CRyder Design

Design Thinking is a series of five steps for creating a solution to a problem or question. It is a process that is essential to having a successful design career, and can apply to anything and everything. However, it is human-centered and unlike any other method. In the article “What is Design Thinking and Why Is It So Popular?” authors Rikke Dam and Teo Siang state, “This contrasts with a more scientific approach where the concrete and known aspects are tested in order to find a solution.” Design Thinking is all about the unknown aspects that are tested again and again to find the perfect solution that fits them.

The first step a designer must execute is empathizing. By being able to empathize with their users, one is able to gain a great deal of information. Strategies such as observing and interviewing can be used to uncover feelings, struggles, opinions, and so much more. “The best solutions come out of the best insights into human behavior” (Institute of Design at Stanford). When observing how users interact with an original system, designers can learn and understand much more than merely what they are willing to talk about. How they act directly relates to how they feel. Empathizing builds a solid foundation to push a designer in the right direction of solving the problem.

After empathizing, a designer must proceed by defining the problem. This is the point in Design Thinking where designers ask themselves “What am I trying to fix?” In the video “2. Design Thinking: Define” Professor Hastings says, “In the scientific process, we could call it hypothesize and some people use that term instead of define.” They review the data they gained and put the issue into words. According to the Institute of Design at Stanford, “The goal of the Define mode is to craft a meaningful and actionable problem statement.”  From the design step, designers can begin to brainstorm about the correct way to go about it.

Ideating builds off of defining. This is when designers think about possible solutions. Typically there are a lot of ideas that are circulated from the first two steps, which is exactly what this stage of Design Thinking is for. “Ideation is about pushing for a widest possible range of ideas from which you can select” (Institute of Design at Stanford). These ideas could include a variety of the simplest designs to even the most complex designs. When brainstorming for ideas, designers should keep in mind what will go into making and using the product. In his Ted Talk, Tim Brown says that design, “Balances desirability, with technical feasibility, and economic viability.” This means that the designs should be sought after, simple to make, and easy to use.

Prototyping follows the ideate step and brings ideas to life at an early stage. Early prototypes are typically very basic and quickly made. “A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a gadget you put together, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard” (Institute of Design at Stanford). When a prototype is created, the users can interact with it, which could bring about questions, comments, or concerns. This input could lead to an even more efficient and reliable model. Tim Brown states, “Prototypes speed up the process of innovation, because it is only when we put our ideas out into the world that we really start to understand their strengths and weaknesses.” From prototypes, designers can learn where things may have gone wrong in the process and return to a step in Design Thinking to resolve it for an improved design.

Testing is the final stage. However, it does not mean the process is finished. According to the Institute of Design at Stanford, it is a rule of common knowledge to “Prototype as if you know you’re right, but test as if you know you’re wrong.” Testing will bring out emotions and opinions among your subjects in a real-to-life situation. These will allow the designer to further improve the design which they have created at this point in Design Thinking. Testing is a chance to “refine your solutions and make them better” (Institute of Design at Stanford). In most circumstances, testing will bring you back to square one of this process.

Design thinking can help designers get bust through creative blocks and dive into the development of their design. I challenge you to use the process of Design Thinking in your next project.