”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”

– Tim Brown –

We kicked-off our Service innovation and design 2015 program with an inspiring Design Thinking course taught by Katja Tschimmel and Mariana Valença.

We first went through the evolution of Design Thinking. and the different design thinking process models like Double Diamond (2005) model, 3 I Model (IDEO, 2008) and Hasso-Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford model (2010). The advantage of using a step-wise model is that the Design Thinking process is more accessible, explicit, easily understandable and applicable in organisations and business. Criteria used to choose the appropriate model depends on the innovation task, its context, the number and composition of the team and its dynamics, ant the available time for the innovation process.

Innovative thinking to me is really about perspective – to be able to have a different perspective to issues. Diverge thinking enables us to explore new alternatives, new solutions and new ideas that have not existed before. Building in order to think instead of thinking of building. Learning by making. Start asking the right questions.

We received a task to create new ideas and business model to topic “Studying in Laurea”. It was interesting to find out that “Studying in Laurea” lead to several different approaches to the same topic. We followed the Design Thinking process on Evolution 6² (Mindshake, 2014) model step-by-step.

                       ….Emergence ~ identification of an opportunity

                       ….Empathy ~ knowing better the context

                       ….Experimentation ~ generating ideas and developing concepts

                       ….Elaboration ~ working on material and semantic solutions

                       ….Exposition ~ communicating the new concept and solution

                       ….Extension ~ implementing, observing, improving and growing

Most intriguing moment during the process for me was when we did the desktop walkthrough in the Experimentation phase and presented our solution using role play in the Elaboration phase. We had literally NO clue what we were doing at the time. There was an empty canvas awaiting for our ingenious solution and a box full of Lego´s and other materials to play with. In order to deliver the solution in time we divided into individual working groups with still not a clue of what to do. The clock was ticking. Somehow (don´t ask me how) we managed to pull through to what I think was the most beautiful Lego master piece (proof below) in due time and even had a logical storyboard for the role play.

Now what just happened there? I have no idea, but somehow we went from Chaos to Creativity in due time, and we were proud of our Lego master piece afterwards. This more of philosophical approach will guide me through the rest of the program trying to find answers into what sparks creativity. So despite colliding different personalities, tight schedule and a topic with little background information (=Chaos) you might end-up with innovative and creative solution if you follow a structural Design Thinking model? I do not know but I will keep on searching for the answers as my journey with SID studies continue 🙂

More tools on Design Thinking can be found here: Toolkit

Please take a look at real-life customer case: How design thinking transformed Airbnb from failing startup to billion-dollar business (Video for 31 mins):

 

Written by Minna Puisto

————————————————————————————————-

Sources:

Brown, T. (2009) Change by Design: how design thinking can transform organizations and inspire innovation. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Tschimmel, K. (2012) Design Thinking as an effective Toolkit for Innovation. In: Proceedings of the XXIII ISPIM Conference: Action for Innovation.