The nature of design thinking makes it scalable. The guide created can be used regardless of expertise, and mitigate the range of design talent while increasing the probability of success. Design thinking applies to product design as well as societal, environmental, and economical issues.

Scalability - think bigger

<ul><li>The user-centred process starts with user data, creates design artefacts that address real user needs, then test those ideas with real users.</li><li>It leverages collective expertise and establishes a shared language and buy-in from your team.</li><li>It encourages innovation by exploring multiple avenues for the same problem.</li></ul>

The advantage of the framework

The term "design thinking" was coined in the 1990s by David Kelley and Tim Brown of IDEO, with Roger Martin. Design thinking is an ideology supported by a process.<ul><li>The Design thinking ideology states that a hands-on, user-centric approach to problem-solving will lead to innovation, differentiation, and competitive advantage.</li><li>The design thinking process defines the hands-on, user-centric approach in six distinct phases.</li></ul>

Design thinking definition

The overall flow of the framework<ol><li>Understand</li><li>Explore</li><li>Materialize</li></ol> Within the larger framework are 6 phases:<ol><li>Empathise: Research what your users do, say, think, and feel.</li><li>Define: Combine your research to identify where your users' problems exist, then highlight opportunities for innovation.</li><li>Ideate: Brainstorm a large range of crazy ideas that address unmet user needs.</li><li>Prototype. Build actual, tactile representations of a subset of your ideas to help find what works and what does not.</li><li>Test: Return to your users for feedback.</li><li>Implement: Your solution should touch the lives of your end-users.</li></ol>

The design-thinking framework

The design-thinking framework should not be seen as a step-by-step recipe for success. Instead, it should be used as scaffolding to support you. Take the framework and tweak it as needed. <ul><li>Each phase should be iterative and cyclical, not linear. Only when the wireframes are prototyped can you get a real representation of your design. Then you can assess if your solution really works.</li><li>Repeat phases: It can be necessary to do an exercise within a phase several times to get to the desired outcome.</li></ul>

Flexible framework

Historically, design has been an afterthought in the business world. It applied only to aesthetics and resulted in companies creating solutions that failed to meet their customers' real needs. Early examples of human-centric design:<ul><li>In the early 1900s, Charles and Ray Eames practised "learning by doing", exploring a range of needs and limitations before designing their famous Eames chairs.</li><li>In the 1960s, dressmaker Jean Muir considered how her clothes felt to wear and how they looked to others.</li></ul> Both developed a deep understanding of their users' lives and unmet needs.

The history of design thinking

Collection of Top design frameworks adopted by world’s leading brands for product and user experience innovation

books

Books

problemsolving

Problem Solving

teamwork

Teamwork

business

Business

communication

Communication

Design Frameworks

Historically, design has only been used to touch up a product’s aesthetics. It resulted in solutions that failed to meet customers’ needs. Design-thinking remedies this by approaching products from a human-centric viewpoint.

What is design thinking and why should you care? History and background plus a quick overview and visualization of 6 phases of the design thinking process.