Discover how the RCA's online Service Design Masterclass helped Dentsu Japan drive corporate innovation and sustainability.
The challenge: Innovating at scale in a post-pandemic market
For four consecutive years the RCA has been collaborating with the international advertising company, Dentsu Inc. headquartered in Tokyo. In 2019, we ran courses in person on Design Thinking. Since the pandemic, we have successfully shifted to online learning. In January 2022, we ran a one-week live online Service Design Masterclass led by Professor Clive Grinyer, Head of the RCA’s Service Design MA programme.
The curriculum: Blending service design theory with live online collaboration
Over 30 executives, designers and students came together from diverse backgrounds such as energy, technology and electronic companies, real estate, automotive, construction, design universities, and local and national government. They joined via zoom with simultaneous translation in Japanese and English. The course began with keynote lectures and a panel discussion. Each session provided a blended experience of lectures, workshops, group work and discussions, as well as one-to-one interaction with leading multi-disciplinary educators and practitioners.
The results: Empowering 30+ executives to design sustainable services
They worked in teams on challenge briefs, facilitated by RCA tutors and student ambassadors, that focussed on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. On the final day they presented to a panel of experts.
Ready to find out how design thinking can drive impact for your organisation? Enquire about a custom executive education programme.
“Participating in this course was an enriching experience because I had the opportunity to collaborate with peers from various occupations and ages.”
“Attending the sessions demonstrated that online learning can be effective using various collaboration tools.”
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Keynote insights on global service design trends
The class began with keynote lectures and a panel discussion:
- Professor Clive Grinyer addressed Service Design, incorporating case studies from the RCA.
- Jun Kamei, from the RCA’s Innovation Design Engineering Programme, tackled Design-Led Start-ups and how to combine sustainability, understanding users, prototyping and functional aesthetics in creating products.
- Dr Oussouby Sacko, President of Kyoto Seika University.
Challenge briefs: designing innovative services based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Teams worked on group challenges revolving around the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Identifying current issues, they sought solutions in new services, discussing:
- quality education
- sustainable cities and communities
- life on land
- responsible consumption and production
- end of poverty
- decent work and economic growth.
Team delivery and networking
The delivery team consisted of a range of voices, with five facilitators from the RCA alongside ten Japanese facilitators (including designers from the Kyoto School of Art and Kyoto Women's University).
The class involved 27 delegates. Executives, designers and students came together from diverse backgrounds such as energy, technology and electronic companies, real estate, automotive, construction, design universities, and local and national government.
Each day closed with an opportunity to present and feedback, as well as the space for networking. The response and feedback from Dentsu and the facilitators was excellent, with highlights on the efficiency of the online format, simultaneous translation, and valuable learning experience. There are plans to deliver new courses in 2022-23.
How RCA Custom Executive Education can help your organisation
Custom Executive Education Masterclasses and Workshops
Through our portfolio of innovation masterclasses and workshops, the RCA provides senior-level professionals and business leaders with critical business skills. We deliver courses for businesses, organisations and universities on design thinking, service design, creative leadership, disruptive innovation, entrepreneurship, human-centred design, artificial Intelligence and healthcare design.
We can tailor the curriculum for a day, a week, or several weeks over the course of a year with interrelated projects. Courses can be delivered online, on-campus, hybrid or at partner organisations. Previous courses have been delivered in Dubai, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Germany and Mexico.
Find out more about Custom Executive Education.
Are you interested in working with us to co-design a customised executive education programme?
Enquire about a custom programme. We’d love to learn more and discuss your requirements.
Or email Hattie Allen, Senior Executive Education Manager.
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