Facilitating Creative Sessions
A comprehensive course that prepares you to lead effective group sessions in creative processes by teaching them essential facilitation skills. This course, designed for designers and professionals, combines theory, practical exercises, and feedback to improve facilitation techniques and soft skills.
A course with SDN Acc. Master Julia Alberga
Course Information
Language:
English
Course level:
Basic/Intermediate
Location: Zoom
Platform details will be shared with course registrants prior to course
What to expect?
In this online course, "Facilitating Creative Sessions," you will learn the fundamental abilities and information required to successfully guide group sessions in the creative process. You will develop critical soft skills and obtain a thorough understanding of facilitation techniques through a combination of theoretical ideas, hands-on activities, and helpful feedback.
We will examine the crucial function and significance of facilitation in creative sessions during the first section of the course. A wide variety of facilitation techniques will be covered, and you'll learn when and how to use each one throughout the design process. Engaging group activities will provide you plenty of chances to put these strategies into practice and get helpful criticism from your peers.
The second phase of the course will be devoted to developing the essential soft skills required for effective facilitation. You will gain knowledge of practical methods for handling difficult participants and navigating group dynamics. You will have the chance to build canvases and hone your facilitating approach by participating in practical exercises. You will also lead small group workshops, giving you the chance to get insightful comments from other participants.
The course will conclude with a thorough feedback and evaluation session where you can reflect on your progress and learn more about issues like post-session direction and facilitating in various settings.
Course Learning Objectives
-
Learn about of the role and significance of facilitation in creative sessions
-
Gain insights of a variety of facilitation techniques and understand their application throughout the design process
-
Develop essential soft skills for effective facilitation, such as managing difficult participants and navigating group dynamics
-
Acquire practical experience through hands-on exercises and group activities
-
Learn how to create canvases and develop timetables for mini workshops
-
Lean about the importance of over preparedness and under structure in facilitation
4 reasons why you should join the Facilitating Creative Sessions course!
Build a Strong Foundation in Creative Facilitation
Facilitation is a skill that enables groups to achieve better outcomes and solve complex challenges collaboratively. This course covers the role and significance of facilitation in creative sessions, helping you develop a foundational understanding of how to lead impactful workshops.
You’ll learn how to harness facilitation to foster creativity, keep sessions focused, and ensure that participants remain engaged and inspired.
3. Develop Soft Skills to Manage Group Dynamics
Managing group dynamics is a crucial aspect of facilitation, and this course places a strong emphasis on developing the soft skills needed to handle challenges effectively. You’ll learn strategies to manage difficult participants, encourage quieter voices, and foster a positive environment for collaboration.
By mastering these skills, you’ll create sessions that are inclusive and productive, enabling every participant to contribute meaningfully.
Learn and Practice Effective Facilitation Techniques
Through hands-on exercises and group activities, you’ll explore a range of facilitation techniques and understand when to apply each one throughout the design process. From brainstorming to decision-making, you’ll gain practical experience with tools that make collaborative work more productive and enjoyable.
These techniques will allow you to tailor your approach to different groups, objectives, and stages in the creative process.
Create Engaging, Well-Structured Workshops
In addition to facilitation techniques, you’ll gain skills to design and structure workshops that align with specific goals. This includes creating canvases, setting timelines, and learning the concept of “over-preparedness and under-structure,” which ensures flexibility within a planned framework.
By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to design sessions that are adaptable yet purposeful, keeping participants engaged while meeting your session objectives.
Meet the trainer
Julia Alberga is working as an UX consultant and researcher in Amsterdam, where she founded Alberga Consultancy in 2017 and Radical Research in 2021. Before she started her own company, she worked as a service designer and researcher at the Rabobank for three years, gaining knowledge on inhouse service design and how to implement improved processes over time. She deepened her education in UX and service design and learned why stakeholders management and co-creation with the user ánd the team is so important in order to really make a change.
After being the service design lead for the business sector of the Rabobank and doing major usability research on the newly developed homepage in 2015, she started facilitating Design Sprints for the Rabobank saw the potential of this method and the difference it made to accelerate with your teammember and, more importantly, to look through the eyes of the user. She was hooked on facilitating ánd on co-creating and realised she wanted to make a greater impact, by using this experience within different work fields. She therefore started freelancing in 2017, carrying out over 40 Design Sprints to this date, to help companies understand their customers and creating a service that revolves around them.
