Design Thinking: A Beginner’s Guide

Innovation isn’t a one-step process. To create something truly novel and useful, you need to understand, and then provide, solutions. And innovating solutions in the form of products and services requires a modern mindset.

Enter design thinking: a human-centered approach for business innovation. Although it specifically addresses workflows for design projects, the process may apply to any professional problem-solving situation. You can use design thinking to tackle complex and minimally-defined problems in various fields, including product development, user experience (UX) design, and problem solving.

Human-centered design can lead to innovative solutions, and the design thinking process is key. Keep reading to learn what design thinking is, the steps in the process and how it functions in various projects and fields.

What is Design Thinking?

As a methodology, design thinking is a way of solving problems. It can be traced back centuries, though the concept became far more defined in the 20th century.

The design thinking approach works to solve complex problems with innovation based on users’ actual needs. Rather than focusing on the problem itself (e.g., reduced productivity, new product design), design thinking is solution based.

Because this is human-centered design, the process is iterative and often non-linear. Experts divide the process into phases (anywhere from three to seven, depending on whose method you use), with the understanding that one phase doesn’t always lead directly into the next. In fact, different groups might conduct more than one phase at a time, or learn things in later phases that lead them to return to earlier steps.

Far from detrimental, this non-linear cycle keeps focus on flexibility, collaboration and empathy with users–all essential for human-centric solutions.

The 5 Points of Design Thinking

The design thinking process is divided into iterative phases. This particular breakdown is from the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. Remember, the process doesn’t have to be linear; you may revisit or reorder phases as needed.

Empathize

The focus on user needs can’t be overstated, and empathizing is how you deepen an understanding of them. Use interviews, immersing yourself in user environments, UX research and consultations to empathize and gather as much information as possible.

Define

Bring together what you learned from user research to define user needs and problems. Be careful not to state the problem as you desire for the organization (5% sales increase, for example). Instead, define what people need relative to what you're offering (parents need to provide simple, healthy meals every day).

Ideate

Now you get to the brainstorming phase, based on your empathy and definitions. To ideate, look at the problem from each relevant point of view, and generate as many solution ideas as possible. Pick the best two or three ideas to try going forward.

Prototype

A prototype is a scaled-down version of the best ideas thus far. You might try them among your own small team, share them with others in the organization or show them to a select outside group. Even without testing, the creation and exploration of prototypes teach you a great deal about the solution.

Test

Rigorous testing of the best features and products is the only way to truly know what works. You’re still building empathy and understanding–meaning you might find, with testing, that certain aspects, or the whole product, require more research or ideation. Keep in mind, as you test, the ultimate goal of human-centered, user needs design.

The Goal & Philosophy of Design Thinking

The primary objective of design thinking is to develop innovative solutions that meet human needs. While the goal may certainly be related to business performance and growth, the philosophy behind getting there is user-centric.

Design thinking differentiates itself from other problem-solving methodologies by viewing goals through that human lens. Yes, you care about your bottom line, but you know it’s about more than making a sale. The actual purpose of your good or service is to meet a real need, and starting with that goal makes for a better final product.

The philosophy of design thinking is iterative (a repeated cycle) yet flexible. When people are at the center of everything from research to testing, things aren’t always black and white or predictable. The viability of your work depends on your willingness to tweak definitions, alter prototypes or even start over from scratch.

Design thinking, as a formal approach, really got going in the mid-20th century. By the early 21st century, key figures like Tim Brown of IDEO and David Kelley of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford were developing more granular outlines for the design thinking process. Today, leaders and students continue refining the functionality of design thinking for digital and analog landscapes.

How Design Thinking Differs from Traditional Problem-Solving Approaches

Design thinking is in contrast to more traditional problem-solving methods. Historically, many fields and industries employed a more linear process (sometimes called “Waterfall”), which defined a problem from a business standpoint and approached it with a rigid, one-step-after-the-other procedure.

Truly creative solutions are less ordered. Design thinking takes a non-linear, flexible approach focused on empathy and user feedback (sometimes called “Agile”). Instead of thinking about problems from the perspective of what a business wants to do, design thinking starts with considering what potential customers want and need.

The consideration of human desires means the process has to be less analytical and more empathetic. Before you can brainstorm, you have to listen. Rather than focusing on sales margins and statistics, you concentrate on solutions and specific users.

