Challenges of Design Thinking – table of contents:

1. What is design thinking and how does it work?
2. The advantages of using design thinking
3. Challenges of implementing design thinking
4. Conclusion

What is design thinking and how does it work?

In previous articles, we have already introduced design thinking. As a reminder, one of the definitions states that it is a process of turning observations into ideas, then ideas into solutions, and these in turn, into products or services that through testing end up as goods designed makes our lives better. The more concrete methodology presents 5 stages of design thinking integral to its implementation:

• Empathizing – initial analysis of problems and user needs
• Problem definition – identification of users’ real problems and needs and on its basis determination of further actions
• Ideation – presenting one’s own suggestions for solving a given problem or creating a new idea
• Building prototypes – preparing a prototype of the created project
• Testing – testing the created solution in real-life conditions

We can apply the principles of design thinking in every conceivable way, from student projects to important customer orders in businesses. Nowadays, it is popular and willingly adopted in projects of various brands or institutions. Its main feature concerns its versatility, as we may apply it whenever we have to deal with problems or needs involving human nature. As the creative process happens to cause chaos, the design thinking proves to bring about order and structure enhancing the activities we undertake.

While working on the methodology, the research team has a chance to unleash their imaginative potential at the same time, to show others the range of ideas generated without hesitation, but also to approach the task empathetically, listen and analyze each successive problem or example presented by one of their colleagues.

However, it is essential not to become too attached to one’s ideas. It may happen that you will have to alter them, just get inspired to formulate new ones or let them go altogether. Moreover, take care of arranging an appropriate environment for your research team, as well as the relative time frame for the duration of the process.

The advantages of using design thinking

The main advantage of using this method is just versatility, we can adapt it to most of the projects that we will create. When creating an entire project, we can approach it in a more or less detailed way, just as with design thinking, we can use its various tools in different ways, depending on the need.

Why is it worth using this method? When it comes to benefits, the most substantial ones are:

• Competitive advantage – thanks to an in-depth analysis of the problems and needs of potential users, we are able to create a product adequate to their requirements
• Reduction of costs and risk of a failed project – as a matter of fact, looking specifically at the prototyping stage, we don’t have to use the most expensive materials to create a good prototype
• Wide range of applications – we can adopt this approach to develop new products or services or to modify those already created
• Structured structure – as mentioned earlier, it helps to divide the entire creative process into individual stages
• Motivation and involvement of the team – thanks to it, the team has to approach the studied problem in a particularly empathetic way and with high understanding. This helps to strengthen the bonds between co-workers and allows for a better understanding of each other
• Broader scope – when we start working on a challenge, we can allow ourselves to create multiple hypotheses and perceptions. Additionally, it broadens our perspective on further actions and supports our creativity in working on the process

We have mentioned only some advantages of the whole process. Yet, these are the key aspects to take into account when choosing the right method while working on the creation of a new product or service, or modification of an already created product.

Challenges of implementing design thinking

Now that we’ve talked about the benefits, it’s time to focus on the less pleasant aspects of the process. Even though many people consider design thinking to be an exploratory and innovative method of problem-solving, this does not mean that this approach is flawless.

Despite eliminating the problems that come with wanting to create or modify a product, design thinking creates new and more complex obstacles to overcome. Take a look at the major ones below.

A broader perspective

Design thinking requires taking as broad a perspective as possible, one that will make us see the big picture. As It is here that we can encounter the first difficulties. These are the so-called social problems that arise in every team and at every stage of design. They can arise from researchers’ lack of familiarity with the culture, customs or lifestyles of their clients.

Environment

An important aspect is the environment in which researchers begin their work. It is natural for them to start working on a project in a place they feel at ease. Otherwise, it can make the work on the project significantly difficult including completely changing the researcher’s thinking. Therefore, paying attention to ensure that the team is diverse and consists of specialists from many fields and people who are open to new possibilities and empathetic enough to accept various ideas.

Collaboration with specialists or departments

Scientists and academics remain reluctant to share data with researchers who are trying to gather information for the investigation or implementation of a product or service. The claim that laymen lack capabilities to develop worthy solutions is by no means valid, so much as a view that scientists have always great and creative ideas. The trick is to use the power of these two groups as one and make them aware that they are equally critical. The best solutions pop up when they join forces.

Getting to know the user and their needs

The most important thing in the design thinking methodology is precisely knowing the needs and problems that a potential user has. Most people, even after the initial research, start to draw hasty conclusions. Often the researchers create additional problems for themselves and thus try to get to the final stage of solving them as quickly as possible. However, this would not give the expected results. Therefore, take all the time you require to get to know the user inside out.

