If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand meetings.
What is Design Thinking?
Design thinking is an element of a design methodology that is concerned with adopting creative solutions to solve complex real-life problems. The approach is more human-centric and allows designers to analyze, develop, create, and improve on ideas as they walk through various stages of the design process. It is concerned with the emotions of people and how certain actions will result in specific directions.
Automation may have made run-of-the-mill work easier and less redundant but what differentiates an automated approach from a creative approach is the lack of human element. You may crunch as many numbers and data in the system, but the results will always be around the same data. However, seeing the current market trends, brands do need to look for an out-of-the-box solution. Enter the design thinking which incorporates a cognitive, strategic, and practical process used to develop design concepts.
The Power of Storytelling
Stories, which are an integral part of our development process, help visualize connections and trigger a chain of thought. It helps you connect with the characters, the setting, and the plot and leaves a lasting memorable impression. When it comes to design thinking, storytelling serves as a common chord that connects all the 5 elements of the approach and gives insights into building empathy and creating personas out of the collected information.
Design Thinking or ‘Outside the Box’ Thinking
In the year 2009, Volkswagen accepted a challenge in collaboration with The Fun Theory which led to the introduction of piano stairs. They had a straightforward objective — to encourage more people to climb the stairs than take the elevator. To execute the plan, the stairs were revamped to make them look like a gigantic piano. As a result, people hopped onto the stairs to listen to the fun sounds they created while stepping. Thus, we see how a little tweak to the regular steps prompted more people to take them, an out-of-the-box design thinking solution indeed!
Science and Rationality in Design Thinking
Design thinking involves a hypothesis that is tested based on specific parameters which define the problem. How the design thinkers function is that they focus entirely on the parameters and try to tweak them to get different results. These results are then compared to get an optimal solution to a problem.
5 Stages of Design Thinking
Empathize
Design thinking involves establishing empathy with the target audience. It is for this reason why one requires a human touch because only one can empathize. Design thinking requires a deeper concept of the problem. You must understand how specific users react to their environment and explore the ideas tossed by focus groups, case studies, and A/B testing.
Define (The Problem)
Once you have gathered all the necessary data, is it important to put it in the correct sequence to make sense out of it. You must analyze your observations to clearly define what the root problem is. Defining the problem is a result of extensive flowcharts, infographics, and other devices to collect information.
Ideate
Ideation is the stage where the design thinkers come up with a creative and out-of-the-box solution to the problems. Brainstorming forms an essential element of the ideation stage which allows you to find the solution to the ‘why’ of your problem.
Prototype
Prototyping is the first phase where you start ‘building’ on the plan. The final idea is put to test with the help of a prototype. A prototype is a scaled-down and inexpensive model of the product which is offered to some users for testing.
Test
Testing is the stage where you receive feedback on the design. It is also a reiterative stage since the results of these tests are often used for the continuous improvement strategy. With each test, adjustments are made in the original model to dish out the perfect final product.
Design Thinking is the use of a flexible, human-centric, and iterative approach to solving some of the most complex real-life problems.
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