--- title: Design To Support People Innovation Course description: Explore how implicit human needs shape behaviour and innovation. A hands-on course in Barcelona led by a former NASA consultant. image: https://unconventional.school/hubfs/collaboration-2000x942-1.png --- [![US-logo](https://unconventional.school/hubfs/US-logo.png)](https://unconventional.school?hsLang=en) [Contact Us](https://unconventional.school/contact?hsLang=en) - [About Us](https://unconventional.school/about-us) - [About Us](https://unconventional.school/about-us) LEARNING COLLECTIONS #### **Design (Un)Thinking Labs** [Discover More](https://www.hubspot.com/) [Get Started](https://www.hubspot.com/) - [Home](https://www.hubspot.com/) - Course ## **Design To Support People:** Lessons from Space and Beyond #### **WHAT DO ASTRONAUTS AND YOUR CUSTOMERS HAVE IN  COMMON?** Most design processes focus relentlessly on the immediate problem. But great design –whether for a space capsule, a building, a product, or a service – isn’t just about solving problems. It's about understanding people and what they need. Not just the obvious needs that drive design but the deeper, often hidden, needs that come from how our brains work and what we need from our environments to perform at our best.  In this hands-on workshop, we will take insights from cognitive science, environmental psychology, and my own NASA research to develop, explore, and apply a framework for thinking about people's implicit needs.     **WHAT YOU’LL TAKE AWAY:** - A needs-based framework that will expand how you think about user requirements and experience - A mindset of looking beneath surface problems and designing for the cognitive and environmental needs that silently shape experience - The ability to spot hidden needs violations before they become expensive failures - Portable insights for how to apply these concepts in your own work and everyday life #### CURRICULUM SNAPSHOT **1. What do people really need?**  The difference between success and failure in design often lies in whether people’s implicit needs are supported or ignored. What are these needs? How do unmet needs lead to design failures? What do supportive environments and design look like?  **2. Digesting concepts**  Working in teams, you will make new concepts your own and push your understanding of some of the most fundamental human needs. How can we help meet people’s need to understand their world through building and using mental models? What is mental bandwidth and how can design help maintain it? Why is meaningful engagement important and what does design have to do with it?  **3. Diving deeper**  You will dive deeper into exploring implicit needs through a real-world case study. How might design be subtly blocking people’s needs? What are the consequences? How could things be redesigned to better support people?     **4. Switching brain gears – thinking beyond traditional reflection**  What do these new ideas mean for you? How can you apply them at work or in everyday life? Lasting impact requires mental consolidation and integration. We give your brain a head-start by bringing out the art materials and reflecting on what we’ve learned through creative exercises that alternate between directed and associative “mind-wandering” thinking.   **5. Networking unplugged**  We finish the workshop with food, drinks, and a relaxed vibe – the perfect environment to meet our need to connect with fellow humans.   **6. The giveback decision**  We expand the workshop impact beyond our own circle as participants choose where to donate 5% of the course revenue.  **7. Consolidation continues**  A one-month online follow-up session gives you an opportunity to ask more questions, share insights, and talk about what has changed.  ![Anne Kearney\_Unconventional\_Course\_cover](https://unconventional.school/hubfs/videos/Anne%20Kearney_Unconventional_Course_cover.png) [Enroll Now](https://unconventional.school/contact?hsLang=en) [Request Info](https://unconventional.school/contact?hsLang=en) ##### Overview Instructor : Dr. Anne Kearney Date: TBC Duration : 4h - From 16 to 20h Venue RunRoom Offices, Carrer de Santa Eulàlia, 5-9, 3ª planta, Barcelona Online Follow Up Session 1 month after the training Tackling a Real Challenge from The Enriqueta Villavecchia Foundation for Child Oncology Participants per course 12 Language : English Price 95€ ![Dr. Anne Kearney](https://unconventional.school/hubfs/anne.jpeg) ###### [Dr. Anne Kearney](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-kearney-7b32971b/) Environmental Psychologist & Creative Practitioner #### Dr. Anne Kearney ##### PhD in Environmental Psychology (University of Michigan) and BA in Cognitive Science (Stanford) - Artist-in-residence with reDirect, helping organizations reimagine how they do business. - 30 years researching how environments shape creativity, productivity, and well-being. - 8 years consulting NASA on the human dimensions of spaceflight design. - Former University of Washington faculty; consultant and lecturer to global organizations and universities. - Internationally exhibited, award-winning painter. # TESTIMONIALS ![Marlene](https://unconventional.school/hubfs/Marlene.png) ![Sofi](https://unconventional.school/hubfs/Sofi.png) [![US-logo](https://unconventional.school/hubfs/US-logo.png)](https://unconventional.school?hsLang=en) **We support and equip communities, organisations and local ecosystems to imagine new ways of creating, transforming and collaborating.** [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-unconventional-school/) #### Get In Touch [hello@unconventional.school](mailto:hello@unconventional.scholl) Copyright © 2026 THE UNCONVENTIONAL SCHOOL [Política de Privacidad y Cookies |](https://unconventional.school/politica-de-privacidad-y-cookies?hsLang=en) [Aviso Legal](https://unconventional.school/aviso-legal?hsLang=en) [Declaración de Accesibilidad](https://unconventional.school/declaracion-de-accesibilidad?hsLang=en) ![ES\_Financiado\_por\_la\_Unión\_Europea\_RGB\_POS](https://unconventional.school/hs-fs/hubfs/ES_Financiado_por_la_Uni%C3%B3n_Europea_RGB_POS.png?width=3522&height=921&name=ES_Financiado_por_la_Uni%C3%B3n_Europea_RGB_POS.png) ![logo\_footer\_es](https://unconventional.school/hs-fs/hubfs/logo_footer_es.webp?width=341&height=71&name=logo_footer_es.webp)