Understanding Design Thinking and its Goals, Steps and Principles

Have you ever felt confused when you wanted to solve a user-focused problem? Don't worry, there is an approach that can help you get out of this situation, it's called design thinking!

Design thinking is not just for graphic designers or architects, but can be used by anyone who wants to find creative solutions to any problem.

A study found that companies that consistently apply design thinking have up to 50% higher financial profits compared to their competitors who do not apply this approach.

So, what is design thinking?

Let's thoroughly examine the meaning of design thinking, principles, goals, and steps!

What is Design Thinking?

Design thinking is a way to solve problems creatively and systematically. This process involves five phases, namely empathy (Empathize), definition (Define), ideation (Ideate), prototype (Prototype), and testing (Test).

Interestingly, this method was developed by academics and creative professionals from well-known institutions such as Stanford University, you know.

They realize that to truly solve problems, they cannot rely solely on logic alone. However, emotions and empathy also play an important role.

Research even proves that when you are empathetic, creativity can skyrocket!

Purpose of Design Thinking

Design thinking can bring many benefits to your team or organization, you know! Come on, see the explanation below:

• Better understand what users really need.
• Try new ideas gradually so that the risk of failure is smaller.
• Think creatively and create completely new solutions.
• This method allows you to quickly learn from mistakes so you can make improvements more quickly.
• Design thinking also makes collaboration in teams better.

Steps to Design Thinking

Design thinking is a concept that provides creative and innovative solutions. This method is not just about solving problems, but also about feeling and understanding user needs in a more personal way.

In fact, according to research, teams that apply design thinking are better able to find innovative solutions that satisfy users.

So, what are the steps in design thinking? Here's the explanation!

1. Empathize

The first step in the design thinking process is empathy. That is, you try to understand the problem from the user's perspective.

You must be able to feel what users feel and understand their perspective better. Whether it's through interviews, observation, or research.

Why is this important to do?

Because this way, you can create solutions that suit their needs, rather than just relying on guesswork.

2. Define

The next step is to define (define). After collecting information, it's time for you to analyze it.

Formulate a clear and specific problem based on the data collected. This phase helps you stay focused on finding a solution.

3. Ideate

Ideation is the phase where you are free to imagine and bring out all the ideas that are in your head. There are no limits to ideas.

You can create as many ideas as you like, no matter how strange or brilliant they are. You can also hold brainstorming sessions to generate new and innovative ideas.

4. Prototype

After that, the fourth step is to create a prototype. Take some of your best ideas and create a prototype or initial model of the solution.

This prototype can be a physical model, digital mock-up, or even a simple sketch. The goal is to test the concept in real life and get feedback from users, before you spend a lot of time and resources developing it.

5. Test

Lastly, there is the testing phase step. This is the step where you test the prototype on users to see how effective it is in solving the problem.

By testing, you will get feedback from users. That way, you can use this information to refine and develop your solution further.

Principles of Design Thinking

Now let's discuss the basic principles of design thinking that can help you create creative and useful solutions for users. Some of these principles include:

Care about user experience

In design thinking, the most important thing is to understand user needs and feelings.

You have to listen to what they need and how they experience using your product or service. Remember, it is the user who is at the center of innovation, not the technology.

Cooperate

You also need to work closely with other teams, such as marketing and design teams. By working together, you can get fresh ideas that are useful for creating better solutions.

Generating Ideas and Solutions

Once you understand the problem, it's time to develop creative ideas. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and explore various possible ideas. Remember, the more ideas, the better!

Try and Fix

Design thinking is not only about generating ideas, but also about creating prototypes, testing them, and making improvements based on user feedback. This process may repeat itself until you find the right solution.

Actively Engage

The most important thing is that you must be actively involved in solving the problem. Rather than just speculating about user needs, you should interact directly with users and listen to what they need.

Ready to Face Obstacles

Remember, not everything will go smoothly at first. Failure is part of the process. You have to learn from mistakes and keep trying new things.

Flexible

Good design must be able to adapt to future changes. You must be ready to change your product or service to remain relevant to user needs.

Simple

Successful products are simple and easy to use. You have to eliminate unnecessary things so that the product is easier for users to understand.

So, that's a complete explanation of design thinking! With this approach, you can find creative solutions to various problems you are facing.

If you are interested in learning more about design thinking and developing your skills in creating creative solutions, don't hesitate to join our training program!

We offer classes designed to help you understand design thinking concepts in more depth and apply them in practice.
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