Events

The HPI D-School in Potsdam is the European center for a growing Design Thinking community. We regularly host workshops and events to complement the academic program. Interested visitors from all over the world meet at our events to experience Design Thinking in practice, discuss future trends and debate ideas.

Coming Events

15.07.2024, D-Talk with Kim Dabbs (Steelcase): Designing For Better Futures

Kim Dabbs is a global leader in the area of "Belonging and Purpose". As a thought leader, best-selling author, and speaker, she is the Global Vice President of ESG and Social Innovation at Steelcase. She has a passion for building cultures of belonging and is leveraging that mindset as she partners with organizations leading transformational change projects around the world. Her personal experience and professional history focuses on helping leaders, organizations and communities with the tools to create a more equitable and inclusive world. She presents internationally on Belonging and Impact at venues such as the Guggenheim, the Aspen Institute and TEDx and her latest book, You Belong Here, was just named as a top book to read by the Financial Times.

The D-Talk takes place as part of the Design Thinking Studio Sustainability.

The Talk is held as a hybrid event. Kim Dabbs will will participate online.

Registration to participate: Registration Form
Time: July 15th, 2024, from 09:30 am to 11:00 am
Location (on-site): D-Space, House H, HPI Campus, Prof.-Dr.-Helmert-Str. 2-3, 14482 Potsdam
Location (online): Link will be sent to you upon registration
Language: English

Selected past events

[Translate to Englisch:] Helga Breuninger D-Talk

30.05.2024, d-talk with Helga Breuninger and Melissa Wörner: What does democracy need?

A democratic mindset and the social grammar for communication at eye level can be learned. As a contribution to SDG 4 - high-quality education, the Helga Breuninger Foundation offers a video-based, AI-supported online learning environment.

The D-Talk takes place as part of the Design Thinking Studios Open Innovation in Education and Design Thinking Studio Sustainability.

Registration to participate: expired
Time: May 30th, 2024, Arrive at 4:00 pm, start of event at 4:30 pm.
Location: NIO House, Kurfürstendamm 11, 10719 Berlin

Language: German

[Translate to Englisch:] Madaster 1. Platz Start-up Night

16.05.2024, Showcase Start-up Night for digital climate solutions

For months at the d-school they worked on business models for digital climate solutions using design thinking methods. At the Showcase of the Design Thinking Studio Sustainability, the participants of the Innovations Circle in the project digistainable NOW! and other founders present their promising business models to a jury of investors and experts from the building and construction sector at the Start-up Night.

The project is a cooperation with DENEFF and is funded by the Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection.

Register to participate: expired
Time: May 16, 2024, 5:00 p.m. to around 8:00 p.m
Location: Space Shack Coworking, Akazienstr. 3a, 10823 Berlin
Language: German

[Translate to Englisch:] D-Talk mit Van Bo Le-Mentzel

29.04.2024, d-talk: The Subversiveness Of Design

with Van Bo Le-Mentzel (social designer).

Van Bo became known for designing the “Harz IV furniture” for self-assembly. His latest project, “Tiny Foundation,” is about building social neighborhoods. “Van Bo can also be seen as a social designer who uses construction as a Trojan horse to bring people together” (quote Jochen Nünning). After a keynote by Van Bo Le-Mentzel, our coach Jochen Nünning talks to Van Bo through the studio.

The d-talk took place as part of the Design Thinking Studio Sustainability.

Registration to participate: expired
Time: April 29, 2024, from 4:30 p.m
Location: D-Space HPI main building, on-site
Language: German

Missed the event? Here you can get an insight into the event.

13.03.2024: Final presentation GDTW - the supermarket of the future

The final presentations of the Global Design Thinking Workshop (GDTW) are the highlight and conclusion of the week-long event and are open to anyone interested. This time the project partner is Cradle to Cradle with a challenge about the sustainable supermarket of the future.

Registration to participate: Expired
Time: March 13, 2024, 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m
Location: Potsdam Lab, proWissen Potsdam e.V., Am Kanal 47, 14467 Potsdam
Language: English
Missed the event? Here you can get an insight into the results.

[Translate to Englisch:] Digistainable NOW! - Innovation Circle

08.02.2024: digistainable NOW! Innovation Circle I - Ideation

In the first Innovation Circle of digistainable NOW! the search for climate protection solutions is about entering the problem space together, thinking about different perspectives and generating initial ideas for sustainable solutions.

Register to participate via digistainable NOW!
Time: February 8, 2024, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Location: HPI School of Design Thinking, Potsdam, on-site
Language: German
Missed the event? Here you can get an insight into the results.

Open House

What exactly is Design Thinking? Why should I study Design Thinking? What can I learn in the academic Design Thinking programs? Why and how do companies and institutions use the innovation potential of Design Thinking and the HPI D-School? What do the learning and working environments of tomorrow look like? Join us online and meet our team and get information about the program contents, the application process, and partner projects.

D-Flect

D-Flect is an informal forum for creative exchange within the Design Thinking community and beyond. We invite outstanding innovators from the most diverse fields to share their knowledge and talk about their innovations. We have already had inspiring discussions with Stanford professors David Kelley, Larry Leifer and Bernie Roth, the TV moderator Frank Elstner as well as David Briggs along with Colman Hutchinson, the inventors of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?“