint’s engineering team led by our Chief Technology Officer, an IIT Kanpur alumni. The platform integrates best-in-class open source technologies and SaaS services and perfected them over the last seven years.

    When this platform was built, we intended to offer it to our partners and customers for digital learning and delivery. Since 2013, the platform has been extensively used by IIM Calcutta, Indian Institute of Sciences, IIT Kanpur, IIIT Hyderabad and IIT Hyderabad, and many more of our customers and partners. More than 300,000 students have used this platform, which is reputed for user experience, quality, and scale.

    This feature-rich platform has become so popular that some of our partners are now using it for their academic needs.

    The tried and tested direct-to-device platform enables 24 x 7 learning for its users. Some key benefits of the platform are:

    • Intuitive student experience through a user-friendly LMS
    • Seamless faculty experience through state-of-the-art Studios
    • Highly Interactive Online Classes
    • Effective group/peer learning/projects through Breakout Rooms
    • Proctored Online Assessments with detailed analysis
    • Insightful Reports on student engagement and performance
    • Flexible integration with other components, as needed

    A comparative study of iPearl.ai against Canvas, Impartus, Moodle, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom was conducted. Features in the following categories were compared:

    • Instructor-led Learning
    • Self-paced Learning
    • Assessments/Evaluations
    • User Experience
    • Customer Support
    • Scalability and Performance
    • Integration and Customization
    • Others

    • An internet-connected device, Computer/Laptop/Tablet/Smartphone, is enough to access the platform.
    • Web camera and Mic with necessary power backup will be needed for proctored online assessments.

    Others

    • AMBA & AACSB Accreditation
    • #7 in NIRF B-School Rankings
    • Top 100 at the FT Masters in Management
    • Global Alumni Network

    The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIML) is the fourth in the prestigious IIM family of management schools to be established in India. Envisioned and initiated by the first Prime Minister of India – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the institute was established in the year 1984. Since then, IIML has touched a million lives, shaping its students into value-driven leaders, managers, and global players. The institute is involved in the creation, dissemination, and application of management knowledge and practice. With 7 CoEs and forging a partnership with 30+ institutions across 5 continents, IIML offers an ideal setup conducive to learning, accessibility, and excellence. In 2005, IIML expanded its area of influence in the realm of management education by becoming the first IIM to set up a satellite campus exclusively for Executive Education at Noida (Delhi NCR region). Know more.