[1] Strategic Program Overview – Building AI-Empowered Innovators
We announce the successful completion of the Second Cohort of the AI‑Empowered Design Thinking Deep Dive – “Design Thinking with Systems Thinking for Distinctive Value Creation” Certificate Course, held on 8–9 May 2026 in Hong Kong, China, and hosted by Designthinkers Academy Hong Kong (DTA HK).
Designed for senior leaders and professionals who must drive innovation under complexity, the course equips participants to leverage AI as a strategic co‑creator, not merely a productivity enhancer. Through a tightly structured, practice‑driven journey, participants learn to integrate Design Thinking and Systems Thinking with AI to create distinctive value propositions, resilient solutions, and faster paths to execution.
This two‑day intensive program was expertly facilitated by two Certified Design Thinking Facilitators, Mr. David Chung (back row, 3rd from the right in the group photo) and Mr. Paul Lee (back row, 2nd from the right in the group photo). The cohort brought together executives and practitioners from business, academic, healthcare and social service sectors, with participants from Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Shanghai, fostering rich cross‑sector dialogue and peer learning.
[2] From Concept to Impact – AI as a Full Member of the Innovation Team
A key differentiator of this program is the systematic use of AI-powered tools as “team members” in the innovation process. Participants engaged hands‑on with more than 14 specialized AI innovation tools, carefully selected from a proprietary library of 150 AI Design Thinking Agents. These AI tools were orchestrated to:
- Reveal hidden stakeholder needs and ecosystem dynamics
- Accelerate sense‑making and insight generation
- Expand and stress‑test idea portfolios
- Translate concepts into implementable, value‑driven solutions
Rather than discussing AI conceptually, participants experienced AI in action within realistic problem‑solving simulations—designing MEGA prompts, collaborating with specialized AI Design Thinking and Systems Thinking Agents, and seeing how AI can augment strategic thinking and decision‑making.
[3] Integrated AI Toolset – Design Thinking and Systems Thinking in Practice
Participants gained hands‑on experience with a curated suite of AI Design Thinking Tools and AI Systems Thinking Tools, purpose‑built to support complex, real‑world innovation challenges.
AI Design Thinking Tools
- AI Stakeholder Mapping
- AI Empathy Question Design
- AI Sense Making
- AI Persona Map Design
- AI Ideation Methods
- AI Idea Prioritization
- AI Service Scenario Map Design
- AI User Feedback Analysis
AI Systems Thinking Tools
- AI STEEP Map Design
- AI Social Ecosystem Map Design
- AI Systems Iceberg Analysis
- AI Causal Loops Analysis
- AI Ideation for Leverage Points
- AI System Value Proposition Development
This integrated toolset enabled participants to move beyond linear cause‑and‑effect thinking and identify leverage points, rebound effects, and ecosystem interdependencies—capabilities that are critical for leaders overseeing transformation, ESG initiatives, digital change, and new business models.
[4] Real-World Use Cases and Participant Takeaways
To ensure the learning transfers directly back to the workplace, the program was anchored in comprehensive, cross‑industry case studies with both local and global perspectives, including:
- Creating world‑first value‑added services for music passengers in the global aviation sector
- Designing a high‑quality diagnostics patient experience in the global healthcare sector
- Managing leverage points and rebound effects in the global electric car rental industry
- Reimagining end‑to‑end passenger experience in the Great Bay Area railway system
- Co‑creative community design for the Hong Kong Sham Shui Po Fabric Market
- Discovering unmet, hidden, and potential markets in Hong Kong’s food and beverage sector
These cases allowed participants to apply AI‑enabled Design Thinking and Systems Thinking to realistic, high‑stakes scenarios, making the methods and tools immediately usable in their own organizations.
At the end of the workshop, each participant was invited to summarize their learning in one word. The resulting expressions—such as “A‑New‑Age,” “Collaborating,” “Fruitful”, “Motivated,” “Vivid,” and “躍躍欲試” (eager and ready to act)—collectively captured a strong sense of momentum, readiness, and confidence to apply these approaches in their own contexts.
