Phases of Design Thinking
Design thinking
A methodology which provides a solution-based approach to solving problems.
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success. Thinking like a designer can transform the way organizations develop products, services, processes, and strategy. This approach, which is known as design thinking, brings together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable. It also allows people who aren’t trained as designers to use creative tools to address a vast range of challenges.
Identify
Purpose: This is your launch point into the design process to recognize a community issue or challenge.
Reflection Points:
- What is something that impacts people around you?
- What are the sources of the problem (processes, systems, items, people, etc.)?
Empathize
Purpose: Understand the needs and perspectives of the community.
Reflection Points:
- Who are the impacted users of the problem?
- What perspectives do you need to gain to understand the problem deeply?
- How can you foster genuine empathy with the community?
Define
Purpose: Clearly articulate the problem based on insights.
Reflection Points:
- What problems do the users really need to be solved? What are their needs?
- How can you ensure that your definition of the problem is precise and impactful?
- What steps can you take to involve the community in shaping the problem statement?
Ideate
Purpose: Generate diverse and creative solutions.
Reflection Points:
- What techniques can you use to encourage a broad spectrum of ideas during the ideation phase?
- Focus on the quantity of ideas, then quality (explore the problem space thoroughly).
- How might collaboration with others enhance ideation?
Prototype
Purpose: Develop tangible representations of potential solutions.
Reflection Points:
- Communicate the core elements of your solution to others. Simple, fast, low-cost creative expression.
- What materials or tools will you use to create effective prototypes?
- How can prototyping help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your ideas?
Test
Purpose: Evaluate the effectiveness of prototypes through testing and iteration.
Reflection Points:
- Quickly test your prototyped solutions with users.
- What criteria will you use to assess the success of your prototypes during testing?
- How can feedback from testing inform refinements to your solutions?
Implement
Purpose: Create a plan and bring your solution to life.
Reflection Points:
- What strategies will you employ to ensure a smooth and effective implementation process?
- What would the success of your implemented solution look like? How will you track this?