Occupational Certificate: Design Thinking Practitioner
The Occupational Certificate: Design Thinking Practitioner empowers students with a powerful, human-centered approach to problem-solving. This qualification teaches learners how to empathise with users, define real needs, ideate creative solutions, and prototype effectively, skills that are highly valued across industries such as business, education, healthcare, and technology. By mastering design thinking, students become agile thinkers and collaborative innovators, equipped to drive meaningful change and create solutions that truly matter. It’s not just a course; it’s a mindset that prepares students to thrive in the future of work.
QUALIFICATION SPECIFICATIONS
• SAQA ID: 118705
• NQF Level: 4
• Credits: 10
• Duration: 4 months
• Accreditation Body: Quality Council for Trade and Occupations
NQF Level 3 Qualification
Occupation function
Design Thinking Practitioners apply design thinking approaches and methodologies to understand and address complex challenges and to collaboratively create innovative solutions that address human needs. They immerse themselves in the environment and context of the problem and approach it from multiple perspectives and collaboratively analyse, synthesise and make sense of data to inform the development of relevant and innovative solutions.
The programme is divided into four modules covering the following:
- Design thinking fundamentals
- Human Centred Innovation
- Research to inform design thinking processes
- Creative innovation solution design
The programme consists of:
- Facilitator led online knowledge modules
- Facilitator led online practical modules
- Workplace based learning modules (35 compulsory workplace-based days)
- External Integrated Summative Assessment (exam)
Vertical Articulation
National Certificate: N6: Art and Design, NQF Level 5