[originally published 10th December 2015]
As you know, I’m studying a course about Design Thinking for Innovation and it’s centered in design thinking as a problem solving approach. And specially into business environment.
But design thinking can be use in many different environments. And I find it as a great tool to develop our way to learn and to behave in our life/daily situations, as a way to really enjoy them.
Let’s find every situation you have to face as an opportunity to have fun, to learn and to think in a new way.
(The picture is from MONSTRUM, if you want to have a look at what they do, I love it!
What is Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is a methodology to generate innovative ideas. It focus the efficiency following the purpose of understand and give solution to the real needs of the product’s user. This methology comes from the product designers’ way of working. The key is to think how designers think.
The notion of design as a “way of thinking” in the sciences can be traced to Herbert A. Simon’s 1969 book The Sciences of the Artificial, and in design engineering to Robert McKim’s 1973 book Experiences in Visual Thinking.
Peter Rowe’s 1987 book Design Thinking, which described methods and approaches used by architects and urban planners, was a significant early usage of the term in the design research literature.
Rolf Faste expanded on McKim’s work at Stanford University in the 1980s and 1990s, teaching “design thinking as a method of creative action.”
Design thinking was adapted for business purposes by Faste’s Stanford colleague David M. Kelley, who founded IDEO in 1991. Today IDEO is the main precursor of this design manner and Stanford University is continuing delivering learning about this topic.
Who can use it?
Tim Brown: “Design thinking can be described as a discipline that uses the designer’s sensibility and methods to match people’s needs with what is technologically feasible and what a viable business strategy can convert into customer value and market opportunity.”
Design thinking is a innovation generator that can be applied to any field. It is the reason why big companies are using this methodology today.
IDEO’s approach:
How it works?
The methology process bases are:
Required materials: Markers, sheets of paper, sticky notes, colored pencils, glue and a camera. It will be our tools to promote visual communication, which is critical in this methodology.
The team: Teamwork is essential to put into practice the Design Thinking methodology. The more diverse, the better. So you can add new points of view, knowledge and experience. It is essential at least one person who knows how the methodology works. Also the core of people participating to the end must be stable, but in some phases (like generation of ideas or testing prototypes) more people can join the team.
The venue: even you will develop some techniques outdoors or in different places, you will need a workspace. Look for a site large enough to work around a table and free walls where you can paste the ideas and information which are coming out. Think of a bright and inspiring place, conducive to relaxed working. A place where you can you feel comfortable and feel good mood atmosphere. Remember that an inspiring space encourages innovation.
The actitude: On design thinking actitude is essential. We must adopt the actitude of a designer. We must be curious, observers and empathetic with people and their circumstances. Being able to put in their shoes. Question the status quo, and not carry prejudices or suppositions. We must be optimistic and positive. Lose the fear of being wrong,and see mistakes as opportunities.
How we do it?
Design Thinking process consists of five stages. It is not linear. At any time you can go backward or forward if you see it is needed or useful. You will collect a lot of information, generate a lot of content that will increase or decrease depending on the stage where you are.
Throughout the process you will define the content to lead to a solution that achieve all the goals you were looking for. And surely, this solution even exceeded the main goals.
You can get more information about design thinking process through this guide. And here you can read it in Spanish.
I get all the information thanks to: Stanford.edu; designthinking.es and IDEO.