Design Thinking reshaped the way we innovate, bringing creativity and human-centered approaches into mainstream business, education, and design practice. But its story is also one of limits—where popularity led to oversimplification, process overtook substance, and its transformative power began to fade.

In this keynote, Prof Cabirio Cautela will retrace the rise and fall of Design Thinking, reflecting on both its achievements and its shortcomings. More importantly, he will invite us to look forward: to the lessons we can draw from this trajectory and to the need for new approaches that move beyond a single paradigm.

What happens when established models no longer fit the complexity of today’s world? How can we rethink the ways we learn, create, and collaborate in order to open space for more flexible, diverse, and resilient forms of innovation?

This talk will offer a fresh perspective on the future of design-led change—one rooted in curiosity, adaptability, and the dynamics of learning in a fast-shifting landscape.