Communication

Individuals work in a team and each of them wants their idea to be noticed. Each person may have their own point of view and vision for creating a prototype. This results in many versions of one idea and thus controversies and misunderstandings related to it. Therefore, every manager, must constantly work on communication in the team and make sure that everyone will be fully heard – after all, researchers are working on a common idea.

Conclusion

All methods, approaches, techniques and ideas have their pros and cons. It’s up to us to decide what path to take with our research and which tools and models we will implement when producing a service or goods.

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Testing stage – table of contents:

1. Testing stage – what does it consist of?
2. What does the testing stage look like?
3. MOSCOW – an innovative project management prioritizing method
4. Summary

Testing stage – what does it consist of?

In previous articles, we have already discussed all the stages of design thinking. The time has come for the final one, testing. Once our team has the necessary information and knows what needs to be improved or changed in our product, it’s time to plan the implementation.

It is the most formal one, the most attention should be paid to it in working out all the details. First – we need to improve on the product so that it meets the expectations of our users. Of course, not all suggestions will be taken into account when making changes.

This stage requires support from both the technical and administrative (including formal and legal) sides. The testing process must take place in a real environment, the one in which the product will be used. After completing this stage and receiving positive feedback we can determine that the product is ready for final implementation.

What does the testing stage look like?

The purpose of the testing stage is to find out how necessary and useful a product or service is for a potential user. It is an attempt to evaluate the product, but it is also important to prepare well for it. The testing process mainly consists of 4 basic segments:

1. Planning and pre-testing the product specification – the anchor point from which we start the whole testing process. As with the whole methodology, it is significant to create a plan and stick to the rules of conduct defined in it. In this stage we deal with setting goals, defining necessary actions that will be needed to create the target project.
2. Analysis and designing of the prototype – at this stage the most essential thing is to test the product in a properly adjusted environment. During the analysis, you have to consider everything related to the whole test, requirements, integrity level and report analysis. Also, remember to prioritize, especially if the project is at a high level, and of course design it.
3. Project Implementation and Testing – here, we first need to determine our priorities and the implement our test product. Gather and select the data to use during testing. When all the necessary information gets collected, move on to the practical application of the test on our prototype. At the end of the test, provide a report and feedback.
4. Examination of Evaluation Criteria and Reporting – Once the entire test is complete, evaluate the success of initially established goals. Also, consider whether to repeat the testing procedure or conduct a new one. Once you pick and finish, put down the feedback, actions taken results.

The last step is to check the functionalities of the created prototype. The customer will make a final call. At the end of the testing phase, gather all information, communications, documents and tools and transfer all to the service team.

MOSCOW – an innovative project management prioritizing method

One of the most well-known approaches of tackling the testing stage of DT is MoSCoW. This prioritization technique has proven successful not only in project management but also in software delivery or analytics. Its main goal is to find a common ground and establish a basic framework of communication and data concerning the product or service between the parties involved, the project team and the contractor.

MoSCoW is an acronym in which the capital letters refer to scope of information included:

M – must have (all necessary information to include in our project)

S – should have (information to consider, as advice)

C – could have (information which could be included in the project)

W – won’t have (all communications and data to avoid)

The letter “o” is a hyphen to make the word easier to pronounce. This clear formula enables your team to establish the successes, features, implementations, additions and adjustments. To schedule the implementation phase well, determine the scope of responsibilities and delegate it further to departments. Select the right tools and meet all the requirements to conduct research. Also, analyze each need to plan beforehand.

Summary

The testing stage will look differently in every company but will be similarly important as all businesses aim at profit. Remember that during this stage of design thinking, limit time of all activities to enable the implementation of a new product as soon as possible.

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Prototyping stage – table of content

1. What is prototyping?
2. How to prepare yourself before prototyping?
3. Tools used at the stage of prototyping
4. Advantages of prototyping for design thinking
5. Presentation of the prototype

What is prototyping?

This type of activity is seen as thinking with hands. There is not much time needed for this process and one should assume that for some project many prototypes will have to be created. The author of the prototype should not feel any form of emotional attachment to his creation – prototyping is the stage, where changes and improvements are being made constantly. Usually it is difficult at first attempt to fulfill the expectations we have for our prototype, therefore the work on the project must be repeated over and over again.

One must remember to keep up some of the creative resources for further application and not to use them up for one, usually, the very first, prototype. It should be noted that prototypes may be created for any kind of object or feature – both for products and for services.

