Design Thinking for Student Projects

Employers look for more than just a good degree. Candidates are expected to be able to creatively solve problems, manage change, demonstrate commercial awareness, and collaborate and communicate at different levels.

Increasingly, universities are helping their students gain these skills through team-based projects, utilising innovation to solve real-world problems. Created with direct input from students and packed with advice and guidance from leading industry experts, this textbook walks readers through the steps necessary to deliver a team-based project, facilitating the development of key employability skills along the way.

Readers can also connect with each other and create their own projects and teams via the book’s LinkedIn group.

Suitable for undergraduates and postgraduates across all disciplines undertaking team-based modules and courses, as well as those studying independently, Design Thinking for Student Projects is the essential guide to learning practical Design Thinking and employability skills.

Tony Morgan  is an Associate Professor in Innovation Management Practice at the University of Leeds.
Lena J. Jaspersen is a University Academic Fellow in Innovation Management at the University of Leeds.

Tony Morgan is an Associate Professor in Innovation Management Practice at the University of Leeds, where he co-developed and teaches the flagship interdisciplinary Innovation Thinking and Practice module with Lena Jaspersen. He also leads the Masters’ level Innovation Management in Practice module and works with external organisations on the application of innovation and Design Thinking techniques. His interests include innovation, Design Thinking, the practical application of emerging technologies and employability skills.

Prior to joining the University of Leeds, Tony held a three-year Visiting Professor role at the university, as part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s scheme to infuse practical industry experience into academia. His thirty-year career in the IT industry included twenty years at IBM. His roles included IBM Innovation Centre Leader for a global banking client and Chief Innovation Officer for IBM’s Global Technology Services business unit in the UK and Ireland, where he led a successful programme to instil innovation into IBM’s relationships across a large portfolio of clients.

At IBM, Tony trained experienced leaders and early career professionals in applying innovation related approaches and techniques to address client needs, increase client satisfaction and generate additional revenue. He’s the author of Collaborative Innovation: How Clients and Service Providers Can Work by Design to Achieve It (Business Expert Publishing, 2017). He is currently part of a team at the Leeds Institute of Teaching Excellence carrying out pedagogical research into interdisciplinary team-based teaching and learning with a focus on digital and employability skills.

Lena J. Jaspersen is a University Academic Fellow in Innovation Management at the University of Leeds, where she co-developed and teaches the flagship interdisciplinary Innovation Thinking and Practice module with Tony Morgan and teaches qualitative research methods at the PhD level. Her main research interests include collaborative research and innovation, and the role of partnerships in addressing global development challenges.

Lena’s background brings an international and interdisciplinary dimension to her writing, teaching and research. She holds Masters’ degrees in Sociology and International Relations and was awarded a PhD with Recommendation of Research Excellence from the University of Leeds. Lena is also currently part of the team at the Leeds Institute of Teaching Excellence carrying out pedagogical research into interdisciplinary team-based teaching and learning with a focus on digital and employability skills.

Lena has a strong interest in innovation and research methods. She’s a co-author of the 7th edition of the bestselling Management and Business Research (Sage, 2021), which provides readers with a clear and comprehensive overview of methods for conducting management and business research. Lena’s other publications include a recent article in the British Journal of Management, containing a systematic overview of methods for qualitative network research, Understanding Global Development Research (Sage, 2017) and the UN-real World of Human Rights (Nomos, 2012).