Design Thinking

🧩 What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a user-centered innovation methodology that solves complex problems through empathy, ideation, prototyping, and iteration.

• Professionally, it consists of five steps: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.
• In simple terms, it’s about “thinking from the user’s perspective and experimenting quickly to find practical solutions.”

🧪 Origin & Key Figures

• Origin: 1960s, pioneered by Stanford University and IDEO.
• Key Figures: David Kelley (founder of IDEO), Tim Brown (former CEO of IDEO).
• Famous Cases:
  • IDEO redesigned patient experiences in hospitals to reduce anxiety.
  • Companies like Apple, Airbnb, and Google apply Design Thinking for innovation.

🛠 How to Use Design Thinking

1. Empathize – Understand user needs through interviews, observation, and journey mapping.
2. Define – Frame problems into clear challenges (“How might we...”).
3. Ideate – Brainstorm broadly, quantity before quality.
4. Prototype – Build quick, low-fidelity models (sketches, demos).
5. Test – Gather user feedback, refine, and iterate.

📚 Case Studies

• Case 1 (Business – Airbnb): By photographing hosts’ apartments professionally, Airbnb boosted user trust and conversions.

  Lesson: Small, empathetic experiments can unlock major growth.

• Case 2 (Healthcare – Children’s MRI): GE designers transformed MRI scans into a “pirate adventure,” easing children’s fear.

  Lesson: Creative empathy can solve problems beyond technology.

⚖️ Pros & Cons

Pros

• User-centered, practical solutions
• Encourages collaboration and creativity
• Rapid iteration reduces risks

Cons

• Less effective for rigid technical problems
• Requires significant time investment
• Success depends on team culture

📖 Recommended Resources

Books

• Change by Design — Tim Brown
• The Design of Everyday Things — Don Norman

Other Resources

• Stanford d.school courses
• IDEO U online platform

🎯 One-Sentence Summary

“Design Thinking: Innovating through empathy and iteration.”