Julia Alberga (she/her)
Service Design Consultant SDN-accredited Master
DATES AND TIMES
1. Live Meeting: January 28, 2025 | 15:00 - 17:30 CET
2. Live Meeting: February 11, 2025 | 15:00 - 17:30 CET
3. Live Meeting: February 25, 2025 | 15:00 - 17:30 CET
4. Live Meeting: March 4, 2025 | 15:00 - 17:30 CET
Convert this to your time zone
Course fees and registration
Includes:
Full Participation in all four modules and on-demand content plus access to recording
Interaction with course participants and trainer
All course content, supplemental learning material
Course completion certificate
SDN Members
€450 Early Bird (December 15, 2024)
€550 Normal price
Non-SDN Members
€500 Early Bird (December 15, 2024)
€600 Normal price
Course
starts in
TESTIMONIALS
Get notified about future editions
of this course
Want to hear about the next time the Facilitating Creative Sessions is offered? Add yourself to our mailing list and be notified before anyone else!
By submitting your email address, you confirm that you have read and agree to the SDN's Privacy Policy and that you want to join the SDN Academy mailing list. You may unsubscribe at any time using the information at the bottom of each email.
Who is this course for?
"Facilitating Creative Sessions" is intended for professionals running in-house workshops and designers looking to improve their facilitation abilities. After finishing this course, you'll be prepared to lead stimulating creative workshops that encourage teamwork and promote innovation in your industry.
Financial Inclusion
We as the SDN support financial inclusion as part of our DEI mission (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), based on the world bank clusters. So, if you think you are eligible – please contact us at academy@service-design-network.org!
High income
Full training fee
Upper middle
income
Receive 25% discount
on the training fee
Lower middle
income
Receive 50% discount
on the training fee
Low income
Receive 75% discount
on the training fee
-
What is the Service Design Network Academy?The SDN Academy is an educational initiative introduced by the Service Design Network (SDN) in 2019. Offering a series of continuing education courses for seasoned practitioners and service design newbies alike, our academy is committed to advancing practitioner knowledge by sharing insights on the latest tools, methods and techniques shaping the future of our industry.
-
What are the criteria for enrolling in a course?We do not have specified prerequisites attached to our courses. Nevertheless, our course descriptions provide a clear understanding of the content to be delivered. We, therefore, encourage interested participants to read them carefully and self-identify if the course is the right level based on their background and needs.
-
Where are the courses offered and in which languages?Our academy is a global initiative with the objective of providing courses in a multitude of languages. New courses (and their respective language offering) are added to our website on a regular basis. We encourage interested participants to review the program page here to learn more.
-
Do you offer discounts on your lectures & courses?We at SDN believe that everyone should get the possibility to join our lectures & courses. If you feel that the prices we offer are too high for your current living situation, please feel free to reach out to us at info@sdn-academy.org. Service Design Network Members receive a 15% Discount on SDN Academy Tickets. Learn more about the SDN and our Membership here. Service Design Network Student Members receive a 50% Discount Code on SDN Academy Tickets. Learn more about the SDN and our Membership here.
-
Do you offer in-house training programs?The academy is pleased to offer customised, in-house training for companies, agencies and academic institutions alike. Inquiries can be directed here.
-
Do I receive a certificate upon completion of a course?Yes! Successful completion of some of the courses offered entitles you to an official SDN Academy certificate. More information can be find on the course page.
-
How do I become a trainer?SDN is always happy to welcome new members into our group of expert trainers. To ensure we work with the best, we have incorporated a rigorous application process which includes a self-assessment and interview with our accreditation board. To learn more, please see here.
-
How much do academy courses cost?Our academy courses vary in price. We recommend that you review the program page here to get an understanding of associated costs.
-
What forms of payment do you accept?We accept the following means of payment: Credit/debit cards, PayPal, SEPA Direct Debit or Invoice. The availability of means of payment may be affected by your location.
-
What is the cancellation/refund policy?You may cancel a course up to 30 days prior to, in order to get a full refund. Please visit our Terms and Conditions page to learn more.