Harnessing AI for Creative Problem-Solving and Design Thinking
We’ve been amazed at how generative AI can contribute at each stage of the innovation process. We’ve run hundreds of innovation sessions in the past leading participants through a design thinking or front end of innovation process to clarify a challenge and then generate and develop ideas…culminating in a concept or prototype they can test. We’ve found that ChatGPT or other AI tools can do this now becoming an incredible co-pilot for innovators. We spent about a year learning and experimenting and are now offering a live Chat GPT AI innovation workshop experience to groups. Read on for more about this workshop.
Design Thinking with AI: Introducing the AI Innovation Workshop
In an era where innovation is key to staying ahead, the AI Innovation Workshop represents a groundbreaking approach to problem-solving and creative thinking. This blog post delves into a recent design thinking AI innovation session we conducted, illustrating how artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, can revolutionize the innovation process in any organization.
AI Innovation Workshop Description
The AI Innovation Workshop is designed to integrate AI tools like ChatGPT into a structured innovation process. The recent session, led by expert facilitator Darin Eich, Ph.D., brought together a diverse group of facilitators, coaches, and trainers. The goal was to explore how AI can enhance workshop effectiveness and engage participants in a meaningful way.
Objectives
Our main objectives were:
- Demonstrate the Power of AI in Innovation: Showcasing how ChatGPT can aid in generating, developing, and refining ideas.
- User-Centered Design: Focusing on creating solutions that are tailored to the needs of specific user personas.
- Hands-On Learning: Providing participants with practical experience in using AI for problem-solving.
Outcomes
- Developed a New Concept: The workshop led to the creation of a new product prototype. In the case of the workshop we ran, it was “Story Builder Blocks”, a tool designed to make workshops more interactive and engaging.
- Practical AI Integration: Participants learned firsthand how to use AI as in design thinking as a brainstorming and development tool.
- Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills: The session illustrated how AI can be used to break down complex challenges and generate innovative solutions.
Activities
The workshop followed a step-by-step process:
- Clarifying the Challenge: Identifying the core issue that needed addressing.
- Formulating Questions: Breaking down the challenge into specific, guiding questions.
- Generating Ideas: Using ChatGPT to brainstorm a wide range of potential solutions.
- Analyzing and Synthesizing Ideas: Categorizing and selecting the most promising ideas.
- Developing Concepts: Fleshing out selected ideas into more detailed concepts.
- Testing and Selecting Concepts: Using synthetic user feedback to refine the concepts.
- Communicating and Advancing: Creating visuals and prototypes for the final concept.
Benefits
- Enhanced Creativity: AI tools like ChatGPT can inspire new levels of creative thinking.
- Efficient Problem-Solving: AI accelerates the idea generation and refinement process.
- User-Centric Solutions: The focus on personas ensures solutions are relevant and impactful.
- Practical Skills Development: Participants gain valuable skills in AI-assisted innovation.
Why Participate in an AI Innovation Workshop?
- Stay Ahead of the Curve: Understand and leverage AI in your innovation strategies.
- Tailored Solutions: Learn how to create solutions that are specifically designed for your audience.
- Hands-On Experience: Gain practical experience in using AI for real-world problem-solving.
Contact Us
Interested in experiencing an AI Innovation Workshop for your team or organization? Contact us to design and lead a workshop tailored to your specific needs and challenges. Discover how AI can transform your approach to innovation and problem-solving. Here are some comments we received after a recent live AI Design Thinking Innovation Workshop. We customize these workshops for our clients.
“I really liked the casual show and tell nature of the workshop, moving from one cool thing to another as the logic suited us. I liked the Miro board with all the tips and tricks and cheat sheets. I was blown away by the cool toys and ways to use AI. It has opened my mind to new possibilities and I want to start practicing. 5 star training. Was one of the bets training courses the team have done in a long time. Mind officially blown!”
“You’ve been so helpful above and beyond my expectations personally.”
“Thanks again for a super session!!! Team very excited!”
“Yes, really inspiring. Thanks so much!”
“Mind blown! Thank you!”
“My eyes are open.”
Here are some testimonials from a recent branding workshop focusing in on mission, vision, positioning, purpose, etc. for a growing organization.
“Working with Dr. Eich fundamentally changed how we approach branding and strategy. Instead of starting with assumptions, Darin had us share years of real organizational data including past speakers, sponsors, attendee feedback, and survey insights. He then used AI to build a synthetic stakeholder committee that genuinely reflected the voices and perspectives of our community, each with rich context and lived experience. He guided that committee through a branding boot camp he developed, translating a deeply human process into an AI-powered simulation without losing nuance or integrity.
The result was one of the most accurate and insightful brand foundation documents we’ve ever created. It clearly reflected who we actually are, not just who we aspire to be, and gave us a powerful tool to continue exploring future brand directions with clarity and confidence. Darin operates at a rare intersection of strategy, creativity, and ethical AI use, leveraging technology not to replace human insight, but to deepen it.”
AI can help us innovate anything in an organization beyond new products, services, marketing and into strategy etc. Here’s another testimonial:
“I’ve been in a lot of branding workshops over the years (whiteboards, frameworks, and familiar exercises) but this experience felt genuinely different.
What stood out immediately was how Darin used AI not as a gimmick or shortcut, but as a true strategy and creative partner. The tools didn’t replace strategy – they accelerated it. Instead of spending hours debating ideas, we were able to pressure-test positioning, language, and brand direction in real time, and then go deeper because of it. Many of the same exercises that might normally require multiple teams and days were accomplished in just a few hours.
From a client perspective, the workshop felt both incredibly efficient and expansive. We covered more ground than a traditional session, but it never felt rushed.
What made it especially valuable was Darin’s guidance. He knew exactly when to lean into the tools and when to pause, reframe, or have us humans step in. That balance is what made the experience feel both innovative and grounded.
I walked away not just with ideas, but with real takeaways: clearer language, sharper positioning, and a renewed sense of confidence in where the brand can go next.”
This workshop is just the beginning. We also enjoy training others on facilitating with AI in workshops. AI Innovation Workshops offer a new frontier in creative thinking and problem-solving, and we are excited to lead you on this journey. Contact us today to bring this transformative experience to your team.