Every designer must have heard of Design Thinking, one of the problem-solving methods in the design world. Even designers who are just starting out must have seen courses or seminars that talk about Design Thinking. But if you are new to the design world and surprisingly have never heard of Design Thinking, now you know.
I will start with a disclaimer that this article is purely an opinion based on observations of people who work in the design industry, colleagues, and friends who have or have experience using the Design Thinking method as a way to find problems and find the right design solutions.
Well , before we delve into these ideas, let’s first recall the surface of Design Thinking.
Design Thinking is a human-centered approach
Approach that focuses on understanding user needs , then challenging assumptions and determining what the main problems are, and finally creating innovative solutions.
The process is non-linear, meaning it does not have to be done sequentially. In addition, the process is also repetitive. Design Thinking has 5 stages, including: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test .
Design thinking is often used to develop new products, but it can also be used to improve the quality of existing products. It is often used to solve various problems, from the smallest bread crumbs to the highest Himalayan mountains.
In other words, everyday problems like designing a sauce bottle, to complex global problems like connecting many people around the world into a virtual metaverse. But no, today we are not going to talk about the metaverse. Today we are going to talk about design thinking which starts from:
As mentioned earlier, Design Thinking is a human-centered approach . This means that we as designers must focus on humans, or in more technical terms, the users. We must be able to position ourselves in the situation that the user is experiencing.
The goal of this stage is to gain
Deeper understanding and see the problems faced by users more broadly and objectively. In practice, designers conduct user research to understand the needs, goals, and concerns of users.
Another method used by designers is Contextual Inquiry , where designers observe users while they are using the product directly. This allows designers to understand how users use their products and identify room for improvement.
Regardless of the method used by the designer to gain insight from the users, at the end of this stage the designer should get a statement . A collection of clear and concise problem statements , which explain what problems the designer needs to solve. At this stage we become empathetic designers.
At this stage, you may find many problem statements from the previous insight stage. These problems are reported by various users. Moreover, these problems are numerous and all seem important. “So, which problem should be solved first?” may be the wrong question to ask.
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Imagine you are a detective investigating a crime
Now, you have a lot of evidence, like puzzle pieces scattered everywhere. You know the answer is already there. To understand what all the events mean, you have to put all the puzzle pieces together and see the big picture.
This is the same as determining a root cause. You need to look at all the evidence or data you have. The results of user research, customer feedback , and data analysis all need to be considered and considered. The vast amount of information needs to be sought for similarities and ultimately be able to determine the root cause.
Practical example of the Affinity Diagram method
There are various methods you can use to get answers. One of them is affinity diagramming , which you can use to identify patterns and relationships between findings. You can also use the problem tree method to get a visual representation of the problem and its root causes.
There are so many methods that can be used to find the root of a problem; you can use any method or even several methods at once. The point is that the method used should help you to collect and unify information or findings about the problem at hand. That way, you can develop a deeper understanding of the problem at hand and identify the Shows World Changing Promise best solution to deal with it.
At this stage, designers start to warm up
Their creative brains and are ready to cook up ideas. This is the time to think outside the box and get as many different ideas as possible, without any ideation limitations.
In the previous stage you were a detective, now you are a chef. When cooking, you start by gathering the necessary ingredients and tools. Then with your creativity you experiment with the various ingredients and flavors available to create something new and delicious.
The goal of cooking is to make a delicious and satisfying meal. The goal of the ideation stage is to come up with a creative solution to the problem at hand. In both cases, the key is to experiment and try new things.
Brainstorming is a classic method that can be used to generate ideas. Another method that can be used is mind mapping , which can help visualize ideas and how one idea relates to another.
Or, if you and your team want to do it in a canada email lead more fun way, you can try the role-playing method to see the problem from another perspective and find new ways and innovative solutions.
A designer draws a prototype of a mobile application
In short, this stage is where you start designing. Anyoe can design, but not everyone can be a designer, that’s what I believe. Quick reminder , we live in a world so advanced that we are planning to send humans to Mars, we have a virtual world called the Metaverse, and robots that help a UI/UX designer write this article.
Yes, I use AI assistance in writing this article, and that is proof that I can create a writing or article, but I am not a writer . Just like design, lately there are many easy ways to create designs, either by using AI or reusing old design templates and just beautifying the appearance.
In my opinion, many people skip the ideate stage and go straight to prototyping . People choose to go straight to Figma, modify the rectangle elements, change the color of the components, or replace the old typeface with a new one.
There is nothing wrong with that
There are ways to be more creative and come up with top-notch design ideas . Don’t just be a Figma rectangle mover , be a designer. Come up with design ideas that present solutions in a new way or style, engage users in unexpected ways, that they don’t find in other products. Be creative, be different!
This is the moment where you will find out whether the design you created really solves the user’s problem or not. Test the prototype you have created to users to get feedback and develop it if necessary.
Two users are conducting usability testing.
There are various ways to test a prototype. One of the most commonly used is usability testing . Usability testing involves users interacting with a mockup or prototype design that has been created, we as designers are tasked with observing their reactions when using the product.
This helps designers identify areas of the prototype that may be confusing or even difficult to use.
Another common testing method is
B testing.esting involves users testing two different versions of a prototype and judging which one is better according to users. This can help designers determine which design is more effective.
Regardless of the testing method used, it is important to get feedback from a wide range of users. This can help designers gain a holistic perspective on the prototype that has been created and can even identify potential problems.
Design Thinking is a non-linear process. Yes, I numbered them to make them look cooler, like Marvel and their MCU phases. Anyway , design thinking is an iterative process that allows us designers to learn from our mistakes and make better changes. This helps us create more effective and user-friendly solutions.
What if you skip one or two steps of
Design Thinking? Well , I wouldn’t recommend you skip any of them, because it won’t be perfect. Possible, but not perfect.
The design thinking process works best when all stages are done. Each stage builds on the other stages. Each stage has an important role in the design process. Skipping a stage has its own risks.
You may not understand your users very well. The empathize and define stages are crucial to understanding your users’ needs, what they expect, and what their concerns are. If you skip these stages, you risk creating a solution that your users don’t need.
You may not have enough ideas. T
