Practical Magic

Using design thinking workshops to solve problems and bring teams together

Getting teams to work together to solve problems has always been hard, but the rise of remote and hybrid working has made it even tougher.

I'm Tim Ward, facilitator, designer and firm believer in the magic of workshops. I use workshops based on design thinking principles to solve problems, drive innovation and bring teams closer together whilst we do it.

If you've got a specific challenge that you want help with, a broader set of issues to get to grips with, or if you want to use the magic of workshops to bring your teams closer together don't hesitate to give me a shout.

Ask me anything, or let me know if you'd like a call to talk things through.

The magic of workshops

For years I've been facilitating workshops to help teams solve problems. My background is in design and advertising, so the first problems I addressed were design and advertising problems; How can we sell more of our product? How can we appeal to this particular audience for our service? How can we make our product better?

The more workshops I ran, the more I realised that these design thinking principles can be used more broadly, and I began designing workshops to solve issues that I saw within the businesses I worked in; How can we get the best start on this new project? How could we improve how we ran the last project? How can we resolve the friction between these teams?

I learned about the power of bringing a diverse group of people together using a well designed set of exercises and rituals to solve big problems fast.

I learned that a well facilitated workshop gives everybody a fair chance to contribute, rather than only hearing the loudest or most senior voices in a group.

I learned that when people have had a part in coming up with the solution they will support and nurture it through its implementation.

But the most important thing I've come to realise is that there's a special kind of magic in working together in this way. Through good experiences of working and solving problems with each other, teams are brought closer together. They develop more trust in each other, they understand each others perspectives and see problems as shared challenges that they can work together to resolve. It’s magic!

What’s getting in the way?

If you’re here, something’s not quite clicking. Maybe your team is spinning on too many priorities. Maybe your best ideas keep stalling out. Or maybe there’s tension building beneath the surface, and it’s slowing everything down.

Often, it’s not just the problem itself. It’s knowing which problem is worth solving — and getting the right people aligned to tackle it.

That’s where Ritual Thinking comes in. Using collaborative, design-led workshops, I help you surface what matters most and unlock the energy to move forward. Fast.

Here are five problem areas I can help you work through — and the workshop designed to address each one:

  • You’re unsure what to focus on
    There’s lots of noise, but no clear signal.
    → The Reveal workshop brings stakeholders together to uncover pain points, align around a shared challenge, and identify the right next step.

  • You need fresh thinking
    The team’s stuck in old patterns, and ideas aren’t landing.
    → The Breakthrough workshop delivers structured creative problem-solving, unlocking unexpected solutions through guided collaboration.

  • Your internal processes aren’t working
    Workarounds, friction, or wasted effort are slowing progress.
    → The Streamline workshop surfaces bottlenecks and co-designs better ways of working, using design thinking to simplify complexity.

  • Morale is dropping and energy feels low
    Fatigue, frustration or disconnect are starting to show.
    → The Recharge workshop helps teams pause, reflect and reconnect — rebuilding trust, clarity, and creative energy.

  • You can’t get buy-in
    Great ideas are going unheard or misunderstood.
    → The Refocus workshop helps teams shape their thinking into a clear, compelling story that others can get behind.

These are not off-the-shelf training sessions. They’re short, strategic interventions designed to shift momentum — and bring the team into alignment, fast.

Not sure where to start?

Book a free Reveal session — a 90-minute workshop to identify your highest-value challenge and map out the next step. It’s short, powerful, and designed to deliver immediate clarity.

Get in touch

If you want to use the magic of Ritual Thinking workshops to solve problems and bring your teams closer together pop your details into the form below. I’m happy to discuss your situation over email or send me a phone number and I’ll give you a call.