Design Thinking

An ancient Chinese proverb states “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills”

Different approaches lead to different results. Without growth and innovation, success cannot be achieved in today's world. We can either block the change and stay stagnant or can strive for innovation. But Innovation can be tricky. Whether you are starting fresh or expanding an existing brand, Design Thinking comes in handy.

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But what exactly is Design Thinking?

Well, Design thinking is a human-centric, non-linear, problem-solving process that allows the creator to better understand the needs and requirements of the user.

The applications are limitless, from UX (user interface design) to abstract art, from media to education, financial services to healthcare, Design thinking have proven to be very rewarding.

Some of the prominent Design Thinking success stories include:

·      Apple – Innovation through Design Thinking

·      Procter & Gamble’s - Classic Oil of Olay

·      Braun’s – Oral B Toothbrush

·      Bank of Ireland – Podcast with Head of Departments

·      Airbnb – Financial stability

·      PepsiCo – Design Thinking into strategy

·      Nike – Success through design

·      Uber – Food delivery

·      IBM – Design Centered Strategy

·      Stanford – Offers a class on Designing Your Life through Design Thinking

In contrast to typical problem-solving methodologies where an organization makes decisions for the consumers, design thinking is more of a hands-on process. It continuously evolves around consumer needs and mainly focuses on the following 5 recurrent steps:

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1. Design Thinking Stage 1: Empathy
   
   

It is human-centric research. The goal is to create a useful, enjoyable, and economically viable product for the user. To be able to do this, first, we need to understand that the problem we might think a user has, might differ from the reality.

Humans are influenced by culture, religion, norms, and societal pressures. Through communication, we can see the problem from the user’s lens. It gives a better insight into the problem at hand, dissolves assumptions, and helps to design creative solutions.

2. Design Thinking Stage 2: Define 
   
   

Once the research is done, it’s time to paint a picture. Mark down the unmet needs and wants of the user. Gather all the information, clear out the ambiguities and reassess the expectations. Create a brief accordingly.

A clear articulation of the problem will help to generate innovative ideas.

3. Design Thinking Stage 3: Ideate
   
   

It’s now time to brainstorm the possible solutions. Put your head on to the analysis of the predefined problem. You can use S.W.O.T analysis, Vein diagrams, and many other tools to generate ideas.

It is crucial to align the original problem to feasible solutions. Keep it real, to the point, and within the constraints of the options you have. When all of this is done and you have a strategic plan, it’s time to move on to the next step.

4. Design Thinking Stage 4: Prototype

Here we are translating all the ideas into a tangible ‘’product’’. This product can be a service, a device, a design, an experience, or an alteration. It is going to be an iterative process of bridging the gap between the original problem and the best achievable solution.

Through prototyping now, you can see what the offering looks like. Don’t be afraid to make amends and alterations. After all, the goal of design thinking is to provide the best possible result.

5. Design Thinking Stage 5: Test
   

Congratulations, you have made it through continual steps of intuitive thinking, research, planning, and prototyping. Finally, it is time to test your product. Organic testing, focus groups, and samples can provide essential insights into the product.

Feedback is the key here. Now that you know where your product stands in the line of solving the problem, you can always go back in the design thinking process to reformulate or fill the possible holes in your final product.

Design thinking helps organizations to create lasting value for customers by solving real human needs and providing innovative solutions while running a smooth and efficient business. It builds up creative confidence and provides bases for growth hacking.