Design Thinking – A Catalyst for Innovation

Gayatri Mishra and Laura-Augustina Avram

These are some questions that were addressed at the workshop on Design Thinking (DT) held by Katja Tschimmel. The class was introduced to design, DT and creativity to help build a design centric mindset. Then we learned how to apply this knowledge and transform insights and ideas into actionable statements and solutions. Our assignment readings helped us get then a deeper understanding of what DT is. We chose for our assignment material close to our interest: how can DT be used in the business world?

What is Design Thinking?

It is a methodology that covers the full spectrum of innovation activities while keeping a human-centered design approach (Brown, 2008) and applies a designer’s perspective to connect the needs of people with technological capabilities and with what makes sense from a business perspective, turning ideas into customer value.

What does a design thinker do?

Brown (2008) states that a design thinker, on his path to innovation, collaborates with others, experiments, shows empathy, and thinks interdisciplinarily. Design thinkers use low fidelity prototypes and other physical models to investigate and articulate ideas, to examine potential solutions (Kolko 2015). Altogether, Liedtka & Ogilvie (2011, 22) mention ten fundamental tools used by design thinkers in their process for coming up with innovative solutions to a problem.

However, maybe a more visual representation of what a design thinker does comes from the description of Liedtka & Ogilvie (2011, 9-10) of the different approaches to solving a problem about the future of retail market:

1) while an MBA student would focus on the data by reading reports, calculating values and producing forecasts, their work would have as a final product a PPT that would show, among others, an analysis of trend data,

2) however, the design student – our analogy for a design thinker – would do a lot more field work: talk to the persons involved, understand their customer experience, create personas to understand different angles, with the end result being some actual concepts that could at that point be prototyped, and a good understanding of the shoppers’ behaviour.

When it comes to the challenges of DT, Kolko (2015) states that organizations with well established cultures find it difficult to embrace design as a core competence. Some reasons are: the difficulty in accepting ambiguity and risk, and preexisting expectations. If these challenges are overcome, applying design principles to an organization can be a very rewarding task and can create a dynamic and empowering workplace, while also offering a more human approach to business.

To sum up, the “Design Thinking” course has succeeded in bringing us through the different stages of the DT methodology and going through, as well as briefly experimenting most of the tools mentioned by Liedtka & Ogilvie (2011, 23). What we have learned so far about DT has inspired us to use more visualisation methods in our ways of working, as well as approach certain problems in a less business-like and more Design Thinking-like style.

References

Brown, T. 2008. Design Thinking. Harvard business review. 86. 84-92, 141.

Liedtka, J., & Ogilvie, T. 2011. Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Tool Kit for Managers. New York: Columbia University Press.

Kolko, J. 2015. Design Thinking Comes of Age. Harvard Business Review, (September 2015), 66-71. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2015/09/design-thinking-comes-of-age

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3 responses to “Design Thinking – A Catalyst for Innovation”

  1. nadeekamadawalawwe Avatar
    nadeekamadawalawwe

    Thank you for this interesting post on Design Thinking as a method that covers the full spectrum of innovation activities with a focus on people.  

    I found the analogy contrasting the approach of a typical MBA student with the design student to be quite insightful. This comparison adds a critical perspective to the challenges of adopting DT in organizations with established cultures, as mentioned in the post.  

    How the tools utilized by design thinkers reduce potential risks organizations are concerned. Design thinkers deliberately use low fidelity prototypes and tangible models to explore and explain concepts, as well as to assess practical solutions before implementing. By highlighting fieldwork, empathy, and quick, basic prototyping, the DT method significantly able to cut down on cost and company resources needed to try out an idea rather than depending solely on in-depth data analysis and financial forecasts.  

    Furthermore, I share the same viewpoint that overcoming these challenges and adopting the Design Thinking culture can create an empowering workplace and a more human-centered business approach. The shift from focusing on data projections in a PPT to creating physical, testable concepts is perhaps the most practical way DT serves as a catalyst for innovation. 

    Reply
  2. ainonadee Avatar
    ainonadee

    As per quoting your blog: “Turning ideas into customer value” – is there any more concise way to define design thinking? This blog post outlines the main points of design thinking in a clear, authoritative voice. You are integrating the learnings from Katja Tschimmel’s Design Thinking masterclass (workshop) to the key ideas from the literature. 

    I personally think, that as a service design professional, one of the essential skills is being able to explain the benefits of the design approach in business terms and to business people: How it is different from regular business approach based on numerical data analysis and what are it’s key benefits. This ability to bridge design thinking with business problem-solving and innovation is a core competency for any service designer, and your blog addresses these dynamics wonderfully, especially in the comparison of the MBA student versus design student. 

    The playful, insightful  and beautiful illustrations are the sweet cherry on top of this gem of a blog. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Huong Thai Avatar
    Huong Thai

    Thank you for this insightful post! I really appreciate how you traced the evolution of Design-Centric Culture. It’s fascinating to see how design and/or designers are increasingly taking on strategic roles in the business world. This shift highlights the growing recognition of design as a catalyst for innovation.

    When I looked at your diagram inspired by Tim Brown (2008), my attention was immediately drawn to the “Empathetic” aspect. This was also emphasized in our class by Tschimmel, and I couldn’t agree more. Empathy is at the heart of effective design thinking. Deep customer insights, understanding who will buy and use the service, are essential for designers to create meaningful and impactful solutions. Without empathy, it’s easy to miss the real needs and motivations of users.

    I also found the comparison between the MBA student and the design student from Liedtka & Ogilvie (2011) very illustrative. It shows how design thinkers go beyond data analysis. They engage directly with people, explore experiences, and visualize solutions. This approach not only leads to more human-centered outcomes but also encourages creativity and innovation through prototyping and iteration. Moreover, it somehow reflects on how I can demonstrate DT as an MBA student.

    Overall, this post beautifully captures the essence of design thinking and its potential to reshape how we approach problems. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

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