About the Workshop
Design thinking sounds amazing in theory, but if you have experienced facilitating a design process, you can attest to how messy it can be in practice!
How does a facilitator truly help bring people from diverse backgrounds together? Often, when different worldviews collide, power dynamics come to play, tensions build, relationships strain and challenging behaviours arise. It is part of a facilitator’s job to hold space for conversations amidst such complexity.
This is a hands-on workshop that delves into the messiness of design facilitation, offering you a safe space to learn how to be a better facilitator through guided practice. This workshop will cover topics like managing power dynamics, tension, challenging behaviours and facilitating design critique in a manner that fosters conversation.
What You’ll Learn
- Handling power dynamics within a group
- Handling tension and challenging behaviours
- How to run a design critique session
- Learn framing techniques and how they improve your design facilitation
- Facilitate team learning
This is for you if…
- You want to better understand disruptive behaviours and effective strategies to address them.
- You want to learn best practices in running design critiques.
- You wish to practice your design facilitation skills in a safe and conducive learning environment.
About the Trainers
Lye Yen Kai
DIRECTOR, ADVANCING.SG
Yen Kai has more than 15 years of training and facilitating experience in focus group discussions, strategic planning and group interviews. His practice focuses on facilitating participants to sense-make from data. Over the years, he has designed processes that guide participants to gain deeper insights by integrating processes from Technology of Participation (ToPTM).
Hong Khai Seng
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, STUDIO DOJO
Throughout his 20-year career, Khai Seng has conducted more than 1,000 design research sessions, including stakeholder interviews, in-depth interviews, user testing, contextual inquiry, diary studies and in-field ethnographic research. He has also managed and coached research teams.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can non-designers join?
Yes, anyone can join regardless of professional backgrounds. To get the most out of this workshop, we strongly encourage that you have some basic understanding of design thinking processes. - Must I attend Design Facilitation 1 before attending Design Facilitation 2?
The topics in Design Facilitation 1 are different from topics in Design Facilitation 2. In Design Facilitation 2, we will learn about power dynamics, design critiques and framing. In addition, there are many opportunities for practice. In short, you do not need to attend Design Facilitation 1 before attending Design Facilitation 2. - What’s the size of the workshop?
We are planning for 24 participants. - I can’t make it for these dates. Is there another run of this workshop?
The runs for 2025 are planned as listed. Please follow us on our social media (LinkedIn, Instagram) to get updated when the dates for our 2026 schedule is released (around end December). - Are there group discounts?
If you are purchasing tickets to this workshop as a group, we will extend the early bird rates to the group. - Is Studio Dojo GST-registered?
The fees for our workshops are nett price, as indicated on our website. Studio Dojo is not GST-registered (yet). - I’m from a government agency, can you please submit an e-invoice instead?
Yes, we can! Please contact Zilin at billing@studiodojo.com with the necessary information. - I would like to claim the workshop fees from my organisation. Please advise on how I can register for this workshop.
Kindly contact Zilin at billing@studiodojo.com and she will follow-up with you based on your organisation’s requirements, as much as possible. - Can I use my SkillsFuture credit (SFC) for this workshop?
At the moment, our workshops are not eligible for SFC claims nor any other training grants/subsidies.
Testimonials from past participants
“This course has helped me understand power dynamic better- How to manage and framing to get better engagement. The facilitator are well equipped with knowledge and impartiality learning through learning.”
Joel Sow
“This really reflects the reality of our working contexts in a very applied way.”
ValerieService designer
“Great workshop. Highly recommended.”
Mich
“DF2 was an immersive experience and I enjoyed the entire workshop vibe and learnings!”
YurongGovTech, Product Designer
“You will learn and experience the power, tensions and receiving feedback on your design workshops. Highly recommended!”
Michael Ong
“This workshops provides you with the observations & practice to observe power dynamics and intrapersonal & group learnings to be a more effective facilitator.”
Cheryl WongGovTech, UX/Service Designer + ReOps | GDS
“If you want to improve your facilitation skills, DF2 is a great place to meet like-minded people and practice those skills.”
Xin YiFreelance design researcher
“Workshop creates structure and gives a good guide on how to manage challenging situations when conducting a workshop.”
PatriciaUX Designer
“DF2 does require some prior knowledge to design thinking or some practical design facilitation experience. However it is still accessible and I find invaluable for me as a non design person to get some awareness of how to organise feedback sessions.”
Xie ShangbinPortfolio Manager
“Come practice, sensitize and desensitize.”
NA
“Join this workshop if you need to facilitate, it will give you a good understanding of what is facilitation and also a save space to practice.”
NA
“Another awesome workshop empowering designers with the words and practices of identifying and working with the hidden power dynamics.”
NicoleGIC, Design VP
“Design Facilitation 2 helped me make sense of difficult dynamics I've experienced in previous sessions I've attended. Strongly encouraged for anyone hoping to step up their facilitation game and to be more prepared for all possible curveballs. :)”
ShiyunCSIT, Product designer
“Very good handles for someone who’s new to facilitation.”
Yan Bing
“It’s a powerful session that brings to the surface some of the things that we might already know as well as surfacing our blind spots.”
Diana LeyauSingapore Polytechnic
“You will need this in your daily life.”
Andre TanXopo Design, Founder
“DF2 really takes you deep into practicing and experiencing the various facilitation methods that can be used by designers to expand their facilitating capacity.”
Chris GohSP Media, Arts & Design School, Deputy Director
“An excellent experiential session to understand and learn what supports great design facilitation!”
Nurulhuda A RahimThe Thought Collective, Head, Process & People Development
“Do it!”
Kenneth Wee
“Thought-provoking and soul-searching.”
DG
“Take your facilitation skill to the next level by understanding when to use the right method, identify hidden nuances and manage your emotions to stay graceful in high stakes situation.”
NA
“It is a super useful course! Just come and enjoy, you will surely get away something aha for you.”
NA
2025 Runs
Registration to open soon:
Format
Full-day, 9.30am-5.30pm
In-person Workshop
Ticket Types
Early Bird: S$800
Regular Price: S$950