Design thinking

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Unlike critical thinking, which is a process of analysis and is associated with the 'breaking down' of ideas, design thinking is a creative process based around the 'building up' of ideas. There are no judgments in design thinking. This eliminates the fear of failure and encourages maximum input and participation. 'Stupid is good' in design thinking, and wild ideas are welcome, since these often lead to the most creative solutions.

Participants partake in collaborative outside the box brainstorming sessions in the ideation phase. The more unique thoughts, the better, since this increases the possibility of a solution that works best. Often times, the final resolution is a combination of many different suggestions--this is where the best results come from.

Design thinking is responsible for inventive solutions, but such innovation could not occur without a commitment to collaboration. Design thinkers welcome as many viewpoints as possible, especially those drawn from a variety of perspectives to allow for a cross-pollination of thoughts.

At the core of design thinking is innovation, particularly user-driven innovation. Rather than solving a problem based on existing metrics and quantifiable data, design thinkers focus solutions on the essence of the problem and build from there.

It is important to boil a problem down to its bare minimum so that you can first understand what is truly trying to be solved, before jumping to any conclusions. Thus, defining the problem is the first step to coming up with an effective solution.

Note that the seven step design process is not a linear system. Rather, its steps can be revisited many times throughout the evolution of thoughts. This makes the process very adaptive and suitable for situations that are constantly in flux.

Everyone is a designer, and design thinking is a great way to apply design methodologies to any of life's situations.

Contents

[edit] The design process

Design thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues.

The stages of this process are suggested as:

Define | Research | Ideate | Prototype | Choose | Implement | Learn

Within these seven steps, problems can be framed, the right questions can be asked, more ideas can be created, and the best answers can be chosen. The steps aren't linear; they can occur simultaneously or be repeated.

Although design is always subject to personal taste, design thinkers share a common set of values that drive innovation: these values are mainly creativity, ambidextrous thinking, teamwork, end-user focus, curiosity.

There is considerable academic interest in understanding design thinking or design cognition, including an ongoing series of symposia on 'research in design thinking'. [1]

[edit] Stages

[edit] Define

  • Decide what issue you are trying to resolve.
  • Agree on who the audience is.
  • Prioritize this project in terms of urgency.
  • Determine what will make this project successful.
  • Establish a glossary of terms.

[edit] Research

  • Review the history of the issue; remember any existing obstacles.
  • Collect examples of other attempts to solve the same issue.
  • Note the project supporters, investors, and critics.
  • Talk to your end-users, that brings you the most fruitful ideas for later design
  • Take into account thought leaders opinion

[edit] Ideate

  • Identify the needs and motivations of your end-users.
  • Generate as many ideas as possible to serve these identified needs
  • Log your brainstorming session.
  • Do not judge or debate ideas.
  • During branstorming, have one conversation at a time

[edit] Prototype

  • Combine, expand, and refine ideas.
  • Create multiple drafts.
  • Seek feedback from a diverse group of people, include your end users.
  • Present a selection of ideas to the client.
  • Reserve judgment and maintain neutrality.

[edit] Choose

  • Review the objective.
  • Set aside emotion and ownership of ideas.
  • Remember: the most practical solution isn't always the best.
  • Select the powerful ideas.

[edit] Implement

  • Assign tasks.
  • Execute.
  • Deliver to client.

[edit] Learn

  • Gather feedback from the consumer.
  • Determine if the solution met its goals.
  • Discuss what could be improved.
  • Measure success; collect data.
  • Document.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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