Problem Discovery and Strategic Insight
In this course, you will learn how to move beyond surface-level assumptions and develop a deeper understanding of the challenges you are trying to solve. Through practical tools and guided frameworks, you will be able to identify what is really driving a problem, rather than simply responding to its symptoms.
You will examine how to map and interpret stakeholder needs, uncover hidden pain points, and analyse the broader organisational and environmental context in which problems exist. This approach helps ensure that your solutions are not only creative, but also relevant, targeted and sustainable.
By the end of the course, you will be able to confidently define problem statements that are clear, evidence-based and strategically aligned. These insights will enable you to design more effective solutions, reduce wasted effort, and increase the impact of your work across teams and organisations.
Whether you are working in strategy, design, innovation or leadership, this course will equip you with a critical thinking mindset that strengthens every stage of your decision-making process.
This course can be taken alone, or you can also enrol for Strategic Innovation: Part 2 | Solution Design and Innovation Execution.
About the facilitators
Dr. Graham Ferguson
Graham is an academic at Curtin University who leads a team exploring innovative ways to provide services to unheard consumers including elderly people, people with disability, and people with mental health needs. This included working with technology providers, service providers, older consumers & families, advocacy groups, local authorities and government to run co-design workshops to identify and implement innovative thinking in under resourced areas. Graham has a breadth of experience in innovative projects with large transport, manufacturing and insurance roles including 10yrs as a strategy consultant.
Dr Ben Thomas
Dr Ben Thomas is an academic at Curtin University within the Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Strategy and International Business discipline group. He has teaching experience at MBA, Postgraduate and undergraduate levels delivering courses on start-up business planning, strategy and leadership with a focus on practical application. His current research focus is developing a greater understanding of the entrepreneurial journey and the role of training programs in developing the key entrepreneurial skills required at each stage. Further, Ben cut his teeth as a founder in the wine industry, founding and exiting WA’s first online wine marketplace, Vine Collective, and more recently wine production company, Berserkr Wines.