Prototypes of services should reflect in their design all the possible emotions and feelings prospective user should experience.

Prototypes of products does not have to be fully functional. Mock up or almost-working model are enough to verify their attractiveness for potential user.

How to prepare yourself before prototyping?

Some of the solutions created during the prototyping stage may not be appropriate for our clients, so constant modifications, improvements are necessary to give the team of creators better understanding of user’s needs.

To create effective prototype:

• set up the working site
• find space which stimulates creativity
• bring all necessary materials
• motivation and support your team
• make concept map
• choose forms of your actions with your team

Each stage of the prototype creation may be filmed and photographed for the future reference – the values emerging during the prototyping stage may be kept and later presented to the broader audience when needed.

Tools used at the stage of prototyping

Any materials or resources are acceptable at this stage of prototyping. There are no hard rules for style we choose for our creative design. Despite the above, the most common prototyping methods include:

• wireframe – is a graphical model of the web-site’s building, it presents its layout, the overall structure and relations between all the elements of the interface.
• sketches and diagrams – even crude sketches may be used to present our creations. Simplified technical drawings of our ideas are acceptable as well.
• storyboard – is nothing more than a script in a form of collection of drawings, it is used to present scenes in movies. Drawings are accompanied by notes, subtitles and descriptions for better understanding of the content.
• role-playing – it can be performed with the use of formerly made storyboard. The team of designers explore the scenarios and simulate the experiences, which may be later presented to the potential users. Role-playing may take place in virtual or augmented reality as well.
• mock-up – sometimes called: dummy or maquette. Mock-up is a physical model or visual representation of the product (in case of web designing it may be simplified web-site or application).

There are multiple tools, which can be used for prototyping, hence our designing efforts should be saved (filmed or photographed) for future reference. Careful selection of forms best suited for our project seem to be similarly important.

Advantages of prototyping for design thinking

Every method of prototyping has advantages and disadvantages to take under consideration during the selection of designing tools. Those tools influence strongly all the succeeding actions of the designing team. Additionally, great attention should be paid to advantages and disadvantages of prototyping. Among advantages of prototyping are:

• creation of prototype allows fast, visual presentation of final effect
• prototyping facilitates exchange of information – it helps with assessment and allows to obtain feedback regarding our prototype quickly
• mock-ups give the user a chance to formulate own ideas and suggestions, there is no concern that some of the maquettes have to be discarded after the prototyping stage
• detailed prototypes of particular functionalities of the services help with the modifications of the project, but moreover they boost creativity and bring designers’ attention to new, unexpected features of already devised products. Some of the findings from the prototyping stage may be used to benefit several creative projects.

Presentation of the prototype

Presentation of the prototype should take place shortly after the creation of the design and should be carried out in friendly, trusted environment. The presentation should integrate all important values, which were present during the procedure of creative prototype designing. One should talk directly to the client while the whole process should reflect the formal character of the operation.

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Ideation stage – table of content:

1. The 1st stage of ideation
2. Tools for conceiving ideas
3. Categorizing ideas in the ideation stage

The 1st stage of ideation

The stages of empathizing and defining the problem have already been discussed in previous articles. Once the problem has been properly defined, it is time for the most creative part of the whole process, i.e., ideation. Take into consideration that this stage is as time-consuming as the previous ones, but it enables the research team to freely express and share their ideas. Even though it is a very dynamic and rapidly changing part of the project, try to establish its hierarchy by focusing on the priorities to improve the workflow of the team. Also, get acquainted with the rules that should prevail during this phase:

• Quantity counts when generating ideas, not quality – the more the better
• Placing the project question in the middle – so that each researcher remembers what to focus on
• Team members should not get attached to their ideas
• The idea becomes the property of the group – after all the team works together
• Every idea is good enough to write it down and present to others
• Encourage building on colleagues’ ideas, developing them and creating new ones
• Every team member is equally important – thus every idea is equally valuable
• Do not focus only on the ideal solution
• Ideas can be bold and irrational

During this stage, we should focus on eliciting creative, spontaneous, and vivid suggestions from participants. To have such, we ought to take the responses of our research team with an open mind, refining from criticism while providing positive feedback to encourage everyone to speak out. What’s more, we should provide the group with undistracted space making sure no obstacles come in the way.

Tools for conceiving ideas

Like many ideas, as many creative tools. The most popular tool is “brainstorming”, while there are many variations of it. The most popular is the so-called “Silent brainstorm”.

