Estimated time to read: 2 minutes

A Structure For Innovative Solutions

Now that we’ve discussed the foundations of problem-solving, let’s take it to the next level: a human-centered, iterative approach called design thinking. 

Design thinking has become a big buzz word in the past few years. It is the concept and process of solving complex problems by thinking like a designer.

Why? Because all designers must put the user’s needs first. Great designers will rarely create a product that is not useful for its target audience. 

That’s why design thinking is often referred to as user-centered or human-centered design!

Creating a good solution begins with understanding the needs and wants of the people you're designing for; after all, people are more likely to apply a solution to their lives if it solves a relevant problem they face.

Design thinking can be best applied toward wicked problems. As the name suggests, wicked problems are complex situations without an obvious fix. 

Design thinking is also iterative, meaning the process will repeat itself through prototyping for continuous feedback to best meet the users’ needs.

It involves pinpointing a problem to solve, observing the needs, gaps, and context around the problem, prototyping, and repeatedly testing to discover the best solution.

Estimated time to read: 2 minutes

Before we get into the nitty gritty, how would you define design thinking in your own words? Take a moment to jot down your response.

Like we mentioned before, a core principle of design thinking is its emphasis on a human-centered approach at each stage of the process. As a result, the five steps of the design thinking process are:

• Empathize
• Define
• Ideate
• Prototype
• Test

Everything starts with empathy. If you can’t see things from the customer’s perspective, how can you design a product that will be optimal for them? The short answer is, you can’t! 

Empathy is the tool that allows you to take control of your business, your product, and your solutions by allowing the users themselves to drive your decisions as the creator.  

“A designer, no less than an engineer or a marketing executive, who simply generalizes from his standards and expectations limits the field of opportunity" -Tim Brown, 2009

Person → Need → Solution

Neat concept, right? To create an effective solution, you must identify a need, and to identify a need, you must identify the person who has that need. Now that you’re excited about design thinking, let’s next walk through the five steps.