Design thinking is simple a problem-solving approach. It involves empathy, experimentation, and iteration to create innovative solutions. It’s a mindset and a methodology that puts the end-user at the centre of the design process and focuses on understanding their needs and desires.
The five stages of design thinking are:
- Empathise:
Understanding the problem from the perspective of the user by gathering insights through research, observation and interaction. - Define:
Clearly articulating the problem, based on the insights gathered from the empathise stage. - Ideate:
Generating a wide range of ideas and solutions, through brainstorming and other creativity techniques. - Prototype:
Creating prototypes of the best ideas to quickly test and validate their feasibility and effectiveness. - Test:
Gathering feedback from users, refining and iterating the design based on their feedback, until an optimal solution is reached.
Design thinking helps foster a culture of innovation and encourages the development of new ideas and solutions. It also helps to encourage collaboration, as it brings together diverse perspectives and disciplines, such as design, engineering and business, to solve problems.
In summary, design thinking is a user-centric and iterative approach to problem-solving that helps to create innovative and effective solutions. Whether you are a designer, engineer, or work in another field, adopting a design thinking mindset can bring new and valuable perspectives to the challenges you face.
Some good books on design thinking
Change by Design by Tim Brown https://amzn.to/3YtpmYN
The Design Thinking Playbook https://amzn.to/3YvoiDS
The Design Thinking Toolbox https://amzn.to/3JRcPdL
Disclaimer: I receive a small commission if you purchase from these links.