• Silent brainstorming – a process in which each of the researchers generates ideas individually, to present them to the others. It requires keeping an eye on a specific amount of time in which to generate as many ideas as possible. When choosing a brainstorming method, several factors should be taken into account, such as the number of people in the team, whether there are dominant people in the team or the place where the study is performed.
• SCAMPER – is a method that involves improving existing solutions. The name of the technique is an acronym referring to the individual techniques (S-substitute, C-combine, A-adapt, M- modify, P – put to other uses, E – eliminate, R – reverse). Each of the mentioned techniques refers to a separate set of activities thus enabling us to get into the essence of the problem and modify the current solutions.
• Bionics – an idea based on generating ideas from natural phenomena. A source of inspiration is the use of bionics in technology, architecture, transportation, etc. when creating new concepts and ideas. The most renowned example is the Velcro fastener patented by George de Mestral, who got his inspiration during a walk when so-called “Velcro” (burdock fruit) stuck to his clothes (burdock fruit).
• Brainwriting 635 – This is an alternative to brainstorming. In the study, the group is divided into 6 people per team, each person has 5 minutes to write down 3 ideas that are the answer to the given issue. After the time is up, the participant passes their sheet to the next person who then writes their 3 ideas based on their previous answers. These can be completely new solutions or possible improvements to the previous idea. This is an instant method as it should take about 30 minutes and over 100 ideas are generated in that time.
• Ideal system concept– this is G. Nagler’s method in which at the outset the team formulates an ideal concept and then a system is gradually established to ultimately meet the ideal within a certain constraint. The function of the system in this case is the goal and the whole system should strive to achieve this function.

We ought to adjust the idea generation tools depending on the problem at hand. Thus, it is worthwhile to dig deeper into the purpose of the idea then draw inspiration from the available research methods.

Categorizing ideas in the ideation stage

Once all the ideas have been organized in one place it is time to categorize them. Ideally, they should be divided into four categories:

• Ideas to drop – these deviated significantly from the core of the problem or have already been tried but have not produced satisfactory results.
• Inspirational but crazy – at first seem impossible to implement but have hidden potential, so it’s worth saving them for the future.
• Quick shots – ideas that are slightly different from the existing ones but have a modification that can function in everyday life as an innovation.
• Ideas with potential – these are the ones the research team should care about the most. They are the ones that, with the use of existing technology and knowledge, allow the researchers to create target products tailored to the needs of the audience.

When selecting ideas, researchers should focus most on ideas with potential and those inspiring but crazy. These are the most valuable ones, and if they make it through the ideation stage, the team will develop them in the subsequent stages of the design thinking process. Also, what might help in selecting appropriate ideas if there are too many to chose from, or the team is not equivocal, is a decision matrix. In it, you can rank ideas in terms of relevance to the user and ease of implementation and objectively decide which innovations are worth pursuing.

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The define stage in Desig Thinking – table of content:

1. Design Thinking as a humanistic approach
2. What is the define stage in the Design Thinking process?
3. Tools used in the define stage

Design Thinking as a humanistic approach

In the first part of the article: Design Thinking Methodology Step by Step – Empathizing, we introduced and examined the process of design thinking. Let’s move and describe in a nutshell what is the humanistic approach now.

The humanistic approach is a school of thought that focuses on human beings, their bodies, feeling and relationship with others. Its principles include a holistic, positive and natural scope in studying our physical and mental states, actions and connections. As with human reflexes, when faced with any concern, we are essentially tugged by our feelings. When helping someone other than ourselves, we are forced to empathize with the difficulty that person is facing. In other words, if we want to relate well to the problem, we should arouse empathy in ourselves. It is responsible for us being able to put ourselves “in someone else’s shoes”.

What is the define stage in the Design Thinking process?

The first stage of design thinking is empathizing. This is where it all begins. After thorough research in the empathy, phase comes time to define the problem. Seemingly easy stage very often causes many issues for the team working on this challenge. It requires openness, understanding, and above all – time. Drawing conclusions or potential problems too early narrow our field of vision, making the process less effective.

The first step is to systematize the information gathered, refine the empathy map, and create appropriate personas. It is important that when creating personas, they reflect the group of people we interviewed or observed.

When everything is put in the right place, it is significant to make sure that the collected information is divided into appropriate categories: user needs, issues, and benefits. That is, into what is called a Value Ratio Matrix. If this stage is poorly done, further work will be hindered as researchers narrow their search area.

