Top Design Thinking Speakers: Inspire Innovation and User-Centered Solutions
Design thinking speakers play a critical role in helping organizations solve complex problems creatively and collaboratively. By booking a design thinking expert, your team gains access to powerful frameworks like IDEO’s human-centered approach, the double diamond methodology, and practices from innovation educators from the Stanford d.school and Hyper Island business school. These speakers offer not just theory, but actionable strategies to foster innovation, enhance product development, and create meaningful customer experiences.
Design thinking is more than a buzzword. It is a mindset and a structured approach to problem-solving that encourages empathy, experimentation, and iteration. Whether you're planning a corporate strategy session, cross-functional workshop, leadership retreat, or a virtual learning series, bringing in a design thinking speaker helps break down silos, inspire new ways of thinking, and align teams around user-focused innovation. These sessions can be tailored for in-person events or delivered virtually, depending on your team’s needs.
Top Design Thinking Speakers You Need to Know
- John K. Coyle, an Olympic medalist, speaker, and innovation professor, leverages his background in product design from Stanford to offer insights into time mastery and resilience. His storytelling approach reframes common challenges, providing fresh perspectives on innovation and leadership.
- Soren Kaplan is renowned for his work on disruptive innovation and innovation culture. With over 20 years of experience, he guides organizations in applying design thinking to drive business model innovation and create solutions of real value.
- Duncan Wardle, design thinking speaker and former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney, brings a wealth of experience in fostering creative cultures. His sessions are designed to unlock the creative potential within teams, encouraging innovative thinking across all organizational levels.
- Simon Banks offers a hands-on approach to creativity and design thinking. His interactive workshops emphasize experiential learning, enabling participants to internalize concepts and apply them effectively in their roles.
- Beth Altringer stands out as an award-winning designer and expert in integrating design, technology, and behavioral science. As the founder of The Desirability Lab and a professor at Brown University and RISD, she focuses on innovation leadership and product desirability.
- Leyla Acaroglu, a sustainability strategist and founder of Disrupt Design, advocates for design-led social change. Her Disruptive Design Method combines systems thinking and sustainability, challenging traditional design paradigms to address environmental and social issues.
- Andrea Siodmok, a British industrial designer and social innovator, played a pivotal role in developing the UK's Policy Lab. Her work focuses on applying design thinking to public policy, emphasizing user-centric approaches to government services.
- Hideshi Hamaguchi, a Japanese concept creator and business strategist, is known for his visual models that bring "simplexity" to brainstorming processes. His methodologies assist businesses in generating creative ideas and strategies across various industries.
- Marty Neumeier, author of "The Brand Gap" and "Zag," specializes in brand strategy and design thinking. His insights help organizations bridge the gap between business strategy and design, fostering a culture of nonstop innovation.
- Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, an experience designer and founder of the International Space Orchestra, delivers keynote lectures on designing the impossible. Her work intersects design, science, and storytelling, inspiring audiences to push the boundaries of creativity. and create an innovation culture.
These speakers are available for various formats, including in-person keynotes, virtual presentations, interactive workshops, and customized consulting sessions. Engaging with them can lead to enhanced product development, improved customer experiences, and a competitive edge in the market.
Design thinking speakers like Beth offer valuable insights drawn from real-world applications of methodologies pioneered by IDEO and the Stanford d.school. They explore how to move through stages of discovery, definition, development, and delivery — echoing the double diamond model — and apply these techniques to drive business value across product, service, and experience design.
Organizations that invest in design thinking talks, seminars, or workshops often see improved collaboration, more creative problem-solving, and stronger alignment with customer needs. These outcomes contribute to more competitive offerings, better internal processes, and a culture of innovation that keeps pace with a fast-changing market.
Why Book a Design Thinking Speaker
Design thinking speakers are ideal for companies undergoing digital transformation, launching new products, or simply trying to encourage more creativity and user empathy across teams. These experts help teams build practical skills while challenging assumptions and rethinking how value is created. Common formats include interactive workshops, virtual keynotes, team trainings, innovation sprints, and fireside chats.
Book Your Design Thinking Speaker Today
Ready to bring user-centric innovation to your team? Contact PepTalk to book a top design thinking speaker for your next event. We’ll help you find the right expert to energize your team, shift mindsets, and deliver results. Email hello@getapeptalk.com, use our live chat, or call us at +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US). Whether you want to upskill your team or kickstart a major innovation initiative, we’re here to help.
