Design thinking is a highly versatile framework for solving complex, human-centered problems in any domain. Popularized by the global design firm IDEO, it provides a roadmap for innovating new products, services, and user experiences. When leaders adopt the mindsets, methods, and tools of design thinking, they create an organizational culture that is ripe for creative thinking and problem-solving.
The power of design thinking as an innovation tool lies in its laser focus on people. The model first puts designers in the role of ethnographic-style researchers tasked with observing people in their natural environments and interviewing potential end users. The goal is straightforward: come to understand what people really need and then develop solutions that meet those needs. Design thinking can be viewed as a five-phase process: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.
In the Empathize phase, pay particular attention to pain points—moments of frustration or kinks in the user experience—and workarounds, which are people’s makeshift solutions or clever hacks. When you identify a user pain point or a workaround, it’s like flashing neon lights around unmet user needs, and that translates into an innovation opportunity. Also seek out and study extreme users. These are people at the tail ends of the bell curve, and instead of casting them off as outliers, gain inspiration from them. Extreme users may help you see a new perspective.
Next, in the Define phase, craft insights or point-of-view statements about people based on patterns in the field research. The best insights are grounded in data, reflect new learning about the user, and reveal something compelling about what motivates people.
A truly great insight is a stepping stone to a breakthrough innovation. This is because in the next phase, Ideate, insights are reframed as How Might We… questions that can be answered through brainstorming. For example, an insight that reads: “Some people feel anxious during the airline travel experience because they feel it is unpredictable and dislikes the loss of control” can become “How might we help people feel more in control and more informed during their airline travel experience?”
To ensure a fruitful brainstorming experience, establish ground rules, as they do at IDEO. First, write the How Might We question on the top of the chart paper and stay focused on it. Stand in a semicircle and give each person a sharpie and sticky notes. Announce ideas as they get added to the shared canvas, try sketching ideas, strive for high quantity, build on others’ ideas, and don’t knock down any ideas as they come in. Using a sharpie and a 3×3 sticky note will help you share just the “headline” of your idea so you can keep the brainstorming moving and not dissolve into sideline conversations.
Once the team has converged on the most promising ideas—typically those that have a significant impact without significant investment—it is then time to Prototype. Storyboarding is a useful tool for getting budding solutions into a format that people can quickly understand and react to. In a comic strip, you sketch out the end-to-end reimagined experience. Then, you pitch the “story” to potential users who provide feedback that fuels iteration. Since people tend to shut down in the face of critical feedback, begin with a round of “What do you love about this idea?” before seeking questions or critique.
Eventually, digital or 3-D prototypes are developed and tested with users. Engaging in parallel prototyping, where you have developed several solutions that are presented simultaneously to users, will likely elicit the most honest feedback. People will be more likely to tell you what they like and dislike about each prototype versus being asked about a singular option. In addition to user testing, run mini-experiments where you test key assumptions upon which your solution is based.
Why Design Thinking Works
Design thinking is an effective innovation framework for several reasons. First, identifying unmet needs is the “north star,” and people reliably seek products and services that fill a need in their lives. Since people’s needs evolve, and design thinking highlights those needs, innovation opportunities continuously arise. Next, room to fail is baked into the design process and is not only tolerated but is expected and recognized as a key step in the path to an effective solution. The fast-paced “design sprint” format is celebrated for being low-risk and efficient. Cross-functional design teams can move from problem to solution in under a week if needed. Employees find the pace energizing, and the company can try out ideas and pivot without fear of sunk costs.
Training Employees to Be Design Thinkers
Training employees in design thinking entails rolling out a series of workshops in which methods, mindsets, and tools are introduced and practiced. In “master class” level training, teams can move beyond understanding into application, where the trainer coaches participants through a company-specific design sprint. The graduates of the “master class” can then be trained to lead design sprints on their own within the organization.
One immediate benefit of training teams in design thinking is that they learn and adopt a common innovation language that begins to take hold in the workplace. Employees call out pain points and workarounds, seek out extreme users, and consider user journeys. They suggest brainstorming, and they remind each other to be human-centered.
Employees who are proficient in design thinking embrace hone skills that continually benefit the organization. They are curious, generative, and creative. They work well in teams and appreciate collaboration. They become effective verbal and visual communicators. They value iteration over perfectionism, which can dangerously lead to overplanning and under-prototyping. They are comfortable giving and receiving critical feedback. As a result, they become socialized to view critical feedback as a gift that fuels innovation, and prototype-test cycles become normalized. Most importantly, they become empathetic leaders capable of taking others’ perspectives. Ultimately, when enough employees are developed into design thinkers, they will nurture an organizational culture where innovation can thrive.
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