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Design Thinking: A Quick and Easy Guide

May 5

Design thinking is a term that has recently gained popularity around the world. It has become a popular buzzword thanks to the creation of prestigious design-thinking programs at Stanford University and MIT.

What is design thinking? Although its popularity is a sign of its importance, it is also prone to over-use or simplification.

While we cannot promise MIT-level education, this blog post will provide a detailed breakdown of design thinking as well as tips on how to hire talented design thinkers.

Design thinking made simple

Everyone talks differently about design thinking. It's an idea to some; it's a process for others and some even consider it a craft. Harvard Business Review suggested that we call it a social technology.

You can choose to do all four. It all depends on who is doing the design thinking in which context. It heavily depends on the design processes and methods used by designers to create and deliver innovative designs. This helps them to make things people love to use.

It is often used as an iterative process that can be used for approaching the design of almost anything - The design-thinking process is repeated, either systematically or flexibly until a solution or result is achieved.

Design thinking is not limited to design. However, it can be used in all fields. It is applicable to all companies that create and deliver products, experiences, or services to their customers.

Design thinking is a solution-based approach for problem-solving

Design thinking requires empathy and creativity. It is about focusing on the people who will use these products, experiences and services. It is an approach to solving problems that empathizes with the situation or person you are trying to solve.

This user-centric approach to solving problems is called solution-based thinking. This approach is more focused on solving problems than creating them.

Four principles guide design thinking

These four principles were identified by Larry Leifer and Christoph Meinel of the Hasso-Plattner Institute of Design, Stanford University. This institute is the birthplace of design thinking.

The Human Rule

Every design has a social component. Design thinking is always human-centric, no matter what the context. It is essential that technical problems are solved in a way that meets human needs.

The Ambiguity Rule

Ambiguity is inevitable. Ambiguity cannot be eliminated. Therefore, experimentation is necessary to understand and respond as many interpretations possible. Designers must keep ambiguity in mind.

The Redesign Rule

Design is all about redesign. Even though technological and social conditions may change, the basic human needs remain the same. We only modify the ways we can fulfill these needs. It is crucial to understand how these needs were met in the past so that we can better predict future conditions.

The Tangibility Rule

Communication is made easier by making ideas tangible. This is directly related to the creation of prototypes. Meinel and Leifer say that prototypes are communication media. Prototyping allows design thinkers to work together constructively,

Design Thinking: The 5 Stages

Herbert A. Simon, a Nobel Prize winner, outlined seven design phases in 1969 that have influenced modern design thinking. Simon's work remains relevant today. His definition of designer is still widely cited as a testament. The Hasso-Plattner Institute of Design, Stanford, proposes a simplified five-step process.

1. Empathize

Design thinking starts with empathy. This stage is centered on research. Spend as much time as you can getting to know your human users in order to understand their needs and goals. Before effective solutions can be found, needs must first be identified.

2. Define

This stage addresses the issues identified in the previous stage. Take your findings and use them to make sense of your users' problems and needs.

Questions to ask yourself during the Define stage

  • What are the problems my users face?
  • Do you see any patterns?
  • Do these problems have a common root?

You should finish this stage with a clear problem description that identifies the problem and proposes a solution. This should be appealing to a specific audience, but also allow for flexibility and creativity.

A problem statement could be: Students need a place that allows them to see freelance jobs in their area at a glance. They are looking for work that is flexible and can make a living, but they don't have the time or desire to commit to a job.

3. Ideate

Once you have identified, understood and defined your problem it is time to brainstorm. This stage involves coming up with solutions. This stage is the most creative in the design-thinking process. Designers often hold brainstorm sessions to generate ideas.

This stage is a great place to have diversity of thought. An ideation stage that is successful will include as many perspectives as possible. To generate ideas, design thinkers employ many creative methods. They can think laterally and find new areas of innovation by challenging themselves.

