How to Run a Design Thinking Workshop in ClickUp

Design teams, product managers, and facilitators can use ClickUp to run fast, effective design thinking workshops with ready-made templates and visual tools. This guide walks you step-by-step through planning, running, and following up on your next session using the features highlighted in the original design thinking workshop templates overview.

Why Use ClickUp for Design Thinking Workshops

Design thinking works best when everyone can see ideas, group them, and move through each phase together. ClickUp centralizes all workshop activities so your team does not lose sticky notes, comments, or next steps.

Using one workspace, you can:

• Plan the workshop agenda in advance
• Run live activities on visual boards
• Capture every idea, vote, and decision
• Turn outcomes into actionable tasks immediately

Step 1: Prepare Your Workshop Space in ClickUp

Before the session, create a dedicated space in ClickUp so participants know exactly where to collaborate.

Create a Design Thinking Folder in ClickUp

1. Create a new Folder for your initiative, such as “Q3 Design Sprint.”
2. Add Lists to represent each phase of the workshop, for example:
   • Empathize
   • Define
   • Ideate
   • Prototype
   • Test
3. Set permissions so your attendees can comment, add tasks, and collaborate freely.

Use ClickUp Templates for Fast Setup

The source article highlights multiple design thinking workshop templates you can adapt. While exact layouts vary, the typical structure includes:

• A clear problem statement section
• Activities for each design thinking phase
• Pre-built statuses and fields for tracking ideas
• Sections to summarize findings and next steps

Apply a relevant template to your Folder or Lists so you start with a ready-made framework instead of building everything from scratch.

Step 2: Map the Design Challenge in ClickUp Whiteboards

Visual mapping is essential in design thinking. ClickUp Whiteboards give you a shared canvas where everyone can understand the problem in context.

Set Up a ClickUp Whiteboard for the Problem Space

1. Create a new Whiteboard inside your design thinking Folder.
2. Add shapes and text boxes for:
   • Stakeholders
   • User segments
   • Key pain points
   • Business goals
3. Use arrows and connectors to show relationships between users, needs, and systems.

During the workshop, invite participants to add notes directly to the Whiteboard so the whole group can see the evolving picture.

Capture Research and Empathy Work in ClickUp

For the Empathize phase, use a combination of Whiteboards and Docs to keep research organized:

• Create a Doc called “User Interviews and Insights.”
• Paste quotes, observations, and screenshots into sections grouped by user type.
• Link the Doc from your Whiteboard so participants can open it in one click.
• Use comments and highlighting to call out patterns in user needs.

Step 3: Run Ideation Sessions with ClickUp

Once the problem is clear, move into brainstorming and concept generation using collaborative features in ClickUp.

Brainstorm Ideas on a ClickUp Whiteboard

1. On a new Whiteboard, create columns for different ideation rounds such as “Diverge,” “Cluster,” and “Prioritize.”
2. Ask participants to add digital sticky notes under the Diverge column with as many ideas as possible.
3. Cluster similar ideas by dragging notes together into groups.
4. Rename clusters to represent emerging themes.

This mirrors in-person sticky note sessions while keeping your data stored and searchable.

Convert Whiteboard Ideas into ClickUp Tasks

The article emphasizes turning ideas into trackable work. Use the built-in conversion options:

1. Select a sticky note or shape that represents a promising idea.
2. Convert it directly into a task in your design thinking List.
3. Assign the task to an owner and add due dates and priorities.
4. Tag tasks with labels like “Prototype,” “User Test,” or “Research Needed.”

Now your brainstorming outcomes automatically feed into your roadmap without manual copying.

Step 4: Define and Prioritize Concepts in ClickUp

After ideation, you need to refine ideas and choose which ones move forward. ClickUp views and custom fields help you decide objectively.

Use ClickUp Custom Fields for Evaluation

Add custom fields to your idea tasks, such as:

• Impact (1–5)
• Effort (1–5)
• User Value (1–5)
• Risk Level (Low / Medium / High)

Ask participants to review each idea and score them collaboratively. Filter and sort by these fields to see which concepts surface to the top.

Prioritize with ClickUp Board and List Views

To make a final selection:

1. Open Board view and create columns like “Consider,” “Strong Candidate,” and “Selected.”
2. Drag tasks into the appropriate column based on your scoring discussion.
3. Switch to List view to see all fields and confirm which tasks should move into the Prototype phase.

This combination of visual and tabular views keeps decisions transparent and traceable.

Step 5: Plan Prototypes and Experiments in ClickUp

With concepts selected, you can now plan prototypes, experiments, and user tests directly in ClickUp.

Create a Prototype Roadmap in ClickUp

1. Create a separate List called “Prototypes and Tests.”
2. Move or link selected idea tasks into this List.
3. Add subtasks for design, development, content, and testing actions.
4. Use dependencies to indicate what must be completed before user testing starts.

The original article’s template structure helps ensure your team captures user feedback and learning in a consistent way.

Use ClickUp Docs for Test Plans and Learnings

To document your experiments:

• Create a Doc for each prototype, including objectives, hypotheses, and success metrics.
• Embed relevant tasks or lists so the test plan is connected to actual work.
• After the test, add a “Key Learnings” section summarizing outcomes and recommendations.
• Link these Docs back to your main design thinking Folder and Whiteboards.

Step 6: Facilitate Collaboration and Communication in ClickUp

Design thinking thrives on participation. ClickUp streamlines communication so you can focus on facilitation instead of administration.

Keep Everyone Aligned with ClickUp Comments and Mentions

During and after the workshop:

• Use comments on tasks and Docs to ask questions or request clarifications.
• Mention teammates with @ to assign follow-ups or invite feedback.
• Thread discussions under each idea instead of scattering them across chat tools.

This keeps the entire conversation attached to the right artifacts.

Track Progress with ClickUp Dashboards

As you move from workshop output to implementation, build a simple Dashboard that shows:

• Number of ideas generated
• Concepts selected for prototyping
• Experiments in progress
• Completed user tests

Dashboards help stakeholders quickly understand how workshop insights are turning into tangible results.

Step 7: Reuse and Improve Your ClickUp Workshop Templates

Once you run a successful session, you can turn your configuration into a repeatable system.

Save Your Setup as a ClickUp Template

1. Convert your Folder, Lists, views, and Docs into a template for future workshops.
2. Include Whiteboards and documentation links so the full workflow is preserved.
3. Document facilitation tips inside a “How We Run Workshops” Doc in the same space.

This reduces prep time and ensures consistency across teams and projects.

Next Steps and Additional Resources

The original ClickUp design thinking workshop templates article showcases concrete layout examples and ideas you can adapt for your own process. Combine those templates with the step-by-step approach above to create a scalable, repeatable system for innovation.

If you want strategic support turning your workshop workflow into a broader productivity or AI-enabled system, you can also explore consulting resources such as Consultevo, which focuses on optimization and automation for modern teams.

By structuring your next design thinking workshop in ClickUp, you create a single source of truth for ideas, decisions, and experiments—and make it far easier to turn creative energy into real outcomes.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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