Design Thinking: The design mindset for the work of the future
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 9:15 am
Design Thinking is here to stay, and not just in the creative field. The disruptive thinking methodology transcends the guild of designers to enter the business world as an agile and effective tool for solving problems and making decisions.
What is Design Thinking?
Literally, it would be translated as “design thinking”; or in more everyday language, “thinking like a designer would.” And how does a designer think? Well, first he a deep dive into the demographics of the u.s. chinese population knows and understands the problem to be solved and then he opens his mind to seek disruptive solutions, without fear and without prejudice, and always optimizing the available resources in a methodical way. (1)
There is a lot of literature on the subject and depending on the professional environment, the approach to the definition will be one or another; but what they all agree on is that we are dealing with a method and as such, it has its phases.
Phases of the Design Thinking method
In general, Design Thinking is divided into four phases:
BRIEFING
Empathy is essential for the successful development of a creative project. If we don't know the problem, we'll hardly find the optimal solution. And knowing the problem means putting yourself in the shoes of the person who needs the solution in order to really glimpse the need in an essential way. Without a briefing, there is no solution (unless you're very lucky).
INSPIRATION
Research, competitor analysis, etc. Whatever you call it, what you need to do here is identify what is being done around it, that is, has this same problem existed before? How have others solved it? Can we find other references? And not to copy but to learn. This step ends with the definition of different work paths that will lead to alternatives or prototypes (sometimes it is necessary to return to the previous phase to gather more information).
CREATION
Loop composed of three steps (all of them designed to be done in a team, but can also be used individually).
Ideation : There are many methods ( brainstorming , provocation, moodboard , etc.) but there is only one final objective: to open conceptual doors that lead to tangible solutions. The sense of ideation will always be convergent, that is, from the elevated to the earthly, and to do so, it is essential to open the mind and free it from prejudices (get out of the comfort zone, think out of the box ). Someone who judges the opinions of others, no matter how crazy they may seem, will not be a good teammate during a creative session (laughter is a vital component).
Prototyping : Based on the ideas collected in the ideation, several alternatives are generated.
Test : Before launching into the development of the alternatives, you must ensure that the alternatives are realistic and honestly respond to the needs raised in the briefing.
DEVELOPMENT
One of the proposals is chosen and executed to the end following the relevant path depending on the type of product or service being designed.
These phases have been adapted to different professional fields over the years. For example, the inspiration phase in a graphic design project is not exactly the same as in an innovation or marketing services project. In the same way, depending on the scope of the project, each of the stages can be explored in greater or lesser depth. The process may change in detail, but the basis is always the same.
What is Design Thinking?
Literally, it would be translated as “design thinking”; or in more everyday language, “thinking like a designer would.” And how does a designer think? Well, first he a deep dive into the demographics of the u.s. chinese population knows and understands the problem to be solved and then he opens his mind to seek disruptive solutions, without fear and without prejudice, and always optimizing the available resources in a methodical way. (1)
There is a lot of literature on the subject and depending on the professional environment, the approach to the definition will be one or another; but what they all agree on is that we are dealing with a method and as such, it has its phases.
Phases of the Design Thinking method
In general, Design Thinking is divided into four phases:
BRIEFING
Empathy is essential for the successful development of a creative project. If we don't know the problem, we'll hardly find the optimal solution. And knowing the problem means putting yourself in the shoes of the person who needs the solution in order to really glimpse the need in an essential way. Without a briefing, there is no solution (unless you're very lucky).
INSPIRATION
Research, competitor analysis, etc. Whatever you call it, what you need to do here is identify what is being done around it, that is, has this same problem existed before? How have others solved it? Can we find other references? And not to copy but to learn. This step ends with the definition of different work paths that will lead to alternatives or prototypes (sometimes it is necessary to return to the previous phase to gather more information).
CREATION
Loop composed of three steps (all of them designed to be done in a team, but can also be used individually).
Ideation : There are many methods ( brainstorming , provocation, moodboard , etc.) but there is only one final objective: to open conceptual doors that lead to tangible solutions. The sense of ideation will always be convergent, that is, from the elevated to the earthly, and to do so, it is essential to open the mind and free it from prejudices (get out of the comfort zone, think out of the box ). Someone who judges the opinions of others, no matter how crazy they may seem, will not be a good teammate during a creative session (laughter is a vital component).
Prototyping : Based on the ideas collected in the ideation, several alternatives are generated.
Test : Before launching into the development of the alternatives, you must ensure that the alternatives are realistic and honestly respond to the needs raised in the briefing.
DEVELOPMENT
One of the proposals is chosen and executed to the end following the relevant path depending on the type of product or service being designed.
These phases have been adapted to different professional fields over the years. For example, the inspiration phase in a graphic design project is not exactly the same as in an innovation or marketing services project. In the same way, depending on the scope of the project, each of the stages can be explored in greater or lesser depth. The process may change in detail, but the basis is always the same.