Top 5 ideas

  • Brainstorming, the most popular form of ideation, is best combined with mindwriting, and braindumping .
  • Storyboarding is a way to show user experiences and spark discussion. This is a great way to get innovators to see hidden needs through the customer's perspective.
  • The co-creation methods bring together designers and users for ideas.
  • The SCAMPERtechnique uses seven prompts: substitute (S), combine(C), adapt (A), modify/M), put another use (P), eliminate [E], and reverse (R). This allows you to ask questions about possible solutions.
  • To interrupt your thoughts, take a creative break, step away from the subject and return with perspective

You'll have a range of options that you can use to test, prototype, or move on from this stage.

4. Prototype

A prototype is a simplified version of your products or ideas. These prototypes can be used to further investigate ideas and find out what is missing or needing fixing. The Tangibility Rule: Making ideas tangible is a key to communication.

5. Try it!

This stage focuses on user testing. These solutions, which have been proven most effective in prototyping, are combined into one product that can be used in real-life.

Testing is not the end of the process. New problems that will force things back to the ideating or defining stages will likely arise during testing. Sometimes, user testing can reveal mistakes due to insufficient empathy. This will force the design thinking-process back into the empathize stage.

Design thinking is not a simple process.

These stages can be followed to begin with and can be repeated until the teams have reached the best solution or product. However, design thinking is not a linear or rigid process.

Great designers know how to move back and forth among different stages in order to optimize products and solutions. They also understand that iteration and iteration are crucial. Ambiguity is important, so it is not uncommon for ideas and prototypes to need to be re-formed multiple times before they become an investment worthy solution.

What makes design thinking so useful?

Design thinking is all about flexibility.

It requires both adaption and iteration, which makes it a powerful tool for solving new or poorly defined problems. It is useful because it can be used in so many places.

These five stages can be used as a guideline for a wide range of organizations and businesses. They can also be used by teams to use design thinking on a variety of projects.

Because creativity is so open to possibilities, it can be overwhelming. Design thinking can be used as a technique, as a mindset or as a craft. It allows to take a manageable, constructive approach and embrace these possibilities.

Design thinking can address human biases

Design thinking is fundamentally about including as many views and experiences as possible to better understand users, their problems and possible solutions. Because they make certain voices less important, or even dismiss them altogether, human biases can hinder creativity.

Design thinking has the opposite effect of unconscious bias and is an excellent way for organizations to combat bias while they are developing solutions. Because it recognizes that organizations are made up of individuals with different motivations and reactions, it works.

Dialog, engagement, empathy are key to involving users and other stakeholders. The definitions of problems are expanded and so the possibilities for innovative solutions expand.

What jobs require design thinking?

Design-thinking degrees have seen a rise in demand, and a new job category has emerged. This education can help people become design thinking consultants, analysts, specialists. They may also be interested in strategy and design research.

Design thinking is a full-time career. There were 20162 job openings on LinkedIn for design strategists in April 2022. More than 5,000 were located far away.

You will find a lot more job postings for design-related jobs. These jobs could be found in any industry or sector. A list of them could easily double the length of this blog post. We've gathered the most relevant jobs and divided them by how important design thinking is to the role.

Design thinking is essential for:

Design thinking is valuable for:

  • Entrepreneurs and business owners
  • Managers and operations engineers
  • Analysts for business
  • Administrative roles
  • Patient engagement specialists
  • Managers in retail and hospitality
  • Customer service representatives

Hiring for design-thinking skills

Design-thinking skills can be useful no matter what your job title. Some roles simply cannot do without it. This section is ideal for recruiters and hiring managers who are looking for candidates for jobs in design.

Our lives are becoming increasingly digital. This explains why many remote design-strategist positions are advertised. Companies with digital products can access a wide range of talent from around the globe, which is true design-thinking.

To hire the best designers, use our UX/UI design assessment

Design thinking is essential for any job that requires an understanding of UX/UI design principles. To ensure that you hire the best candidates, it is a good idea to test their skills at the top of your recruitment process. You will get a reliable indicator about their design-thinking ability that is not possible to determine from a CV.