Is Design Thinking past its prime? With its most vocal champions downsizing, I’ve been asking fellow practitioners and innovation consultants their thoughts and heard mixed perspectives. Some agree the hype died down when organisations internalised the skills, reducing their reliance on external experts. Others believe Design Thinking is still relevant, but may simply be operating under different names or evolving to address more complex challenges, such as those in artificial intelligence or social innovation.

All frameworks evolve, and Design Thinking is no exception. Yet those who claim the “end of an era” seem to be viewing it through a Western lens, unaware that it’s just starting to blossom in other regions. One such place where it’s experiencing rapid adoption is Saudi Arabia.

A Design Thinking oasis blooms

The last decade witnessed a surge in innovation in Saudi Arabia, a nation shedding its traditional image and embracing a dynamic future. This transformation is spearheaded by Vision 2030, a bold national project aimed at economic diversification, streamlined governance, and citizen empowerment. Since 2016, Vision 2030 is creating new opportunities in business, culture, healthcare, and the environment—ultimately reducing the country’s reliance on oil.

To translate these ambitions into reality, Saudi ministries and businesses are embracing the power of human-centred design, an approach that emphasises empathy, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iterating solutions. Design Thinking courses and workshops are sprouting up across major cities, providing a growing number of students and professionals with the skills needed to foster creativity and collaboration in multidisciplinary teams.

It’s on this fertile ground for innovation that I was invited to develop a Design Thinking learning journey. My challenge: to create a program tailored for both designers and non-designers, specifically adapted for a Saudi audience.

Partnering with Adhlal

The invitation came from Adhlal, a forward-thinking social enterprise that is community-led and research-focused, with the mission to propel the Saudi design ecosystem to new heights.  As I learned from the founder and CEO, HRH Princess Nourah Alfaisal, the design landscape in Saudi Arabia is growing at full speed and there’s a real need to connect designers across disciplines in order for the industry to mature at the same pace.

Anyone familiar with Design Thinking knows that there’s no one-size-fits-all definition. Some call it a “method”, others a “process” and I personally refer to it as a “mindset”. Before creating the program, I needed to know Adhlal’s interpretation of it within the Saudi context. By running a team workshop, we explored which problems Design Thinking could address in the region, looking at it from different industry angles. Our aim was to arrive at a definition that aligned with both Adhlal’s mission and Vision 2030’s focus on social, cultural and environmental solutions.

The team finally agreed on the following viewpoint:

At Adhlal, we believe that Design Thinking is a mindset and collaborative approach for problem-solving, leading to creative, efficient and sustainable solutions. It encourages an innovative perspective to navigate the complexities of our dynamic world and foster continuous personal and professional evolution.

Expect the unexpected

Admittedly, my knowledge of Saudi Arabia was shaped by Western media portrayals of a conservative, Islamic society. So when I landed the opportunity to work with Adhlal, it sparked a mix of excitement and apprehension—what if I made a cultural misstep?

These concerns soon faded during my interactions with Adhlal’s team. Their immense pride in Vision 2030 and the social reforms it had brought stood out immediately. As one team member aptly put it, within a decade, Saudi Arabia achieved significant milestones in areas like women’s rights and education, mirroring the progress made by Western cultures over a much longer period.

Curious to learn more about Saudi culture, I approached the team members for guidance on their customs and appropriate behaviour. Below is some of their valuable advice I received ahead of my first visit:

Dress code

Modesty is certainly appreciated, but contrary to popular belief, mandatory headscarves for women are a thing of the past. While I didn’t have to wear them, I chose to purchase a couple of abayas (loose, robe-like dresses) and headscarves to blend in. Abayas come in a far wider variety of styles and colours than I had imagined and are a true testament to Saudi fashion. The fact that the Saudi Ministry of Culture includes a Fashion Commission reflects the growing importance of a vibrant fashion industry.

Conversation tips

As in any new culture, it’s wise to avoid sensitive topics like politics and religion. That being said, Saudis were always happy to answer my questions that lightly touched on these and I also had many engaging conversations around shared interests like art, music, and food.

Navigating social interactions

Gender segregation is less common these days, but it’s still good practice to ask about specific social norms within companies or institutions if you’re planning to visit them or host a workshop. My prior misconceptions about Saudi Arabia dissolved quickly. Everyone I interacted with treated me with respect and professionalism, which made me feel comfortable leading workshops as a facilitator.

Beyond cultural insights, I also received some practical tips as a foreign facilitator:

First impressions

A clear job title and description of your role goes a long way—the more information I could provide to clearly communicate my experience as a designer and facilitator, the more likely it would be valued by clients and workshop participants. 

