Ok. So you heard this new buzz word and it's springing up everywhere...Design Thinking. But what exactly is this Design Thinking?
First, let's get things straight. Design Thinking is known by many names, like Service Design, Human Centred Design, Experience Design, and UX, to name a few. They are all creative names referring to the same thing.
In a nutshell, it is a very efficient method for Innovation and Co-creation by focusing on the User's needs. And Design Thinking workshops are also great fun!
The key is just three simple words:
1. Innovation - coming up with great workable solutions, no one would have thought of!
2. Co-creation - working together to achieve more. The more diverse the group the better, because everyone brings a new perspective
3. User - by focusing on our user we create solutions that matter
What do we do during Design Thinking Workshops?
Together (co-creation) we come up with new ideas (innovation) to meet the needs of our user (be it customer, employee, or even society in sustainability workshops).
Here's how we roll in a typical Design Thinking Workshop...
1. We understand our user
We truly listen, understand the user, and create a Persona.
2. We define the problem we want to solve
Now that we know our user, we understand what are the problems that our user wants to find a solution for. We do not start with finding a solution, and then creating the need to fit that solution!
3. We come up with many ideas and then filter them down
In this phase, sky is the limit, we encourage all sorts of crazy ideas, because crazy ideas lead to innovative solutions. Then we discuss and filter the ones which are worth working on.
4. We prototype our top ideas
So, now we make our idea tangible by building a journey map and a model. This encourages us to think critically about how we can make the idea work in practice...and its great fun!
5. Finally we put our idea to the test
Now is the test of truth, we pitch our idea and get feedback, so that the next iteration is better.
To Close Off....
Design Thinking is a great way to enhance team work, by coming up with innovative solutions, which fit the user's needs.
The uses of Design Thinking are limitless. Really. It is a tool for innovation rather than a prescriptive method. It works nicely for companies like: Nike, Airbnb, Dyson, Netflix, Ikea, Barclays and many others. Some use cases for Design Thinking are, developing new products which really work for customers, designing the employee experience by focusing on retention, and coming up with new creative ways of saving our planet! ... and this, to only name a few.
We would love to help you bring innovation, co-creation and user focus in your organisation. Get to know more on our web page.