Design Thinking

Design Thinking

Melika Ziba

Contents

1. What is Design Thinking

2. Design Thinking process and steps

3. Design Thinking Examples

4. My Thoughts

5. DT Video

What isDesign Thinking?

Definition & Examples

"The design thinking ideology asserts that a hands-on, user-centric approach to problem-solving can lead to innovation, and innovation can lead to differentiation and competitive advantage.

(Gibbons, 2016). "– Nielsen Norman Group.

Design Thinking Process

Step-by-step

How Does it Look Like?

Design Thinking is a generic framework that allows you to solve problems in an innovative, creative, and human-centric approach. According to Nielsen Norman Group, there are 3 phases (understand, explore and materialize) and six sub-phases (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test, and implement). Let's dig into each one.

Steps

Empathize

Ideate

Test

Prototype

Define

Emphathy

Empathy is one of the most important elements in both design thinking and the wider area of human-centered design.Empathy is our ability to see the world through other people's eyes — to see what they see, feel what they feel and experience things as they do

Simple Example

The Folded Dish Sponge, designed by Yoon Naera, is a winner of the 2014 Red Dot Awards. It features a dedicated scrub slot integrated into its spongy middle, allowing you to achieve squeaky-clean dishes. If you haven't experienced washing dishes from the user's perspective, it's unlikely you'll come up with a creative solution.

Empathy Map

You'll have to analyze its needs and wants and consider its behaviors, barriers, attitudes, preferences, etc. To visualize it better, all of this information can be then portrayed in an empathy map.

Define

Gather the findings and generate themes and patterns.By the end of the define phase, you will have a clear problem statement that will guide you throughout the design process. This will form the basis of your ideas and potential solutions.

Story Map

Categorizing the data that has been collected in empathy phase:

• User Activities
• Tasks
• User Stories

Ideate

The ideation phase is a judgment-free zone where the group is encouraged to venture beyond the norm, explore new perspectives, and think creatively. During ideation sessions, the goal is to generate as many ideas as possible, regardless of their feasibility!

Simple Example

General Steps:

• Group Ideation
• Grouping the ideas
• Narrow down the ideas

Prototype

A prototype is a smaller, simplified version of a product or feature. The purpose of the prototyping stage is to transform your ideas into a tangible form that can be tested with real users. This process ensures that the final design effectively addresses the user's needs and provides an enjoyable experience!

Simple Example

Prototyping mobile application pages.Testing the prototype with actual users to figure out the problems

Test

Observe your target users—or representative users—as they interact with your prototype. You’ll also gather feedback on how your users felt throughout the process.The results of the testing phase will often require you to revisit the empathize stage.

Simple Example

Testing the prototype of the bike rental app; observing user struggles and challenges.

Design Thinking Examples

From big companies

Oral-B

They wanted to update their electric toothbrush by adding more functionalities, such as tracking the frequency of use, detecting sensitive gums, etc. But that wasn't what the user needed. They empathized with the users, iterated using the Design Thinking framework, and realized they could improve the customer's experience with no extra functionality. For example, they made charging easier and more long-lasting, connecting them to their phones to send notifications and reminders, etc. This was a huge success.

Netflix

Netflix was able to empathize with the consumers, understand and correctly define a huge barrier that frustrated DVD consumers. They didn't want to be charged extra when they didn't return the movie on time, nor had to assist the brick-and-mortar shops physically, and having to decide among so many options at the store ended up frustrating some consumers. Netflix was able to take advantage of these opportunities and break down those barriers by launching its streaming, on-demand service with subscriptions with a great algorithm that suggests the best movies to see based on your historical search results and preferences. They tested each product before launching and added all feedback and features to make it a massive success in the market.

Uber

Uber is another excellent example of the Design Thinking model. For instance, they intensely studied their users, empathized with them, and noticed simple things, creating a totally different user experience. For example, they saw that nowadays, not everybody carries with them cash, so they offered cashless options. Also, they realized that rating Uber made customers rely more on the service, which motivated them to use it more often, and promoted good behavior in drivers improving the whole experience.

My Thoughts about DT

My Illustration

My thoughts about DT

DT Video

Inspiring!

An Inpiring video about DT

I highly recommend watching this video about DT, which covers each step of the process in an engaging and visual way!