The Importance of Your Problem Statement

Of note is the importance of the reference and value of a problem statement, which you build in the Define phase. It’s a balance of focus and flexibility that keeps you on track but leaves room for creativity.

Your problem statement is a sentence or question that defines the purpose of your project (the solution). Once you’ve gathered a wealth of information during the Empathize phase, you analyze it to define the core problems that need solving.

It’s vital that you keep the problem statement human-centered. This isn’t about who your brand wants to be or statistics about customer satisfaction. It’s about something people need, such as nutritious food, affordable home supplies or engaging entertainment.

When your problem statement centers on a user need, your team can creatively build the best solution. If the statement is a business goal, the team won’t be as connected to what their work does for people. And it’s that connection to real people and their needs that will, ultimately, lead to a better product.

Examples of Design Thinking

So, what does design thinking look like in practice? These real-world examples from Harvard Business School should make things a bit clearer.

Airbnb

Early on, Airbnb's founders realized that the images on their site were deterring rather than exciting renters. To deepen their empathy with users, they went to the various rental locations to see what users wanted to view on the site.

Rather than obsess over increasing traffic and revenue, they defined the problem (poor, lacking images) and pondered how to improve it. They implemented the practice of taking high-quality pictures of the whole property and including more enticing information in the listing (hot tub, nearby attractions). After a week, Airbnb’s revenue doubled.

GE Healthcare

It doesn’t get much more important than children’s healthcare. A case study of a GE product demonstrates just how big a difference design thinking can make in people’s lives.

MRIs are difficult for children especially, as they must be still in an unfamiliar, dark environment. Hearing the feedback of parents, technicians and children, GE Healthcare developed technology that turned MRI machine interiors into scenes of pirate chips, beaches and the ocean.

In turning a hard situation into an adventure, GE Healthcare saw patient satisfaction increase by 90%.

The Role of Design Thinkers in Design Teams

The makeup of a design thinking team depends on the size of your organization and whom you’re trying to reach. It might be your entire company, or it might be a select combination of your marketing and creative teams.

In general, a group of around nine design thinkers is ideal–enough to get a range of perspectives and expertise, but not so large that it’s hard to coordinate meetings and communications.

It’s vital that the entire team be dedicated to collaboration for good design. Individuals will bring their own ideas, biases and hopes, and should feel safe to voice them during the process. However, no one thinker is in charge. Instead, delegate things like resource allocation and communication to whomever is best suited.

As the process moves forward, you may need to collaborate with other teams for prototype production and testing. Still, the design team's ultimate responsibility remains to focus on the problem statement, communicate with stakeholders and promote diverse perspectives in the pursuit of good design.

Design Thinking in Different Fields

Design thinking is key in various industries, such as software development, product design, non-profits, UX design and entrepreneurship. Every industry has users, and all users face challenges.. Thus, design thinking always applies with its adaptability and effectiveness in solving complex problems.

In software development, for example, you’re designing applications that solve problems for businesses or individuals. The non-linear process lends itself well, considering the numerous features typically involved.

If you’re working with a non-profit, the organization likely exists to address social challenges. Empathy is absolutely essential, and a willingness to challenge existing understandings and revisit definitions is part of staying helpful.

When entrepreneurs want to share new products or services, design thinking is how they measure their dreams against consumer interest.

Key Takeaways

Design thinking is all about providing real solutions to human problems through:

Empathy with users
Problem defining
Idea generation
Prototype creation
Testing leading prototypes

Collaboration is key, and the ability to be flexible and revisit previous work is paramount. Because design thinking prioritizes solutions to specific human challenges, teams have to be willing to pivot as new information becomes available.

It’s a departure from more traditional methodologies, which adhere to rigid steps and linear thinking. Design thinking lends itself better to adapting across industries and fields to help organizations solve problems with thoughtful solutions.

The future of design thinking is exciting, and plenty of tools and resources are available for learning more. Skillshare is an excellent resource on design classes, both practical and theoretical, and comes with different projects to help build your portfolio. Aspiring designers can connect with leading design teachers for feedback and career advice.

Written By

Katie Mitchell

Katie lives in Michigan with her husband, kids and pets. She enjoys cooking, travel and live music.