Hi! We are DesignThinkers Dubai
Driving innovation and service excellence in Dubai. With 20+ years of global experience and 150+ design experts, we help organizations turn strategy into human-centered services that advance national visions, enhance customer experience, and deliver measurable impact.
As a trusted partner in the UAE, we bring leading European expertise to accelerate national visions and innovation agendas, helping organizations translate strategy into human-centered services that improve lives and deliver measurable results. Through facilitation, coaching, and training, we promote a shared innovation language and build capabilities that elevate service excellence and the customer experience. With over 20 years in the industry, operations in 25 countries, collaborations with Fortune 500 clients, 175,000 global alumni, and a network of 150+ design professionals, we combine a deep understanding of the UAE’s culture and priorities with proven international strategies to drive lasting impact.
We always work with you, not for you.
As one of the leading design-driven global innovation consultancies operating in the UAE, we help organizations deliver on their innovation strategies with a strong human-centered focus. Specializing in Future Innovation Leadership, Digital Innovation in Financial and Governmental Services, Healthcare System Transformation, AI, and Strategic Growth, we train, develop, and facilitate multidisciplinary teams and communities of change across the globe. With a proven track record in digital government, public sector innovation, and customer experience strategy, we’ve partnered with forward-thinking institutions such as Emirates NBD, FedEx, DIFC, Dubai Metro, PMO UAE, TEO Dubai, and Dubai Culture & Arts Authority.
Emirates NBD | Fostering a Culture of Human-centric Innovation
Emirates NBD is taking strides to become a human-centered financial service provider. Beyond offering Design Thinking trainings to their employees, the organization aims to embed this approach deeply into the organizational culture. By developing long-lasting skills, Emirates NBD aims to ensure that employees can apply Design Thinking across projects and daily operations.
FedEx | Merging human & Artificial Intelligence for innovation
We partnered with FedEx’s European Marketing team to explore how AI can enhance daily work and spark innovation through a human-centered approach. Participants engaged in live workshops, and inspiration sessions with AI experts. Guided by colleague insights, internal best practices, and targeted preparation, teams co-created ideas to improve work experiences, creating a vision for integrating AI into the company culture.
Dubai Culture & Arts Authority | Elevating problem-solving
We partnered with teams to strengthen innovation capabilities and collaborative problem-solving. Through a tailored Design Thinking program, we introduced tools that empower teams to approach challenges creatively. Participants engaged in workshops designed to spark new ways of thinking, improve cross-functional collaboration, and align with broader organizational goals, laying the foundation for long-term impact and success.
ING | Accelerating Innovation Processes to Improve User-Centricity
ING is preparing for future-proof innovation. Therefore, with facilitation by DesignThinkers, we accelerated an innovation process that embeds the users’ perspective in product & service development. As a result, we successfully combined Lean, Agile & Scrum with Design Thinking. In this manner, we empowered ING to bring relevant solutions to the market faster.
Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) | Inspiring Innovation
DesignThinkers collaborated with Dubai Metro to identify challenges and opportunities, providing crucial insights to guide a design sprint towards innovative solutions that meet the organization's strategic goals. We aligned on key themes like internal competency, intelligent operating and maintenance systems, focusing on resilience, governance, sustainability, and proactiveness.
Etisalat | Co-creation to elevate Employee Experience
The Etisalat HR organization is involved in the design and implementation of services offered to employees of Etisalat. The Etisalat HR team feels that the Design Thinking way of working can help them deliver human-centered services, resulting in inspiring workplaces for employees. DesignThinkers was asked to coach the Etisalat HR team in co-creation activities to work on a concrete HR challenge. That includes also training employees using a learning-by-doing approach.
Dubai Future Foundation | Futures Thinking meets DT
DesignThinkers was invited to facilitate a Design Sprint with the Dubai Future Foundation Legal Team and IT specialists to explore the Legal technology roadmap leading up to a first prototype. We guided the team to work towards validated Service Blueprints, developing a legal technology roadmap and prototype which are ready for further development.
