Why Design Thinking?

Usually innovative new ideas don't come out of the blue but are already part of something. The process of value creation usually does not depend on one ingenius inventor but on a structured way to fully understand a given situation and — as an example — what problems (or benefits) could be solved (brought) to specific user groups in this situation. Often, this does not even involve pure novelty but rather a reorganization / recombination of something already existing. This means we collect real world data to put ourselves in the shoes of people who are in this situation (human-centered approach) in order to understand what creates value for those users.

Design Thinking not only guides us to understand and come up with ideas how to solve those problems (and therefore, truly understand the benefit solutions might bring) but also help us also to circumvent artificial impediments. Often, large companies have created their own immune system such as a certain company culture how a project must be run/owned or legacy IT infrastructure that determines how solutions can be build. With Design Thinking we do not immediately kill ideas that don't fit a certain company context but rather ask what if this idea would be brought to life? What if anything were possible?

Thinking out of the box will help us to first focus on value creation, on understanding the full potential of ideas before we dismiss them. An idea does not live in an ivory tower but is rather a business concept that is based on certain facts and solution assumptions. We call those ideas hypotheses.

The next step is to find out what hypotheses might bring the highest value. To do so we test the most promising hypotheses with people we expect to need those solutions. To do so, we use prototypes. This validation is also called an experiment – we want to learn in the real world if an idea is worth to be continued, needs amendments or should be dismissed. Of course, testing also involves the company structure and impediments if a certain hypothesis is feasible or not and – looking at profit oriented organizations – if a product / market fit can be established.

This process is fast and iterative: Real-world feedback cycles help us to learn fast, adjust our assumptions and improve our hypothesis based on facts. This is called a user-driven approach that helps us to constantly shape our solutions based on the values it should bring for its users, other stakeholders and the organization providing those solutions.

What is Design Thinking?

The process of thinking itself is shaped: we shape the way how we understand and solve problems by focusing on the needs and motivations of people for whom this problem exists. The process itself is collaborative: problem-solving is most effective when people from different disciplines work together in an environment that supports creativiThe process of thinking itself is shaped: we shape the way how we understand and solve problems by focusing on the needs and motivations of people for whom this problem exists. The process itself is collaborative: problem-solving is most effective when people from different disciplines work together in an environment that supports creativity.

Design Thinking = to design thinking

Core practices of Design Thinking

Jeanne Liedtka has defined the following five core practices of Design Thinking:

1. Develop a deep, empathetic understanding of the needs and context of those for whom (and with whom) we are designing
2. Form diverse teams
3. Create multiple solutions (hypotheses) and make them tangible and testable
4. Foster conversations that encourage dialogue instead of debate
5. Offer a structured and facilitated process

(Liedtka 2021:13)

Design process models

For a better understanding how Design Thinking works, it helps to apply it to a design process model.

There are many models and we will first focus on the Double Diamond model that became popular in 2011 when promoted by the British Design Council. (This model was extended in 2021 and you can find a link to the revised version in the reference section of this article.)

The Google Design Sprint builds on top of the double diamond model and tries to incorporate the whole process within one week. A lot of companies run Design Thinking Workshops which are in essence very condensed variations.

Another process model that grew directly out of Design Thinking is for instance the four question approach – What is? What if? What wows? What works? – by Jeanne Liedtka.

Those process models give an idea how to collaboratively and iteratively solve problems with a human-centered approach. A process model complements Design Thinking by providing a structured framework. We will look at the Double Diamond model and the four questions approach to give a more comprehensive overview of what Design Thinking aims at.

If you are interested in design models in general I recommend the Book “How do you design?” by Hugh Dubberly. See reference section for a link to this book.

Double Diamond

In 1996 Béla H. Bánáthy proposed the divergence-convergence model in his book “Designing Social Systems in a Changing World”. This design process model became popular when it was enhanced and published by the British Design Council as Double Diamond model in 2005.

• Divergent thinking refers to exploring and building up a deeper understanding: create options.
• Convergent thinking refers to having fully understood the options and hence, to be able to make a choice.

What is? What if? What wows? What works?

Whereas the Double Diamond model is suitable for any human centered problem solving context, the four questions approach puts business growth at its center.

Thinking about innovation and growth, Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie proposed the four questions and then methods approach in their book Designing for Growth. In the following paragraphs I will outline the main concept and the proposed methods except one – visualization – as visualization is at the heart of everything. In Design Thinking you don't just talk about concepts but rather make them as tangible and concrete as possible. Therefore, visualization is at the core of the whole process. Be it as a rough sketch, prototype or just the grouping of some post-its. We always try to structure and organize information in a visual way.

The Business Model Canvas is for example another tool that can be used in either of those approaches and I use this to hightlight that Design Thinking is a very flexible and dynamic approach. The core principles highlighted earlier at this article are what binds Design Thinking together. It is up to the concrete problem and your organizational context, what techniques you apply.