Empowering young minds through design thinking workshops

There’s nothing quite like witnessing a young person’s ‘aha’ moment during a workshop - it’s a signal that the learning has become real and they are starting to connect with the ideas in their mind.

That happens a lot during our design thinking workshops as more and more young adults are realising that design thinking is a crucial skill for them. It enhances their career prospects regardless of the industry they enter after graduation because it equips them with vital problem-solving skills, fostering meaningful and practical innovation.

At its core, design thinking emphasises empathy, ensuring that solutions are deeply human-centric and impactful. This approach is not just for designers; it's a versatile framework that encourages creative and critical thinking, making it essential for anyone looking to drive change in their industry.

What Young People Gain from Design Workshops

When young adults engage with human-centred design principles, they develop:

• Critical thinking skills that apply across disciplines

  
  

• Empathy for diverse user needs and experiences

  
  

• Collaborative problem-solving abilities

  
  

• Confidence in their creative potential

Let's explore two workshop models that have successfully engaged young people across different educational contexts.

Design Thinking Workshop: ASEAN Youth Collaboration

55 Minutes' design lead, Adeline Kuswanto talks about creative prototyping

Young participants from across ASEAN recently gathered in Singapore through River Valley Irregular’s youth programme. They went through a workshop to tackle real-world challenges using design thinking principles where they learned to:

• Build empathy by understanding actual user needs before proposing solutions

  
  

• Define problems through human-centered problem statements

  
  

• Generate ideas through structured brainstorming techniques

  
  

• Create prototypes to test and refine concepts

The results speak to the effectiveness of this approach:

• 92% of participants expressed satisfaction with the workshop

  
  

• 83% planned to apply these principles in future projects

As participant Annsley Stephen noted: "I'd recommend this for those who have zero knowledge on design thinking and would like to understand it. I've learned a lot from this workshop!"

Another participant, Angelina Eng, shared: "This workshop brought so much energy into the room and gave me a better understanding of design thinking. This was great for newbies and those who have learned it alike!"

55 Minutes' co-founder Wendy Wong discussing ideas with the participants

Accessibility Design Workshop: Creating Inclusive Digital Experiences

Digital design that works for everyone remains an overlooked skill in many educational programs. Students from Singapore Polytechnic's School of Media, Arts, and Design (SP) participated in a workshop focused specifically on designing for people with visual impairments.

Through experiential learning activities, students learned how to:

• Interview visually impaired users to understand real challenges

  
  

• Participate in bodystorming exercises simulating navigation difficulties

  
  

• Practice with screen readers and assistive technologies

  
  

• Apply practical UX/UI strategies to improve digital accessibility

Wendy sharing why inclusive design is important

This hands-on approach transformed how students think about design. As one of the participants, Putra, reflected: "The workshop gave good real-life examples of how we can empathise with those in need of accessible design."

Christalle added: "As designers, we always design solutions for able-bodied individuals but tend to overlook solutions that are inclusive for everyone. The workshop was an eye-opening experience."

The Singapore Poly Lecturer and Course Manager, Janelle Lee, saw how the workshop encouraged the UX students to rethink how small design choices can have a big impact. “Many reflected on past work, realising where they had overlooked accessibility and how simple tweaks - like better alt text or voice commands - could improve UX. The session made them more aware, intentional, and equipped to design inclusively, reinforcing that great design isn’t just about aesthetics - it’s about making technology work for everyone.”

Janelle also shared that the management at School of Media Art Design thought the workshop was an innovative approach to learning.

Upon hearing this, Wendy, our co-founder and workshop facilitator, felt all the weeks of hard work putting the workshop together was worth it. “It's feedback like this that encourages us to continue advocating what good design is,” she said.

Students experience what people with visual impairment go through when navigating an app

Why These Skills Matter for Young People's Future

In a world where digital interfaces mediate increasingly more of our daily experiences, young people equipped with both creative problem-solving and accessibility awareness will:

• Create more inclusive solutions that work for diverse populations

  
  

• Address genuine human needs rather than assumed problems

  
  

• Use technology to connect rather than divide people of different abilities

  
  

• Stand out in educational and professional environments that value human-centred innovation

Bring These Workshops to Your Educational Setting

We’ve seen firsthand how these sessions can spark confidence and creativity in young people, and we'd love to have more of such opportunities to advocate good design. If this sounds like something your students might benefit from, we’d love to explore how we can adapt our workshops to your context.

Email hello@55mins.com to discuss how these approaches might benefit the young people in your educational setting.