Adidas | Elevating UX in Adidas Global Team-wear Customization Platform
The global team sports division at Adidas recognized a focused UX and user interface design strategy informed by user research and validation would elevate the entire LockerRoom experience. Together with the GTS team, we forged a vision for 2024, setting the stage for the platform’s immediate and enduring success, driving sales, engagement, and digital innovation in sports retail.
Bloomberg Philanthropies | Creating new solutions
Every year, Bloomberg Philanthropies organizes the Global Mayor Challenge, where cities develop sustainable solutions for pressing local issues. As Design Thinking consultants, we assisted Rotterdam and Butuan in incorporating human-centered thinking into their final products. Read on to learn more about applying Design Thinking in NGOs.
Coca-Cola | Robust employee services using Design Thinking
Our collaboration with Coca-Cola highlighted Design Thinking in HR. DesignThinkers helped redesign Coca-Cola's HR and employee ecosystem. We facilitated Design Councils with Coca-Cola employees and HR professionals to improve services, especially for hiring and onboarding. The result was a set of prototypes and roadmaps for implementing the pilots.
KFAS | Fostering the Human Touch in Digital Transformation
KFAS is dedicated to fostering continuous learning and innovation, empowering individuals and organizations to stay competitive. Focused on future-ready talent, KFAS supports professionals in becoming innovation-driven, enabling them to adapt and thrive in today’s dynamic landscape. DesignThinkers collaborated with KFAS to provide them with an in-depth understanding of how Design Thinking can be a catalyst for successful digital transformation.
A Design Thinking approach
We’re dedicated to nurturing organizations to become truly future-ready, providing the tools to identify valuable opportunities and nurture valuable solutions. We flip insights and consumer data into first ideas, enabling teams to make informed decisions on which directions to pursue, and teaching them the tricks along the way. As we build upon your organization’s foundation, we support motivated, innovation-ready teams and foster essential connections.
Figure 1. Driving Content & Shaping Culture through Design-Driven Strategy
"We empower you through content and capability."
We do this with a designer’s mindset (Design Thinking) which is a widely recognised method in developing innovative and relevant solutions for complex challenges. It entails a hands-on approach with emphasis on teamwork and iterative learning through continuous validation. We stimulate teams to take a step back, assess the challenge and ask the right questions to uncover underlying needs of end-users and stakeholders. This is referred to as the ‘Problem Space’ and the main goal is value identification. We then stimulate team creativity to generate options to choose from and prototype and validate in multiple smaller steps to promote continuous learning and improvement. This is refereed to as the ‘Solution Space’ and the main goal is value realization. This approach allows us to realize products, services and experiences that are truly relevant.
"We define a customized route of both content and capability services to ensure an approach that unlocks your organization's potential."
Don’t just take our word for it...
From Amsterdam roots to global impact
DesignThinkers was founded over 20 years ago in the Netherlands by Tim Schuurman with a clear mission: to help organizations design services that put people at the center. What began in Amsterdam has since evolved into a global network, with teams now based in the UAE, and an expanding network across the region.
We specialize in Design Thinking training, AI-powered innovation, and co-creation workshops that support governments and businesses in translating strategy into meaningful, citizen-centric services.
With a proven track record in public sector innovation and customer experience, we’ve partnered with organizations like Emirates NBD, PMO UAE, FedEx, Tamimi Markets, Saudi DGA, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, and Dubai Metro. Our work is further enriched by collaborations with academic and innovation leaders such as Dr. Rob Collins (Oxford University) and Taghi R. Zadeh (University of Amsterdam). We’re committed to making innovation real by building capabilities, designing for impact, and shaping services that improve lives.
GET IN TOUCH WITH ONE OF OUR EXPERTS: TIM SCHUURMAN | Co-founder DesignThinkers & UAE Expert
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