Tools used in the define stage

The tool that will greatly help to understand the user and his expectations is precisely the value proposition matrix. All collected information should be placed according to the definitions on the matrix (difficulties, benefits, needs). It is worth understanding the definitions of these areas to fit them all properly.

1. Needs – inform about what the user requires to make his life easier and why he reached for a given product.
2. Problems – these are situations that the consumer has to face every day, and they are unpleasant or hard to deal with. It helps to understand what the user cares about and what is worth paying attention to.
3. Benefits – that is what makes the recipient happy and satisfied. At this stage, it’s worth taking information from the empathy map created earlier.

In addition to the value proposition matrix, we can list other tools also used by researchers in the process of defining the problem. These include:

• Persons – which have already been mentioned earlier. Specific, created persons or groups form a customer persona. When creating personas, it is necessary to take into account the description of a given person, give his/her age, profession, interests, needs, pains, and also briefly describe the bio-biography, so that the researcher could better imagine the created character.
• Customer Journey Map – literally, it concerns mapping the customer. Additionally, the data collected describes the relation the customer has with the company or a given product and presents his/her previous experiences connected with it.
• Rose Thorn Bud– when creating a product, this technique focuses on grouping potential into categories that correspond to the parts of the flower. Hence, the Rose represents gains,) the Thorn challenges ahead and Bud matters that have a potential to become successful.

Of course, there are many tools we can use for the problem define stage. We can use the 5WHY method and focus on “włó˛â?” to bring the question to the heart of the matter. Mapping the issue is also popular, whether it’s creating a journey map as mentioned earlier, stakeholder maps, mind maps, empathy maps – any of these can help bring us closer to the essence and further solution of the concern. There is no single, fixed rule that would define how to approach this stage. However, we shouldn’t underestimate nor skip the whole process of design thinking as it can undermine the good prospects of our enterprise.

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Empathy stage – table of contents:

1. Design thinking
2. Empathy stage in design thinking
3. Tools used in the empathy stage
4. Key points to look out for during empathize stage

Design thinking

Design thinking is an approach to creating newpw products and services based on a deep understanding of a problem and needs users face. It consists of 5 stages:

• Empathize
• Define the problem
• Generate ideas
• Build prototype
• Test

Later, if the project passes testing, all that is left is to release it to the market as one of our products.

Empathy stage in design thinking

In psychology, empathy is defined as feeling the feelings of others (emotional empathy) and being able to see the world through someone else’s eyes. It is the first, but probably also the most important element of the entire design thinking methodology.

During the initial research, the whole team tries to go through the journey of their customers and see what they find troublesome. The task is to “become the customer/user“, analyze the problem helpful to visualize the collected suggestions. The two most important questions at this stage are:

1. “Who are we designing for?”
2. “What are his or her needs?”

Simply seeing the user’s needs isn’t enough, however – you also need to empathize with the user. This way we become curious about his experiences and thoughts.

It is important to set a research schedule, and each researcher should feel the support of the others and know his or her role in the team.

Tools used in the empathy stage

The most significant thing in research is to reveal your intentions as little as possible, because people tend to avoid critical comments. Therefore, a simple survey or interview, will not work with this methodology. Tools used during the empathy stage of design thinking include:

1. Empathy map
2. Ethnographic interview
3. Field observation

The empathy map makes it possible to systematize the collected information and to see which aspects should be revisited if the selected material is not comprehensive enough. A visualization of the collected propositions is definitely helpful in this case.

Each interview should be conducted carefully. Doubt should not arise during the interview and the answers shouldn’t be too suggestible. Prepared well in advance, the interview needs proper recording so that all reactions and emotions evoked during the interview get collected and saved as data.

The observation should be conducted in a way that is almost imperceptible to the user. It is significant that he feels comfortable in the given environment and does not change anything while carrying out his daily activities. This helps in learning more about his world and the issues he encounters along the way.

Key points to look out for during empathize stage

No matter what’s your mode of work there are a few important measures to pay attention to:

• Order and organization – the process needs proper planning and multiple perspectives.
• The right team – creating a group of people who have experience in a variety of industries. This way they can create ideas based on their knowledge and experiences.
• Freedom – it is also important to have a sense of freedom as you go about your business. You should not keep your ideas to a minimum, the more creative you are the more chance you have of creating an original prototype.

We must remember that empathy is a very individual matter. Most of our actions before taking require planning for their right coordination. It is essential to feel the emotions and problems of the future users and customers. Engaging in this and subsequent stages of design thinking will make the final prototype attractive and above all – meet the requirements of the future customer.

Do you want to know: What does a UX designer do? Read our article.

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