Design thinking is a creative and human-centered approach to problem-solving that can help you innovate and improve your products, services, or experiences. In this article, you will learn what design thinking is, where it came from, what it is used for, how to use it, and some best practices to follow when applying it. You will also see an example of design thinking in action and get some references to learn more.

What is Design Thinking?

Design thinking is a mindset and a process that focuses on understanding the needs, desires, and emotions of the people you are designing for, and using that empathy to generate and test solutions that are desirable, feasible, and viable. Design thinking is not limited to designers or creative professionals; anyone can use it to tackle complex challenges in any domain.

The term “design thinking” was popularized by IDEO, a global design and innovation firm, and the Stanford d.school, a hub for interdisciplinary learning at Stanford University. However, the concept of design thinking has been around for much longer and can be traced back to the 1960s when academics and practitioners in architecture and engineering started to formalize problem-solving methodologies. One of the pioneers, Herbert A. Simon, in his book “The Sciences of the Artificial” (1969), laid down the initial thoughts around the concept of Design Thinking.

What is Design Thinking Used For?

Design thinking can be used for any kind of problem that requires creativity and innovation. Some examples of design thinking applications are:

• Developing new products or services that meet the needs and expectations of customers or users
• Improving existing products or services by enhancing their functionality, usability, or appeal
• Creating new business models or strategies that generate value for customers and stakeholders
• Redesigning processes or systems that are inefficient, ineffective, or outdated
• Solving social or environmental issues that affect people’s lives or well-being

How to Use Design Thinking?

Design thinking is not a linear or rigid method; rather, it is a flexible and iterative approach that can be adapted to different contexts and situations. However, there are some common stages or phases that can guide you through the design thinking process. These are:

• Empathize: This is where you immerse yourself in the problem space and try to understand the perspectives, needs, pains, and motivations of the people you are designing for. You can use methods such as interviews, observations, surveys, personas, journey maps, etc. to gather insights and empathize with your users.
• Define: This is where you synthesize your findings from the empathize stage and frame the problem you want to solve. You can use methods such as affinity diagrams, problem statements, point of view statements, etc. to define the challenge and scope of your project.
• Ideate: This is where you generate as many ideas as possible to address the problem you defined. You can use methods such as brainstorming, sketching, mind mapping, SCAMPER, etc. to unleash your creativity and diverge your thinking.
• Prototype: This is where you turn your ideas into tangible artifacts that can be tested with your users. You can use methods such as paper prototyping, digital prototyping, storyboarding, role-playing, etc. to create low-fidelity or high-fidelity prototypes depending on your resources and goals.
• Test: This is where you validate your assumptions and learn from your users’ feedback. You can use methods such as usability testing, interviews, surveys, A/B testing, etc. to test your prototypes with real or potential users and measure their desirability, feasibility, and viability.

These stages are not sequential or fixed; you can move back and forth between them as needed. The key is to iterate frequently and learn from each cycle.

An Example of Design Thinking in Action

To illustrate how design thinking works in practice, let’s look at an example of a project that used design thinking to create a new product.

The project was called Embrace, and it aimed to design a low-cost infant warmer that could prevent hypothermia-related deaths among premature and low-birth-weight babies in developing countries.

The team behind Embrace started by empathizing with their target users: mothers and health workers in rural areas of India. They visited hospitals and clinics and observed the challenges they faced in providing adequate care for newborns. They also interviewed mothers who had lost their babies due to hypothermia or other complications.

They learned that conventional incubators were too expensive, too complex, or too unreliable for their context. They also learned that mothers preferred to keep their babies close to them rather than in separate devices.

Based on these insights, they defined their problem statement as: How might we design a low-cost infant warmer that is portable, easy to use, and culturally appropriate?

They then ideated hundreds of possible solutions using sketches and models. They prototyped some of their most promising ideas using materials such as fabric, foam, wax, etc. They tested their prototypes with mothers and health workers in India and got feedback on their functionality, usability, and appeal.

They iterated on their design until they came up with a final product: a sleeping bag-like device that uses a phase change material to maintain a constant temperature of 37°C for up to 6 hours. The device can be heated using boiling water or electricity and can be reused multiple times.

The Embrace infant warmer was launched in 2011 and has since saved the lives of over 300,000 babies in 22 countries.

Some Best Practices for Design Thinking

Design thinking is not a magic formula that guarantees success; it is a mindset and a process that requires practice, experimentation, and collaboration. Here are some tips to help you apply design thinking effectively:

• Be curious and open-minded: Design thinking is about exploring the unknown and discovering new possibilities. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and try new things.
• Be empathetic and human-centered: Design thinking is about solving problems for people, not for yourself. Always put your users at the center of your process and involve them as much as possible.
• Be collaborative and interdisciplinary: Design thinking is about leveraging the diversity of perspectives and skills of your team and stakeholders. Work together, share ideas, and learn from each other.
• Be creative and playful: Design thinking is about generating and testing ideas, not finding the right answer. Don’t limit yourself by rules or conventions; have fun and experiment with different solutions.
• Be iterative and flexible: Design thinking is about learning by doing, not planning or predicting. Don’t get attached to your ideas or prototypes; be ready to change them based on your findings and feedback.

Conclusion

Design thinking is a powerful tool that can help you create innovative and impactful solutions for any kind of problem. By following the stages of empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test, you can understand your users’ needs, generate creative ideas, and validate your solutions. By adopting a design thinking mindset, you can become more curious, empathetic, collaborative, creative, and flexible.

References

• Brown, T. (2009). Change by design: How design thinking transforms organizations and inspires innovation. Harper Business.
• IDEO. (2015). The field guide to human-centered design. IDEO.
• Kelley, T., & Kelley, D. (2013). Creative confidence: Unleashing the creative potential within us all. Crown Business.
• Stanford d.school. (n.d.). An introduction to design thinking process guide.

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