Design Thinking Workshops

Design thinking began as a tool used by engineers but is now recognized as a useful method for tackling all sorts of problems. At AUP, and through the Global Professional Skills Program (GPS), we offer a suite of three Design Thinking workshops each with a different goal. Completion of these workshops is required for students who wish to earn the GPS certificate.

Each one of the three design thinking workshops is only one 80-minute session long. Students may register for a design thinking workshop via AUP Engage at any time.  

All workshops take place at the GPS Lab in the ACE Center (3rd floor of the Learning Commons). Sign up for a workshop via AUP Engage.

PLAN: Designing Your AUP (DYA)

This workshop addresses two key questions: How can I align my academic and co-curricular interests with my values? How can I ensure that I look back on how I spent my time at university with no regrets?

The PLAN: Designing Your AUP (DYA) workshop helps students strategically plan their university time and make connections between their values and their vision for their university experience. Students will leave this workshop focused on making the most out of their time at AUP.

This workshop is best for first year students but is open to all. Find all DYA workshops on Engage. All DYA workshops take place at the GPS Lab in the ACE Center (3rd floor of the Learning Commons).

Designing Your Life (DYL)

This workshop helps you align your career aspirations with your values and articulate your personal value proposition.

The IMAGINE: Designing Your Life (DYL) workshop helps students imagine their future at and beyond AUP as well as examine how to connect the dots between their academic interests, their values, and their career aspirations. Students will leave the workshop with the tools needed to begin thinking clearly about their transition into the professional sphere and with a "Person Value Proposition" that will enable them to communicate successfully with prospective employers about their strengths and experiences.

This workshop is best for second- and third-year students but is open to all. Find all DYL workshops on Engage. All DYL workshops take place at the GPS Lab in the ACE Center (3rd floor of the Learning Commons).

Designing Your Narrative (DYN)

This workshop walks you through various storytelling techniques to enable you to tell your story in the most efficient and compelling manner. It addresses the question: How can I craft a narrative to successfully pitch myself and my university experience to employers/graduate program admissions advisors/investors/…?

The TELL: Designing Your Narrative (DYN) workshop helps students examine how to use their experiences at university to build a convincing narrative that prepares them for their post-graduation plans. We talk about what comes next (job/internship/graduate school/etc.), and walk through a series of exercises that help students reflect on everything they’ve done at AUP, both in the classroom and outside of it. Students will leave the workshop with the tools they need to be confident sharing their story with prospective employers, graduate school admissions decision makers, investors, etc. as they work towards their post-graduation goals.

This workshop is best for final year students (seniors), but is also open to anyone with at least 32 earned credits. Find all DYN workshops on Engage. All DYN workshops take place at the GPS Lab in the ACE Center (3rd floor of the Learning Commons).

Meeting more people and starting conversation was my biggest struggle. Now I am more comfortable in doing so.