Customer experience (CX) design is no longer just a focus in marketing and business, it now stands as its central pillar. CX design encapsulates the entire spectrum of customer engagement with a business throughout their buying journey – from discovery to evaluation to the purchase of a new product or service – and optimizes these interactions along many touchpoints. While User Experience (UX) focuses on improving a product’s design and usability, CX focuses on improving a customer’s interaction with the brand and delighting them at each touchpoint along the way. Well-designed customer experiences resonate with customers on an emotional level, boost conversions, create loyalty, and drive significant financial returns for a business’s bottom line. Embrace the transformative power of a well-executed CX design within our comprehensive customer experience training program.
Designing Customer Experiences: From Strategy to Execution is a four-day executive education program focusing on the strategic management and design of customer experiences in today’s technology-driven world. The program equips executives with state-of-the-art strategies and tools to manage and design effective and impactful experiences.
In addition to lectures, case studies, and planning exercises, the program uses New York City as a live laboratory to learn how to design, manage, strategize and innovate customer experiences. Visit a tech lab; be part of a world-class services and hospitality experience; immerse yourself in a retail experience tour, and explore the old and new Columbia campuses – and learn about best practices of designing CX experiences that you can transfer and implement immediately in your own business.
Four days in-person at our Manhattanville Campus (NYC)
Take a deeper dive into the four themes of CX and design – Design, Manage, Strategize, and Innovate – and gain the key knowledge and frameworks needed, including:
Learn how to design truly immersive and transformative integrated experiences. Create an experience from scratch on the first day of the Designing Customer Experiences program. Delve into the essential elements of the experience, including material objects, feelings, ambient spaces, and institutions. Then, explore effective strategies for integrating them with consumers. By the end of the first day of this program, participants can:
With Columbia Business School’s Designing Customer Experiences program, participants will:
Delving into CX design reveals its pivotal role in shaping customer perceptions and interactions. Co-faculty directors of the Designing Customer Experiences: From Strategy to Execution program Bernd Schmitt and Markus Giesler offer their perspectives on integrating these principles to elevate the customer journey and achieve sustainable growth.
Vanessa Chu, co-founder and President of Stretchd, transitioned from investment banking to the wellness industry after completing her MBA at Columbia Business School in 2011. As a participant in the Designing Customer Experiences program, Vanessa shares how the program’s insights and diverse cohort have equipped her to enhance CX at Stretchd. She highlights how the experience has shaped her strategic approach and prepared her to expand the business nationwide.
Sebastiaan Knibbeler, founder of ControlRebels, transitioned from law to entrepreneurship to simplify Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) solutions. Seeking to improve customer-centric marketing and direct sales, Sebastiaan joined Columbia's Designing Customer Experiences program. He shares how the program's blend of theory, real-world application, and insights from industry leaders has refined his approach, enabling him to better connect with clients and lead innovation at ControlRebels.
Noopoor Rabi is the Area Director for the Railroad Business (North America) at L&T Technology Services, leading a team that services railroad customers on IT and engineering fronts. As a participant in the Designing Customer Experiences program, Noopoor shares how the program equipped her with strategies for engaging niche B2B markets. Highlighting her experience with diverse peers, impactful sessions with faculty, and the eye-opening NYC Retail Tour, Noopoor discusses how storytelling and technology can transform customer engagement and innovation in the railroad industry.
Stan Glezer, Managing Director at Outcome Capital LLC, brings 30 years of biopharmaceutical and medical technology expertise to transform patient care. Through the Designing Customer Experiences program, Stan explored integrating customer experience into healthcare product development. He highlights the program’s blend of theory and practice, insights from the NYC retail tour, and the impact of faculty expertise. Stan’s experience emphasizes a customer-centric approach to innovating health technologies to enhance patient outcomes.
Assignments
Will there be any homework or assignments?
For select programs, there will be some assignments to complete after the end of select program sessions. Assignments will typically consist of readings, self-reflections, and brief assessments. This approach is designed to help you practice your learnings.
How long will assignments take?
We do not expect that homework assignments will take up a large amount of time to complete.
Will there be any examinations or grades?
There will be no examinations or grades for our live online programs.
Certification
I’m interested in the Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE), how do I get started?
At Columbia Business School Executive Education, you’ll be able to customize a unique learning experience by selecting programs that best interest you and are most suited for your needs. Any completed program, regardless of format (live online, in-person, or online), will count towards the Certificate in Business Excellence.
Which programs qualify for the CIBE?
Any completed executive education program, regardless of format (live-online, in-person, or online), will count towards the Certificate in Business Excellence. Partner programs will also count towards the certificate.
What programs are considered partner programs?
Executive education programs developed and administered with our educational partners, bring the best of our combined knowledge, thought leadership, resources, and expertise. Kindly find a list of our partners here on our partnership page.
What are the costs of the certificate?
There’s no set cost associated with the certificate path since you’re able to customize your learning journey with in-person and online programs (price will vary depending on the program type and length).
Are there any tuition assistance or scholarships?
At Columbia Business School Executive Education, we offer non-degree and non-credit-based professional development programs to the global business community. As our programs are non-degree and non-credit, they do not qualify for financial aid.
How are CIBE credits determined?
Credits for a program are determined by the program duration and total learning hours.
Where do I find information on the credit value for a program?
You will find this information on each program page. Credits range from 0.5 credits – 26 credits per program.
How do I get enrolled in the CIBE?
Your certificate journey will start with your first program, and you have 4 years to complete your CIBE. You may register for any of our executive education programs on each program page. You may enroll using the “Enroll Now” button, and the application process should take 5-10 minutes.
How do I receive credits?
You are required to fully attend a program and complete all necessary coursework in order to receive CIBE credits. Credits are only awarded after you complete a program.
How do I check the status of my Certificate completion?
Kindly reach out to a Learning Solutions representative for any questions on the status of your CIBE credit count.
Do CIBE credits expire?
Credits are only valid for four years (Please note: While we are not able to offer in-person programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the duration to complete the programming has been extended to five years.). If you have not completed your CIBE within four years, we will only count non-expired credits towards your CIBE credit total.
Does the Certificate in Business Excellence expire?
Your Certificate in Business Excellence does not expire. Once you become a certificate recipient, you will join the greater alumni community at Columbia Business School.
I’ve reached 18 CIBE credits, what’s next?
Congratulations! You should receive a digital copy of your certificate at the end of your program. If you do not receive a copy from your program manager, kindly contact your Learning Solutions representative or your program manager for next steps.
Will I receive a physical certificate?
Upon completion, you will receive a secure, digital certificate through Accredible. Within the platform you will have the option to print your credential, post it to your LinkedIn feed, or display it on your profile as a certification. Please contact your program manager for the status of your digital certificate.
How do I get access to my alumni benefits?
Once you complete your CIBE, we kindly ask for your patience as we process your alumni credentials. The processing time can take anywhere from 8 to 10 weeks long.
Can I add the Certificate in Business Excellence to LinkedIn?
Yes! We will provide you with instructions on how to add your certificate to your LinkedIn profile after you become a Certificate recipient.
Preferred Pricing and Tuition Benefits for Alumni
Are there preferred pricing options available for live online programs?
Yes, preferred pricing is available for groups of two or more. To inquire, email execed@gsb.columbia.edu.
As a Columbia Business School alumni am I eligible for tuition benefit?
When you earn a Certificate in Business Excellence you will receive a 25 percent tuition benefit for full-price Executive Education in-person programs lasting three and four days and all full-price online programs. Exclusions apply**Which programs do not qualify for a 25 percent tuition benefit?
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