Design language continues to be a critical part of every aspect of the social, economic, and historical setup made for and around the humankind. Even today, in the day and age where technology rules the world, complex problems related to the same require solutions that can be found only through structure and design-centric solutions. As we grow as a species, our ideas and ventures related to tech need to become more humane than mechanical over time. We are aware of technology’s impact on our day-to-day lives.
The tech world has grown exponentially in 2021 and is yet to flourish with the onset of 2022. With this understanding in mind, we look to become more and more efficient and effective in design thinking and approach. This implies that instead of leaving the way of design to an individual’s intuitive thought patterns and flow, giving the same process a structure.
Designing can thus lead to skill development among those who wish to learn and become better designers. This means we also democratize these skills of making and producing designs to solve real-life problems. The concept of design thinking is relatively recent.
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Key Elements of Design Thinking
Process
When a designer has a process in place, it saves a lot of time for them to comprehend the idea. It additionally provides the team with guidance. The three stages of the design thinking process are an inspiration, creativity, and Implementation. Research and comprehension of the issue are both essential for inspiration. Creating concepts and solutions based on the study from the inspiration stage is known as Ideation. The idea is being introduced to the market through Implementation.
There are several stages added to the phases.
Phase 1 of design thinking: Inspiration
- Defining the design challenge or problem statement.
- Customer interviews, group interviews, and user behavior analysis are a few examples of the duties involved in meeting and observing people.
Phase 2 of design thinking is Ideation.
- Curate more ideas – Brainstorm all ideas irrespective of the outcomes.
- Create working prototypes of the ideas that were chosen for further consideration.
- It might be just as important as a paper cutout. Prototypes should be tested with real users.
- Obtain opinions and knowledge.
Phase 3 of design thinking is Implementation.
- Share the solution: Once the designer gets it, they should tell the most pertinent people about it.
- Launch: Introduce the market to the ideal solution.
The entire process seems straight and linear, but it works in iteration, especially in the ideation phase, where one keeps testing prototypes till they have the ultimate solution. An ultimate answer is that which solves the user problem and is validated by actual users. This process is the critical element of the design thinking approach as it aligns the team with where to commence and what to do next on the process line. This process will lead to a workable solution.
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Empathy
The users we are solving a problem have unique characteristics, personalities, and needs. Most of the time, people assume user characteristics and cannot relate to that user. Thus, creating a way that is not well accepted in the market.
The design thinking team must enter the user’s psyche to build a successful product or solution. They need to develop a complete understanding of user behaviour and thought processes. Many of the industry’s most successful brands created breakthrough ideas inspired by a deep understanding and collective thoughts of users’ lives. Specific, in-depth knowledge of consumers has inspired some genuinely outstanding advertising efforts. Not the first product on the market is a successful one but builds a stronger connection with the user. Building empathy is one of the critical elements of Design Thinking.
Teamwork and Collaboration
The design thinking approach is not a one-person act. To cooperate and coordinate with everyone, a great team is needed. It functions best when the synergy of various minds is focused on a single aim and goal. The team members must adopt a certain mentality that is not biased toward their ideas and should be open to others’ ideas. It is essential to have perspectives and viewpoints to flow more creative juices. With more variations in pictures, there is more scope to innovate. It’s like jamming and toasting ideas.
The team needs to be multidisciplinary. Have a few professionals with expertise in the industry for which the designer is trying to solve the problem. It’s also good to have a marketing team or sales agent to understand the solution’s market potential. Also, include unique personality characteristics. The team should consist of thinkers, makers, and doers, those with solid creative faculties. Makers can create a prototype quickly and with few resources (who will test it among themselves and in the market).
One key element in getting the team to work together is holding effective brainstorming meetings. These brainstorming sessions are where idea jamming and toasting will happen. It’s essential to follow the fundamental principles of brainstorming meetings. Get the team to toast many ideas and perspectives to form a single ultimate solution.
The brutal and strict emphasis on critical and logical thinking during the 20th century led to an entire generation being kept in the dark when it came to, let alone the importance of, the very idea of designing and art. This might have worked accordingly for that time, but that same knowledge and pattern of thinking couldn’t work well when Apple was looking to disrupt the market with its revolutionary products. Developing and refining skills to understand and address rapid changes in users’ environments and behaviours is crucial. The world has become increasingly interlinked, interconnected and complex over time.
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