DESIGN THINKING & BUSINESS MODELING

This course aims to develop students’ capacity to: Understand, design, and assess business models.

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By the end of this course, students will be able to: Apply the creative process to the organizational context Apply Design Thinking tools to deal with real challenges Execute the phases of the Design Thinking process Define and assess various business models in terms of desirability, feasibility, viability, and adaptability. Innovate business models using structured approaches and critically assess portfolios of models. Communicate business models effectively using structured tools and templates.

Part I – Design Thinking 1. Creativity 2. The design thinking process 3. Understand & Observe 4. Synthesize 5. Ideate 6. Prototype 7. Test Part II – Business Modelling (Weeks 8–11) 1. Evolution of BM definitions and approaches (from informal to Gassmann, Osterwalder) 2. The 4 Lenses: Desirability – Feasibility – Viability – Adaptability 3. The Business Model Canvas 4. Patterns and Benchmark BMs (e.g., freemium, long tail, platform) 5. BM Innovation, Ecosystems & Portfolios 6. Case: Business model innovations Final Review 1. Final presentation and peer review of Ideas/Business Plans 2. Reflection on Strategic Consistency, BM Coherence, Planning Execution 3. Final exam preparation

Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons. Luchs, Michael G., Scott Swan, and Abbie Griffin. Design thinking: New product development essentials from the PDMA. John Wiley & Sons, 2015. Osterwalder, A.; Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation, Wiley. Gassmann, O., Frankenberger, K., & Csik, M. (2014). The Business Model Navigator: 55 Models That Will Revolutionize Your Business. Pearson.

30% Continuous In-Class Assessment, 70% Written exam will be made up of 12 Multiple choice questions (each worth 1 points) and 3 Open-ended questions (each worth 6 points). For non-compliant or exempted students, the test will consist in a written exam based on the following written materials: Design Thinking Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons. Luchs, M. G., Swan, S., & Griffin, A. (2015). Design thinking: New product development essentials from the PDMA. John Wiley & Sons Mayer, S. & M. Schwemmerle, (2025). "The impact of design thinking and its underlying theoretical mechanisms: A review of the literature." Creativity and Innovation Management. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12626 Dell’Era C, Magistretti S, Candi M, Bianchi M, Calabretta G, Stigliani I, Verganti R (2025), "Design thinking in action: a quantitative study of design thinking practices in innovation projects". Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 29 No. 11 pp. 32–58, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-04-2024-0424 Amirkhizi, P.J., Zeyghami, F. & Pourmohamadi, M. Investigating the use of design thinking in identifying wicked problems of startups. J Innov Entrep 15, 16 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00513-9 Efeoglu, A., Møller, C. Solving strategic management challenges with Design Thinking: examining the suitability and effectiveness as a management method. J Innov Entrep 14, 61 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00469-w Business Modeling Osterwalder, A.; Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation, Wiley. Gassmann, O., Frankenberger, K., & Csik, M. (2014). The Business Model Navigator: 55 Models That Will Revolutionize Your Business. Pearson. Kanbach, D.K., Heiduk, L., Blueher, G. et al. The GenAI is out of the bottle: generative artificial intelligence from a business model innovation perspective. Rev Manag Sci 18, 1189–1220 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-023-00696-z Aagaard, A., Tucci, C. (2024). AI-Driven Business Model Innovation: Pioneering New Frontiers in Value Creation. In: Aagaard, A. (eds) Business Model Innovation. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-57511-2_10

Motivation and participation shown in class and the final exam grade will be considered. Requests will be assigned on a case-by-case basis.