In the 1st part of this two-part series, the prime questions we’ll be addressing are –What is Design Thinking? Why we’ve adopted Designing Thinking in our organization and why you should too. And of course, how can it help your business grow!
What is Design Thinking?
“A brainstorming process that promises to help tackle big ideas in a manageable way.”
“A formal method for practical, creative resolution of problems and creation of solutions.”
“It’s a mindset focused on solutions and not the problem.”
Many definitions, one purpose – to help you learn and grow.
Why have we adopted Design Thinking approach?
Over the years, we’ve adopted different elements of the Design Thinking approach and have become really passionate about it. You know why? Because it works! And not just for tech or design industries. Think – government, health care, financial services or non-profits. Any field is potentially ripe for this kind of innovation.
Design Thinking has transformed our view of the problems and questions we face in our world. It has helped us step outside of the traditional boxes with visual thinking, creativity, and innovation in order to find new solutions to the same old issues. Maybe it’s not even about problems; maybe it’s about finding a better way.
How can it help you grow?
Brings the spotlight on the end-user: You’ve probably heard it multiple times but here goes again. Once you get in your customers’ shoes, you can hit the ground running. At the core of this problem-solving approach is empathy for customers. The goal is to develop useful products and solutions that fit the needs of the user, not the other way around.
Harnesses the power of collective: Our brands are built by our stakeholders – employees, executive and customers alike. A key takeaway from this principle is to build multidisciplinary teams that have the potential of bringing different perspectives and opinions to the table. This helps us break out of our respective fields to leverage our collective wisdom, experience, and expertise.
Rebooting Your Philosophy: At the heart of this approach is the rhythmic process of – design, test, and iterate. It allows you to have those completely unexpected breakthroughs by creating several rapid prototypes and encouraging fast feedback from actual users and customers before spending too much time, effort or money on any one idea.
Solves real problems: Design Thinking isn’t just creativity and innovation for its own sake; it’s specifically directed at creating value and solving problems. But instead of going about either of these in the traditional ways, Design Thinking seeks to use design principles to solve problems, from small to large, in almost any industry.
It can be challenging to implement at a more established company where process and systems run amuck, but the benefits outweigh the process of cutting through all the red tape. And for small business owners, a design thinking culture is yours to create and lead.
In the 2nd part of the series, you’ll learn how to introduce the principles of Design Thinking to your daily operations, in order to transform your brand. Stay tuned!
