How Product Designers Can Use Design Thinking For Innovation
As we enter into a new age of emerging technologies, we must come up with a new way to face business and technological challenges. Enter Design Thinking. First conceptualized by Stefanie Di Russo in 2016, design thinking is a simple way to develop complex ideas. It combines design concepts that were developed over 50 years ago along with modern thinking. In this article, we will discuss the evolution of design thinking over the years, design thinking models, and industries that benefit from this school of thought.
The Beginnings of Design Thinking
1960s – 1980s
Between the 1960s and 1980s, psychologist Herbert Simon’s philosophy was at the forefront of design best practices. A renowned psychologist and computer scientist, Simon is the father of the “bounded rationality” concept.
Bounded rationality is a psychological concept that asserts humans only have a set amount of rational thinking their brains can handle. This leads to limited decision-making. This goes along with satisficing, which means people will only keep looking for options until they find something that will do the job. They will search until they find something they are satisfied with.
What does this have to do with design? It provides an opportunity for product designers to create products people want. In design, the bounded rationality and the satisficing principles were used to consider all options until an acceptable solution was found. This led to innovative prototypes and products.
It was also used in service industries, like architecture and urban planning. These designers searched for solutions to architectural and urban problems before settling on a satisfactory one.
What is design thinking?
Design thinking is an abstract process that teams use to tackle difficult-to-understand problems. Rather than just going with the simple solution or the first satisfying solution the team comes up with, as was done with bounded rationality, teams continue conducting research, analyzing user concerns, and testing solutions until they find the absolute best one.
While bounded rationality was effective at the time, this new form of product design requires deeper thinking, challenging assumptions, and redefining problems to uncover creative solutions. It typically involves four stages.
The first step in this process is understanding user needs. If you want people to buy and use your new product, it has to be something that solves a problem they have or makes their lives better in one way or another.
This approach to design is human-centered, requiring designers to seamlessly integrate the needs of people with technology. To make a product that people will want to use, the designer must delve into user problems. The principles of design thinking assert that they should empathize with users and research their needs.
Secondly, the team should state the user’s needs and problems. Analyze observations and synthesize research to define the core problem they want to address. In this stage, designers write problem statements to narrow down what problem they are going to solve.
Next, design teams can begin the ideation stage. This is where they can think outside of the box and brainstorm every possible solution to the problem.
Once potential solutions have been brainstormed, it’s time to prototype. Teams can experiment with different ideas to achieve the solution they are looking to create. In design thinking, it’s important to continue making prototypes until it’s just right. Not okay, not good enough, but just right.
The final stage is testing. Once the final prototype has been built, teams can take it out into the real world. This is when teams meet with focus groups of potential users to get real feedback.
Design Thinking Formats
There are three common formats that product design teams use.
Head, Heart, and Hand
The head, heart, and hand approach, created by the American Institute of Graphic Arts, is a holistic approach that includes intellectual, emotional, and practical aspects. All design thinking includes these aspects, but Head, Heart, and Hand provides a simple way of looking at it.
Head is the intellectual aspect, including strategic thinking, problem-solving, research, and analysis. Heart is the emotional aspect. It requires empathy and passion to uncover the user’s needs and desires. Lastly, Hand is the practical aspect. It’s the stage where designers turn their ideas into physical products that solve the problem they uncovered.
Double Diamond
The Double Diamond format was created by the Design Council. It entails a four-pronged approach that includes Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. It’s very similar to Head, Heart, and Hand, but it provides a different way of thinking about it.
Discover involves gathering insights, Define identifies the problem, Develop is the brainstorming stage, and Deliver is the stage where concepts are tested until a viable solution is implemented.
Inspire, Ideate, and Implement
Created by Interaction Design, Inspire, Ideate, and Implement focuses on creating products that address the motivations behind consumers’ behaviors.
Inspire requires design teams to get inspired by understanding and being compassionate toward consumers’ needs. Ideate involves synthesizing insights and brainstorming creative solutions. Implement brings ideas to life through prototypes and tests.
Design Thinking Use Cases
Design thinking is a versatile brainstorming model that can be used in a variety of cases. While we’ve mainly focused on how it can be used for product design, it’s beneficial in several other cases, including the following.
- Business Strategy. Design thinking in business offers an opportunity to identify new markets and improve business models. Going through the five-step process allows key stakeholders to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their current business strategy.
- Service Industry. Design thinking in service industries can enhance customer experiences. Taking an in-depth look at customer desires and testing the best way to meet those desires can greatly improve the services offered.
- Education. Educators can use design thinking to improve learning experiences for students of all ages. Empathizing with student concerns and struggles can inspire educators to create new learning models.
- Healthcare. Design thinking can improve patient care, create new technology devices, and develop better services. By taking a holistic and innovative approach to healthcare, healthcare workers open the door to creative solutions to problems they may never have noticed before.
- Social Policies. Design thinking can address social issues facing communities, such as housing or sustainability. Looking at issues facing the community through a design thinking lens can bring up more creative ideas that have the potential to solve problems that were once seen as “unsolvable.”
- Urban Planning and Architecture. Urban planners and architects can use design thinking to create spaces that are functional, beautiful, and responsive to community needs. By taking a human-centric approach, urban planners and architects can create spaces that people want to use while solving functional problems.
- Marketing. Using design thinking can help marketers create compelling campaigns and strong brands that connect with consumer emotions. Understanding consumers’ emotions, needs, and issues, allows for stronger campaigns and innovative marketing solutions.
Start Using Design Thinking Today
Design thinking is a powerful asset that businesses should have in their arsenal. It provides a system for teams to tackle difficult problems. By understanding user needs, brainstorming original solutions, and conducting practical tests, businesses can unleash their full potential.
Mythos Group has a deep understanding of design thinking. Contact us today for a consultation!