Abstract
Purpose of the study: The paper aimed to help a Financial Services Organisation (FSO) develop a cost allocation product prototype using design thinking. Design thinking was explored as a pedagogy. Educational Design Ladder was used to create the customised five-day training programme qualitatively utilising the literature review section.Design/methodology/approach: Empirical research was conducted to collect qualitative data using interviews to determine whether the participants successfully developed a cost allocation product prototype. The qualitative data was analysed using an Excel spreadsheet.Findings: The interviews tested the success and possible shortcomings of the customised design thinking training programme. The major limitation is that only one department in a single FSO was involved in the training and its members interviewed. The results can therefore not be generalised. Recommendations/value: The recommendation was that the Educational Design Ladder be used as an innovative resource/model for design thinking pedagogy.Managerial implications: When design thinking is used for the first time, more time should be given for participants to experiment with the process and get used to the steps, tools, and templates. Design thinking is a feasible and sustainable strategy to use to seek a competitive advantage using customer insights and innovation based on collaboration.