Carol
Harding
Design Thinking
Fearless Problem Solving and Innovation
Minimum Risk
Maximum Creativity
Kick Ass Solutions
About Carol
Carol Harding is a Design Thinking expert who spends her days training people in Design Thinking, running Design Sprints and leading Design Thinking Bootcamps.
Design Thinking is not an add-on within Carol’s business – it’s the raison d’être. Carol is obsessed with helping people learn how to fearlessly develop highly innovative solutions to complex challenges and opportunities using design thinking principles and methodologies.
When she’s not up to her eyeballs in other people’s problems (and she wouldn’t have it any other way) she’s on her soapbox encouraging people to embrace problems as exciting opportunities for growth and spreading the word about the logic and power of design thinking.
Carol teaches, mentors and speaks across Australia and New Zealand helping people and organisations move from being Design Thinking beginners to becoming confident masters through the use of Deliberate Practice. Carol is also an experienced hands-on practitioner helping Business, Government, Universities and Not for Profits gain insights and develop compelling answers to some of their more pressing problems.
‘Carol is an excellent facilitator who delivered a brilliant training course’
Carol is an excellent facilitator who delivered a brilliant two-day training course on Design Thinking. Carol is extremely knowledgeable and engaging, with the ability to keep groups enthused and motivated. The course work was contextualised to the group’s purpose, leading to valuable outcomes for our team. We look forward to working with Carol again in the future and would highly recommend her consultancy service to others.
Matthew Whittle Group Development Manager, Huon Aquaculture Group Limited‘The process, when combined with Carol’s empathy skills, was highly effective’
Carol has been working on a project for NILS (No Interest Loans Scheme) gaining insight for us into our clients’ circumstances and points-of-view. The Design Thinking process, when combined with Carol’s empathy skills, was highly effective in capturing the insights we needed. She also worked really efficiently. This was critical for us given our time and resource constraints. We were very, very pleased to have Carol’s support.
Rick Tipping EO, The NILS Network of TasmaniaCarol’s skills as a flexible facilitator were outstanding.
Carol’s Design Thinking workshops were an integral part of the University of Newcastle’s enterprise and innovation festival, E&I 18. The student workshops attracted over 100 registrations across 4 sessions. Carol’s skills as a flexible facilitator were outstanding as she engaged with students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, academic programs and levels of motivation. I was amazed by her ability to move each group through a process which continually produced exciting and people centric results. Students were engaged throughout the process and left the workshop with new skills and a sense of achievement from having met their design challenge. We will definitely be exploring this as an opportunity for future festivals based on this year’s success.
Melissa Moore Senior Manager, Student Life, Careers & Student Development, The University of Newcastle.Carol has been a trusted advisor and I unequivocally recommend her as a professional mentor.
Carol has been an exceptional mentor during my doctoral studies which applies Design Thinking methodology to collaborative mHealth development. Thank you Carol for allowing us the opportunity to come together to share experiences to make my PhD research systematic, dynamic and enjoyable. Your ongoing, energetic commitment during the collaborative design process demonstrates your passion for the speciality. I sure am lucky! I highly admire your positive, passionate, ‘can-do’ attitudes you apply to your work. The tools, tricks, strategies and philosophies you have shown me are invaluable to my PhD studies and broader professional pursuits. Carol has been a trusted advisor and I unequivocally recommend her as a professional mentor.
Leanna Woods Clinical Nurse Specialist, St Vincent's Private Hospital, Sydney and PhD Candidate, University of Tasmania, DarlinghurstCarol has a reputation for delivering cutting edge skills and knowledge in a fun, experiential style environment.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Carol Harding for over 10 years through our association with the Tertiary Education Management Conference. Carol is an expert in innovation and design thinking and has run pre-conference workshops for the annual (TEMC) since 2011. TEMC is a national conference currently attracting around 900 participants from across the higher-education sector. Carol’s workshops receive excellent feedback from participants to the point that she has gained a real following, who keep coming back for more information and updates. Carol has a reputation for delivering cutting edge skills and knowledge in a fun, experiential style environment.
Paula Leishman Managing Director, Leishman Associates Conference and Event ManagementCarol is highly valued for her design thinking expertise and her ability to facilitate non-obvious compelling solutions.
Carol Harding has played a key role in helping to embed a design thinking culture within Hydro Tasmania. She has delivered presentations and facilitated design thinking workshops including at leadership level and trained up a cohort of Design Thinking Champions in both Hobart and Melbourne. Carol has mentored the Champions through their design thinking journey, consulted on project design and evaluation, and is Lead Designer on a number of projects within our organisation. Carol is highly valued for her design thinking expertise and her ability to facilitate non-obvious compelling solutions.
Kathryn Thomas Culture & Capability Manager, Hydro TasmaniaIn many ways she has led the charge for the application of design thinking techniques in the Australian tertiary education sector and beyond.
Carol is a national leader in design thinking and the application of design methodologies in complex, multi stakeholder environments. In many ways she has led the charge for the application of design thinking techniques in the Australian tertiary education sector and beyond. She has a deep history of experience in innovation systems and driving innovation and new thinking in the highest levels of organisations. Carol designs and runs customised, highly engaging workshops that deliver real solutions to clients in the most effective time frames.
Hon. David Bartlett Former Premier of Tasmania, Former Minister for Innovation, Science & Technology, Former Minister for Education & SkillsCarol goes the extra mile, delivers more than she promises, and gets rave reviews from people attending her programs.
Carol Harding has been an active member of the Association of Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) for over 15 years. She is an expert on innovation and design thinking and runs Professional Development programs for ATEM across Australia and New Zealand. Carol goes the extra mile, delivers more than she promises, and gets rave reviews from people attending her programs. I would urge anyone looking for innovation or design thinking training to attend a Carol Harding event. You won’t regret it! Carol has also been the Chair of the judging panel for the ATEM/Campus Review Awards for Best Practice in Tertiary Education Management – Excellence in Innovation category – since the Awards’ inception in 2012.
Paul Abela Executive Director, Association for Tertiary Education ManagementThe session was hands-on, fun, yet practical!
Carol ran a half day design thinking workshop for 37 future leaders in our industry. Through Carol’s direction and leadership, the entire group was engaged and enthusiastic about the process and developed some aspirational ways to address our brief. The session was hands-on, fun, yet practical and provided a great introduction to design thinking for young leaders in the rail industry.
Emma Woods General Manager - Passenger and Corporate Services Company Secretary. Australasian Railway Association