Design Thinking Week (DT Week) returns this November from the 24th – 28th at the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika at the University of Cape Town (UCT) — and it promises to be a transformative experience for students across disciplines. If you're curious about how creativity, empathy, and innovation come together to solve complex challenges, this is your opportunity to experience it first-hand.
To give you a glimpse of what DT Week can offer, we sat down with Simphiwe Petros, a current MBA student (Class of 2024/25) at UCT Graduate School of Business. Simphiwe's story is a powerful example of how Design Thinking can reshape how we learn, collaborate, and lead.
Simphiwe’s academic focus is rooted in societal transformation. His research explores the impact of Indigenous language and teacher training on Early Childhood Development (ECD) literacy outcomes — a vital area for Africa’s future.
He first encountered the d-school Afrika during a Design Thinking workshop integrated into his MBA research course. “That one-day workshop changed everything,” he recalls. “It sparked an interest in engaging more with Design Thinking. I appreciated the human-centered approach to problem-solving.”
Participating in Design Thinking Week deepened Simphiwe’s appreciation for diversity and teamwork. “It made me appreciate the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of my team. That fueled the creativity we needed to develop the solution we came up with,” he explains.
This kind of collaboration — rooted in empathy, curiosity, and experimentation — is at the core of Design Thinking. It's not just about having ideas; it's about building the right environment to co-create meaningful solutions to real-world problems.
For Simphiwe, DT Week wasn’t just a learning experience — it became a mindset. “Understanding the design thinking process and how it’s driven by values was my biggest takeaway,” he says. “Design Thinking is a tool that I will continue to use in my career.”
And he already is. He applied Design Thinking principles to his MBA industry report, ensuring his research was rooted in deep understanding, empathy, and practical insights. Looking ahead, Simphiwe is committed to carrying key design values into his future work: “The human-centered approach, empathy, and embracing diversity will always be key principles I will hold onto in my career.”
Simphiwe’s message to fellow students is clear: Design Thinking Week is the future. “If you are the type of person that loves learning new things and working in diverse teams, DT Week is the place for you,” he says. “It’s the future of developing solutions to some of our most complex problems in Africa.”
Whether you’re in engineering, business, humanities, or science — Design Thinking Week welcomes students from all disciplines who are ready to explore creative, collaborative, and impactful ways of tackling today’s challenges.
At Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika, you’ll join a vibrant, cross-disciplinary community where learning is hands-on, team-based, and driven by real-world relevance.
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