Design thinking is a methodology that attempts to solve complex problems in a creative and user-centric way. Core features of the design thinking methodology include:
- Focus on end-users. The end-user plays a key role in the design thinking process—all key product design decisions are evaluated according to the end user’s needs and wants.
- Solid problem framing. Rather than accepting the problem as given, designers explore the problem space to find a root cause of the problem. The insights they gain can help designers reinterpret the given problem.
- Creating tangible solutions. Convey design solutions using sketching and prototyping as opposed to presentations and slide decks.
The five-stage design thinking model was originally posited by the Hasso-Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (d.school). The design thinking stages are:
Empathize. Understand the problem of the user for whom you are designing.
Define. Form a problem statement.
Ideate. Generate creative solutions to this problem.
Prototype. Build a tangible representation of this solution.
Test. Validate this solution with your target audience.