Location and timing

On-site workshops are preferred over online sessions to build connections and experience higher engagement. Evenings are the ideal time due to cooler temperatures, but be mindful of long commute times to a venue since traffic in cities like Riyadh or Jeddah can be intense.

Instagram is the place to be

Surprisingly, networking in Saudi Arabia happens primarily on Instagram, not on LinkedIn. Without giving it a second thought, I started a business Instagram account before my trip there which helped to stay connected with people I met during and after my trip.

The lasting impression was the warmth and hospitality of the Saudi people.  Visiting the country and meeting them was a powerful reminder to ditch stereotypes. One of the team members recommended me to “expect the unexpected” and that has stuck with me since.

Designing with Cultural Sensitivity

Developing a workshop for a Saudi audience demanded more than thinking about how the content would translate into Arabic. I needed to dive into cultural nuances to ensure that the content and delivery resonated with participants on a deeper level, and also lay the groundwork for future adaptations in other Middle Eastern countries.

To understand what it means to “design for the Arab world”, I turned to Erin Meyer’s Country Mapping tool. This allowed me to compare Saudi Arabia’s cultural aspects (like building trust, communication styles, decision-making) with countries I was familiar with. Since myself, the Adhlal founder, and Adhlal’s lead consultant come from or had lived in the UK, France, and the Netherlands, these became our comparison points.

Comparing Saudi Arabia with other countries on the Culture Mapping Tool

With examples shared by HRH Princess Nourah Alfaisal, I captured valuable insights into Saudi Arabia’s high-context communication style. For instance, feedback may be delivered more indirectly compared to the UK, yet Saudis are known for their lively discussions and welcome respectful debate. Additionally, time management differs from Swiss punctuality, and heavy traffic in cities like Riyadh requires more flexibility when meeting people in person.

I also factored in other cultural elements:

Local case studies

Ideally, the workshop will include local Design Thinking success stories. However, since the practice is still relatively new in the region, I’m temporarily using examples from other parts of the world which I’ll update once more Saudi case studies are available.

Visual representation

Seeing images of people who share a similar background or culture can help to connect with the scope of the workshop and even change perceptions of your own identity. In future iterations, we’ll collaborate with local designers to feature visuals of symbols, people and landscapes that resonate with Saudi participants.

Prayer breaks

In recognition of Muslim prayer times, I included designated breaks within the workshop schedule. For a full-day workshop running from morning to evening, this translates to two additional prayer breaks scheduled alongside the planned coffee breaks and lunch.

Right-to-left reading

In anticipation of future Arabic translation, all layouts (print and virtual) were designed with right-to-left text and visual flow in mind.

Taking flight with Design Thinking

Finally the moment arrived to pilot the program with the national airline, Saudia, as part of a wider design program curated by Adhlal in Jeddah. The program kicked off with a two-day Design Hackathon for young Saudi designers followed by a one-day Design Thinking workshop specifically tailored for Saudia’s senior Marketing leaders. 

Jeroen Frumau, Adhlal’s lead consultant, and I co-facilitated the workshop, supported by Adhlal’s team members who led breakout discussions. This also empowered our co-facilitators to develop their skills in leading future sessions.

Saudia’s Marketing team actively engaged in the exercises, finding the Design Thinking foundations easy to grasp, insightful and eye-opening. This introductory workshop marks the potential beginning of a new era for Saudia, where creative collaboration and co-creation become the cornerstones of problem-solving within their teams.

Testing the Design Thinking pilot with Saudia

The journey continues

My Saudi adventure is just beginning. I’m currently gearing up for another workshop with Saudia’s broader marketing team in Jeddah. Driven by participant feedback, our next session will include a few iterations:

• Based on popular demand, I’ve included more video content to keep the learning experience more engaging
• We’re running a pre-workshop online session to introduce key themes and tools like Mural and journaling exercises, to make sure everyone arrives well-prepared on the main day
• Three weeks after the workshop, another online session will allow participants to share how they’ve applied their newfound skills within their teams

Looking ahead, I’m also excited to develop Adhlal’s Design Thinking Training of Trainers program that will enable local facilitators to confidently lead such workshops on their own. If you happen to be a design professional based in Saudi Arabia, what areas have I missed or should I know more about to collaborate with clients and train in the area of Design Thinking? Send me a message!

Adhlal’s commitment to igniting innovation, creativity, and collaboration within the Saudi design community and beyond is truly inspiring. Together, we’ll continue to partner on future initiatives, making Design Thinking accessible to everyone—from seasoned professionals to the next generation of creative minds.