Design Thinking is a process to establish innovation and change in your company.

Is this statement true? Yes? No, not really. Design Thinking is much more than just a process to follow. It is a Process and a way of thinking and working. Or lets say a Mindset. To be good in it you need to change the organization around you. Update the work culture.

The Design Thinking Process

We spoke already about the process part. You can find a step by step guide on this blog too. A process including 6 steps: Empathize, Observe, Point of View, Ideate, Prototype, Test

A strong method to create wonderful and great solutions for problems and product development requirement in many cases. A requirement for many companies these days. But how to identify the correct way for the team. As mentioned Design Thinking is a process and a mindset. So what does this mean?

Design Thinking is called a user centric method to assist in new ways of thinking. Think and develop using the customers input and point of view. For the team, they need to change there way of working. Open up your mind, leave the comfort zone and look at the problems in a very different view. Supported by interdisciplinary teams and members. Changing environments and locations.

In the end Design Thinking will have these three major topics.

Team / Room / Process

The Process

Lets start with process. The process as shown with 6 steps to follow a guideline to identify, specify and understand the real problem. Followed by ideation and development of an solution and a prototype to solve the mentioned problem. The process will help you as a step by step guide to follow a line of working units and instructions to work on the design challenge. The real strength in this part is to be able to jump between the steps back and forth. Whatever is required to improve the current solution.

The Room

Variable and customizable. The most important characteristics for an Design Thinking environment. The room will follow the process and will be arranged and optimized for the current requirements in the process step. Including an open space for ideation and solution development as a working area for prototype development. Also the world outside the innovation lab is part of it. Where are you doing interview, where to meet people, how to test the prototype…. Part of the Mindset. A requirement for effective Design Thinking.

The Team

Interdisciplinary Teams. The team is the heart of Design Thinking. Normally around 3 to 6 people are they the working crew. The Design Thinking Mindset will be affected by your team. And as more interdisciplinary they as more powerful the solution will be. In this case the very different ways of working, thinking and point of view will be merged into a very powerful solution. But toi be effective the team needs to work together and not against each other. You need people who are willing to accept the Mindset and follow the Design Thinking workflow.

Three out of three

Part of the mentioned Design Thinking mindset by following these three topics you will be able to create a strong and efficient Design Thinking work group. It can only work if they are all in place. Two out of three will affect negatively the team performance and will result in different results.

Establishing the mindset and earn the results of an wonderful and effective innovation methodology. And of course, have fun.