A Winter Course in Design Thinking
Overview
SmartUp designed and delivered North Macedonia's first Winter Course in Design Thinking, in partnership with the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering (FINKI) at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University and the Social Innovation Hub, with support from UNDP MK. The intensive, practice-oriented programme introduced university students to human-centered innovation and design thinking methodologies for addressing complex social challenges, building skills in user research, problem framing, ideation, prototyping, and entrepreneurship.
SmartUp brought together students from multiple universities and academic disciplines into interdisciplinary teams, applying design thinking to real societal issues including climate change, youth unemployment, social services, and urban resilience. As the first programme of its kind in the country, it helped establish design thinking as a practical methodology in North Macedonia's higher education landscape — a methodology SmartUp went on to apply across its later national innovation and education programmes.
The challenge
Limited opportunities for university students to develop practical innovation and Design Thinking skills through experiential learning.
Lack of interdisciplinary collaboration among students from different academic backgrounds when solving complex societal challenges.
Insufficient focus on human-centered approaches to innovation and entrepreneurship within higher education.
Need to equip young people with practical methodologies for developing innovative, user-centered solutions with social impact.
Activities and methods
1. Developed and delivered the first Winter Course in Design Thinking in North Macedonia, introducing university students to internationally recognized human-centered innovation methodologies.
2. Equipped students with practical competencies in user research, user journey mapping, ideation, prototyping, entrepreneurship, and business development through an intensive, hands-on learning programme.
3. Engaged students from multiple universities and diverse academic disciplines in interdisciplinary teams, fostering collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving across different fields of study.
4. Applied Design Thinking methodologies to real societal challenges, including climate change, youth unemployment, social services, and urban resilience, enabling participants to develop innovative solution concepts with potential social impact.
5. Strengthened the national innovation ecosystem by creating a new generation of Design Thinking practitioners and future innovation leaders capable of applying human-centered approaches in academia, business, and the social sector.
Impact and learning
The Winter Course introduced Design Thinking as an innovative educational methodology within the higher education landscape of North Macedonia, providing students with practical skills that complemented their academic studies. By combining interdisciplinary collaboration with real-world problem solving, the programme strengthened participants' entrepreneurial mindset, creativity, and capacity for innovation.
The initiative also demonstrated the value of partnerships between academia, international organisations, and the innovation ecosystem, laying the foundation for the wider adoption of human-centered design approaches in education and social innovation. As the first programme of its kind in the country, it helped build awareness of Design Thinking as a practical methodology for addressing complex societal challenges while preparing students to become future innovators and change-makers.
Gallery
Planning similar work?
SmartUp can support research, co-creation, facilitation, digital tools, implementation, or learning documentation for related programmes.