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Design
Thinking
Competency

QGLUE’s skill assessment & certification to assess and recognize the Foundational skills in Design Thinking required for professionals to perform design and innovation activities in their current roles. The assessment facilitates in identifying the right mix of team members to work on a real project and provides a roadmap for upgrading their skills.

The Design Thinking Competency Framework is the prescribed aggregation of knowledge within the profession of Design Thinking & Innovation Management. The DT Competency Framework is a systematic collection of activities and outcomes in terms of their values, constructs, models, principles, and instantiations, which arises from continuous discovery and validation work by members of the profession and enables self-reflective growth and reproduction of the profession. This is the sum total of competencies an individual is expected to have mastered to be considered or certified as a practitioner.

The complete Design Thinking & Innovation Framework includes proven practices that are widely applied, as well as practices that are emerging in the profession, including published and unpublished materials. As a result, the Design Thinking & Innovation framework is constantly evolving. The QGLUE Design Thinking Competency Framework encompasses a premise of competencies that have a direct impact on the enablement of innovation.

The Design Thinking Competency Framework can be visualized into 8 core competencies.

QGLUE’S Critical Competencies for Design Thinking

COMFORTABLE WITH AMBIGUITY

Comfortable in working with incomplete information and limitations imposed by business environment.

COLLABORATIVE

Understanding that solutions are developed in partnership and through engagement with others.

DYNAMIC MINDSET

A mind-set that sees problem solving as an iterating process between inventive thinking to analystical thinking.

HUMAN CENTERED AND EMPATHETIC

Concerned with understanding how people are impacted by a problem and see the problem from their perspective.

OPTIMISTIC

Candidate does not see obstacles as problems. They rather see it as an opportunity that can open up a whole new dimension of thought process.

REFLECTIVE

Incorporating feedback and lessons learnt to evolve an idea, concept or prototype.

OPEN TO RISK AND EMBRACING FAILURE

A comfort level with presenting new unproven ideas for consideration. Failure is seen as a way of learning.

VISUAL & ENGAGES IN PROTOTYPING

The use of mapping and sketching to bring ideas into practical world. Creation of tangible visual and sensory experiences to test out ideas and concepts.

Design Thinking
Competency Framework

The Design Thinking Competency Framework is a multi-step design thinking methodology that seeks to address often unarticulated user needs through disciplined creativity. QGLUE has been using the competency framework to assess organizations and deliver to them a comprehensive understanding of their capabilities in the sphere of Design Thinking.

Design

Thinking

Capability

Assessment

The QGLUE Capability Assessment is based on the Design Thinking Competency Framework. This online assessment presents a set of 40 questions across 8 competency areas and 25 knowledge areas.
This assessment is best suited for individuals who wish to understand their competencies aligning with Design Thinking and Innovation. Individuals aspiring for a career/movement into Design Thinking can consider taking this assessment to understand their level of competency and steps that they can take to enhance their capability in this iterative domain. Individuals can also explore the Certificate Program for Design Thinking as the next step based on their capabilities which would help them be at par with the industry standards. The assessment is a great fit for those wishing to undertake: Innovation, Design Thinking, Product Management, Service Design, Strategy & Growth. This framework is used to analyze how companies sense and respond to emerging needs in order to create new value by adopting a design thinking dynamic capability.

Structure of the Assessment

The assessment is configured for 40 questions for 60 minutes. The questions are evenly divided across the listed competencies and an aggregate score of the same is received as feedback. The test is required to be taken in one sitting and is normally available for a month from the date of receiving the access code. The specifics are as follows:

40 questions for each assessment.
Maximum time 60 minutes.
1-month validity from the date of receiving the access code.
1 assessment per attendee.

At the end of each assessment, the individuals shall receive an individual assessment report for their personal reference. Organizations who wish to conduct the assessment across their teams will also receive the following in addition to Individual Assessment Reports for attendees.

Organizational Role Summary Report.
Organizational Learning Investment Plan.

QGLUE Design Thinking

Capability Assessment

The QGLUE Capability Assessment is based on the Design Thinking Competency Framework. This online assessment presents a set of 40 questions across 8 competency areas and 25 knowledge areas. This framework is used to analyze how companies sense and respond to emerging needs in order to create new value by adopting a design thinking dynamic capability.