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2026/2027  KAN-CINTV2021U  Designing Digital Business

English Title
Designing Digital Business

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Start time of the course Autumn
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 90
Study board
Study Board for Digitalisation, Technology and Communication
Programme MSc in Business Administration and Information Systems
Course coordinator
  • Philipp Hukal - Department of Digitalisation (DIGI)
Main academic disciplines
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Information technology
  • Innovation
Teaching methods
  • Blended learning
Last updated on 19-01-2026

Relevant links
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students are expected to fulfil the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or omissions
  • Relate the key characteristics of digital technology to new business initiatives.
  • Create a "proof-of-concept" of a business initiative that draws on digital technologies
  • Reflect and defend a specific solution to a business problem using design thinking methodology introduced in the course
  • Identify issues related to the sustainability of specific digital business initiatives
Prerequisites for registering for the exam (activities during the teaching period)
Number of compulsory activities which must be approved (see section 13 of the Programme Regulations): 1
Compulsory home assignments
In order to qualify for the final exam, students need to have one compulsory assignment approved.

The compulsory assignment is a group presentation (max. 15 PowerPoint slides).

Each group must develop this presentation at the end of the course and it will document a portfolio of student group work over the course of the semester.

It is expected that students report steps of their work on a proof-of-concept using tools, frameworks, and ideas covered in class to explain the design methodology behind their digital business initiative.

Specifically, portfolios are expected to contain the following elements:
i) the chosen case,
ii) a short description of the business idea developed by the group.
iii) all relevant material the group has worked on during the interactive workshop sessions incl. customer profile, value map, test cards, learning cards, business model, etc.

Students will upload and submit the presentation slides in a document as well as giving the presentation it in class. It is expected that all group members participate in the presentation to the class. The presentation slides will form the foundation for the oral exam of the course.

This activity is compulsory and must be approved in order for individuals to participate in the exam. Feedback on each group presentation will then be provided after the presentation is given.

If a student cannot hand in due to documented illness, or if a student does not get the activity approved in spite of making a real attempt, then the student will be given one extra attempt before the ordinary exam: An individual home assignment (max 5 pages) with questions by the teacher that shows that the student has covered the course material and applied it to the case work of their group.
Examination
Designing Digital Business:
Exam ECTS 7,5
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance, see also the rules about examination forms in the programme regulations.
Individual or group exam Individual oral exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group 3-4
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
The written product for this exam is a document containing the revised presentation slides from the compulsory assignment (max. 15 slides; revisions after the group presentation are permitted to incorporate feedback)
Assignment type Project
Release of assignment Subject chosen by students themselves, see guidelines if any
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
15 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Grading scale 7-point grading scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam period Winter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
The re-take will be the same as the original exam.
Description of the exam procedure

During the oral exam, students will briefly summarise the core ideas of their proof-of-concept using the business model canvas they created during the semester. 
Then, examiners will ask questions drawing from the course material that will have to be addressed using the group project as an illustration / case. 
Course content, structure and pedagogical approach

Please note that this course is designed to match a digital innovation process, where each session feeds into and builds incrementally on each other. The course is only meaningful for students that can attend to most of the physical sessions. By the end of the course, the exam will include elements of reflection on the work done during the 'innovation journey'.

 

Digitalization is the new reality for most organizations and to leverage digital technology, businesses must shift from a ‘know it all’ to ‘learn it all’ mindset. However, implementing digital business initiatives is not straight forward. Regardless of whether a firm is established or starting up, delivering digital products, transforming a process, or integrating skills and roles needed for digital transformation is non-trivial for most organizations.

 

Against this backdrop, the purpose of this course is to provide a design thinking mindset for the students. The course takes a practical view on digital innovation as a reflective and iterative craft that can be learned. 

 

This course offers a series of hands-on tutorials around the implementation of digital business initiatives. The objective is for students to acquire the skills and tools necessary to assess and execute the delivery of digital business initiatives. The course will enable students to convert potential ideas into scalable business models by building, and testing solutions. This course will teach you the art of validating digital business model’s desirability, viability and feasibility – through systematic and practical thinking based on gathering tangible evidence.

 

 

Key topics and techniques include, but are not limited to:

  • Design Thinking and Business Innovation
  • Business Model Design and Process 
  • Ideation and Business Prototyping
  • Value Proposition Design and Customer Discovery 
  • Experiment Techniques and Customer Insights 
  • Business Model Mechanics and Patterns
  • Innovation Risks
Research-based teaching
CBS’ programmes and teaching are research-based. The following types of research-based knowledge and research-like activities are included in this course:
Research-based knowledge
  • Classic and basic theory
  • New theory
  • Methodology
  • Models
Research-like activities
  • Data collection
  • Analysis
  • Discussion, critical reflection, modelling
  • Students conduct independent research-like activities under supervision
Description of the teaching methods
The course comprises of lecture and workshop elements. Sessions are based on a mix of on campus and online lecture material and hands-on learning in interactive workshops with support and guidance. The lecture elements will introduce analysis techniques which will then be applied to a specific problem during the interactive workshops. The course thus iterates constantly between explanations and hands-on exercises, with a focus on a pragmatic approach to delivering a business solution using digital technologies. Students will learn and apply concepts and ideas in a highly interactive and engaging format. Students are expected to cover lecture material as well as actively participate in discussions and in-class activity.
Feedback during the teaching period
Students receive feedback through the following mechanisms:
All group receive feedback during discussions with lecturers in the interactive workshops. Additionally, students have an opportunity to present a work-in-progress to receive feedback on their idea half-way through the course. All lecturers are available for feedback during consultation hours in person or remote.
Student workload
Online lectures 20 hours
In-class instruction: interactive workshops 30 hours
session preparation and reading 32 hours
working on group projects 100 hours
exam incl. individual preparation 24 hours
Total 206 hours
Expected literature

 The literature can be changed before the semester starts. Students are advised to find the final literature on Canvas before they buy any material.

 

Research Articles:

 

Blank (2019) Why Companies Do “Innovation Theater” Instead of Actual Innovation, Harvard Business Review
Hagiu and Altman (2017), Finding The Platform in Your Product, Harvard Business Review
Johnson M. W. et al., (2008), Reinventing Your Business Model, Harvard Business Review
Knight et al. (2020), Design-Led Strategy, How To Bring Design Thinking into the Art of Strategic Management, California Management Review
Magretta, J. (2002) Why Business Models Matter, Harvard Business Review 
Osterwalder, A. (2015), The C-Suite Needs a Chief Entrepreneur, Harvard Business Review
Swahney et al (2006), The 12 Different Ways for Companies to Innovate, MIT Sloan Management Review
Thompson et al. (2020), Why Innovation’s Future Isn’t (Just) Open, MIT Sloan Management Review
Van Alstyne, M. W. et al. (2016), Pipelines, Platforms,and the New Rules of Strategy, Harvard Business Review

Book (Chapters):

Hukal, P., Goebeler, L, and Henfridsson, O. (2025). “Digital Innovation – A Definition and Research Frontiers,” in The Routledge Companion to Management Information Systems (2nd), M.-K. Stein, A. Baiyere, andR. D. Galliers (eds.), Routledge 


Steve Blank (2012), The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company

 

Stickdorn and Schneider (2016), This is service design thinking: Basics – Tools – Cases
Five principles of service design thinking, p. 24 – 46 
 

Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur (2010), Business Model Generation, Wiley:London

 

Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur (2014), Value Proposition Design, Wiley:London

 

Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur (2019), Testing Business Ideas, Wiley:London

 

Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur (2020) The Invincible Company, Wiley:London

 
Last updated on 19-01-2026