Life and Career

Ferdinand Linke is an expert in design thinking and user experience research. After completing his MA in Media Studies and a one-year certification programme at the Hasso-Plattner Institute, he has facilitated over 100 design thinking workshops with big brands such as VW and Viessmann since 2015.

In a project for Signal Iduna in Dortmund from 2018 to 2020, Ferdinand was part of two 6-month Design Thinking journeys where he held the position of an Agile Coach and later, Senior User Researcher. Ferdinand believes that Design Thinking serves as an anchor in the rapidly changing world of digitisation and VUCA, keeping the human aspect at the forefront of innovation. Besides music being his passion, he is a songwriter who has a passion for finding the right words, which is equally important in Design Thinking as it fosters common understanding within a team.

Ferdinand also works with international students at GISMA University since 2022. His research interests include mindfulness in business context, corporate design for enhanced creativity and productivity, and the integration of future technologies, including AI, in the future of work and design thinking.