Duration: 2 weeks before Week 1 begins
Purpose: Prime participants for XD 4.0 mindset and establish baseline

What you’ll cover:

1. Design Evolution Audit - "Where Am I in Design History?"
2. Industry Landscape Research - "Mapping the XD 4.0 Pioneers"
3. Neupreneur Foundation Setup - "Building Your Contemplative Practice"

Outcomes: 

Personal design evolution timeline, industry research database, contemplative practice foundation

Identity: The Historian
Focus: Mind Foundation

Map the evolution of design from information architecture to AI-integrated practice. Claim your place in the fourth generation and understand why this shift changes everything.

Lessons:

1. The Evolution of Human-Centred Design
2. Claiming Your Fourth-Generation Identity
3. Project Brief Development
4. Lineage Meditation Practice

Main outcomes:

• Personal design evolution map
• XD 4.0 positioning framework
• Project brief selection
• Daily Practice: Lineage Meditation

What makes this different:

While others learn frameworks, you understand the historical forces shaping design's future.

Identity: The Strategist
Focus: Mind Clarity

Master strategic problem framing using AI-accelerated research. Learn to ask sharper questions and define challenges that actually matter to business outcomes.

What you’ll cover:

• The Strategist's Mindset
• Jobs-to-Be-Done Mastery
• Problem Archaeology
• AI-Accelerated Research Strategy

Main outcomes:

• AI-enhanced research insights
• obs-to-Be-Done analysis
• Daily Practice: Problem Clarity Meditation

What makes this different:

Compress months of traditional research into days without losing depth or accuracy.

Identity:The Cartographer
Focus: Skills Precision

Create dynamic service blueprints and predictive journey maps. Make invisible systems visible so stakeholders can see opportunities for transformation.

What you’ll cover:

• The Cartographer's Precision
• Dynamic Service Blueprint Creation
• Predictive Journey Mapping
• System Leverage Point Analysis

Main outcomes:

• Interactive service blueprint
• Predictive customer journey map
• System leverage analysis
• Daily Practice: Mapping Meditation

What makes this different:

Your maps adapt in real-time rather than becoming static documents.

Identity: The Dreamer
Focus: Skills + Soul

Rapidly create concepts with AI-amplified creativity. Learn to ideate with machine partners while maintaining human insight and values.

What you’ll cover:

• The Dreamer's Creative State
• AI-Human Creative Partnership
• Breakthrough Concept Generation
• Impact Assessment and Concept Selection

Main outcomes:

• 3 breakthrough concepts with variations
• AI-generated possibility matrices
• Impact assessment framework
• Daily Practice: Possibility Meditation

What makes this different:

Explore exponentially more creative territory than traditional brainstorming allows.

Identity: The Builder
Focus: Skills Mastery

Create rapid prototypes across multiple touchpoints simultaneously. Master AI tools that accelerate building without sacrificing learning.

What you’ll cover:

• The Builder's Craft
• Multi-Touchpoint Prototyping
• AI-Accelerated Building
• Learning-Focused Testing Setup

Main outcomes:

• Multi-platform prototype v1
• Rapid iteration pipeline
• Comprehensive test plan
• Daily Practice: Presence in Making

What makes this different:

Build at unprecedented speed whilst maintaining quality and learning focus.

Identity: The Critic
Focus: Mind + Skills

Combine human insights with AI-powered behavioural prediction. Learn where machines help and where human judgment remains essential.

What you’ll cover:

• The Critic's Discernment
• Human-AI Testing Integration
• Comprehensive Testing Execution
• Evidence-Based Iteration

Main outcomes:

• Comprehensive test results
• Refined prototype v2
• Human-AI insights synthesis
• Daily Practice: Honest Witnessing

What makes this different:

Scale testing beyond traditional sample sizes whilst deepening human understanding.

Identity: The Futurist
Focus: Mind + Soul

Design beyond screens for voice, spatial, and ambient experiences. Understand service implications of always-on AI environments.

What you’ll cover:

• The Futurist's Vision
• Voice and Conversational Design
• Invisible Interface Design
• Ambient Experience Integration

Main outcomes:

• Extended ambient prototype
• >Future experience framework
• Cross-modal interaction design
• Daily Practice: Ambient Awareness

What makes this different:

Prepare for the post-screen world whilst others optimise yesterday's interfaces.

Identity: The Conscience
Focus: Soul Development

Embed ethical AI principles and radical inclusion from day one. Build systems that serve all stakeholders, not just primary users.

What you’ll cover:

• The Conscience Awakening
   
• AI Bias Detection and Mitigation
   
• Radical Inclusion Design
   
• Trust Architecture Development

Main outcomes:

• Ethical AI framework
   
• Inclusive design audit
   
• Trust architecture blueprint
   
• Daily Practice: Values Alignment

What makes this different:

Ethics become a strategic advantage rather than compliance burden.

Identity: The Operator
Focus: Complete Integration

Transform entire organisations through strategic design thinking. Position HCD as a business strategy, not just project methodology.

What you’ll cover:

• The Operator's Influence
• Design as Organisational Strategy
• AI-Ready Design Operations
• Executive Communication Mastery

Main outcomes:

• AI-ready design playbook
• Organisational transformation roadmap
• Executive leadership presentation
• Daily Practice: Systems Thinking

What makes this different:

Drive organisational change rather than just delivering project solutions.

Identity:The Leader
Focus: Mastery Integration

Integrate all identities into leadership presence. Showcase portfolio-ready work and step into fourth-generation practice fully.

What you’ll cover:

• The Leader's Presence
• HCD 5.0 Visioning
• Portfolio Storytelling Mastery
• Final Showcase Preparation

Main outcomes:

• Complete portfolio case study
• HCD 5.0 vision framework
• Leadership positioning strategy
• Daily Practice: Leadership Presence

What makes this different:

You don't just follow XD 4.0 principles - you define what comes next.