In an increasingly competitive market, design thinking is a truly innovative methodology. In just a few steps, this concept enables a company to study a problem, generate ideas rapidly, transform solutions into concrete projects, and then deliver tangible prototypes. "Interested in design thinking? We'll explain how to put it into practice, and the concrete benefits!
What exactly is design thinking?
Definition & origins of Design thinking
Design thinking is a problem-solving method based on understanding user needs. In other words, it's a "human-centric" approach, where the aim is to generate ideas to find the most appropriate solution for consumers.
Since the 1990s, a growing number of companies have been using this concept to develop and improve the design of their products, services or processes. This creative approach encourages innovation and the participation of all members of the organization.
GOOD TO KNOW
Design thinking first appeared in the early 1970s, and was popularized 20 years later by American professors. It wasn't until 1990 that David Kelley applied this thinking to business.
Lean management, Agile method, Design Thinking
Often associated with "lean management" and the "agile method", design thinking differs from these two concepts:
- Lean management focuses on optimizing processes.
- The agile method refers to the ability to deliver quality products quickly.
- Finally, design thinking allows us to focus on use. Ideal for fostering team creativity, this method also encourages innovation by members of the organization.
Within a company, these three methods can be complementary. You can define solutions with design thinking, turn your ideas into business models with lean management, and deliver the product faster with agile processes.
Design thinking & collective intelligence
During a design thinking project, many professionals work hand in hand. Developers, technicians, marketing experts and designers search for the perfect solution to a very specific problem.
This method is ideal for strengthening team bonds!
The 4 stages of design thinking in project management
Step 1 – Empathy
The first step in design thinking is to understand the needs, expectations and contexts of future users, in order to better solve their problems. These are the people who will define the success (or otherwise) of your offering.
Ask yourself:
- What are their frustrations and concerns?
- What do they need from your product?
You need to find out exactly what they feel, do and think on a daily basis, in relation to your business sector.
The empathy stage can involve individual or small-group interviews, observations and surveys to gather information about consumers. This gathering phase can be documented, in agreement with stakeholders.
Step 2 – Defining the problem
This stage is used to clearly formulate the user's problem: the "pain point", or priority and painful issue encountered by users. This ensures that everyone in the company has the same information.
Ask your study group the following questions:
- How can we solve this problem?
- What could improve what already existson the market?
Step 3 – Ideation
The third stage is the generation of ideas to solve the main problem. In short, finding solutions!
Design thinking favors a collective approach, so that all members can share their ideas.
There are several techniques for generating ideas, such as brainstorming, the SCAMPER method or mindmapping. Generally, each person writes down his or her ideas on a Post-it note, which is then sorted by theme. Then it's time to vote on just 3 ideas, which will be prototyped.
Step 4 – The prototype
After the ideation phase, team members can create prototypes to test their ideas. Prototypes can be physical or virtual (wireframes). The only condition for validation? They must be sufficiently detailed to allow realistic testing, visualization and experimentation before implementation.
Ste p – Testing
The final stage involves testing the prototypes created by the teams, with a panel of users. This enables you to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement. It's important to test prototypes as early as possible so that modifications can be made before launching the product or service on the market!
This step will help you understand whether the solution meets your initial objectives, and whether it is viable.
Would you like to create innovative solutions within your organization?
Design thinking
GOOD TO KNOW
Design thinking is an iterative process, so you can repeat these steps to improve the solution until it perfectly meets consumer needs.
Example of a design thinking application
Let's say you're a startup and you want to create a new mobile application, using the design thinking method. This application is designed to put people in touch with each other to provide services.
The empathy phase would involve interviewing the target audience: what are their problems and frustrations? What are their needs? What would be the ideal application for them? Don't guess: ask them directly.
During the problem definition phase, the team identifies the priority of future users: to find someone they can trust, and to communicate simply and fluidly about the application.
During the ideation phase, your design thinking team organizes a brainstorming session to generate potential solutions. The implementation of a review system and the creation of a profile with photo seem to be at the heart of the future application.
It's time for prototyping: a first version of your mobile application is created and distributed to "founding" users. This is simply a beta-test, and the application has only the main functionalities.
Finally, the test phase is used to gather as much data as possible on how the application is used. Surveys and interviews will enable you to assess the effectiveness of your solution and make any necessary improvements.
The advantages and limitations of design thinking in business
The strengths of design thinking
Design thinking has many advantages:
- This method encourages creativity and "outside-the-box" thinking to solve challenges much more quickly than traditional methods.
- Design thinking creates links between members of a company, thanks to co-creation.
- This concept favors the user experience, since consumers are at the heart of this innovative approach. The results are more relevant and adapted to their real needs.
- Design thinking values teamwork and empowers employees who participate in the development of a product or service.
Last but not least, this agile method allows for mistakes to be made, and enables the trajectory of an idea to be rectified well before a solution is deployed on the market. A real time and money saver!
Disadvantages of design thinking
As with any method, design thinking also has a number of limitations:
- Because of the experimental nature of design thinking, there's a risk that some ideas won't work out as planned.
- To implement design thinking effectively, specific resources and skills are required, including empathy, problem definition and prototyping.
- For some traditional companies, it can be difficult to change their culture and way of operating in order to adopt design thinking.
Despite these limitations, many companies and organizations have adopted design thinking as a method of experimentation. Particularly useful at the start of a project (ideation process), this concept will help you improve the quality of your offers and the satisfaction of your customers!
