We are in the days when digitalization continues at full speed and transforms everything that comes before it. Everyone wants to be in an initiative and design the next unimaginable product. Although this is great for users, it can turn into anguish for the teams that release the product. Teams that work to produce that ideal product always have problems such as delays in the account and dissatisfaction with the product.
I think the problems at this point arise from our thinking that the process is going linear. We can find many methodologies to manage this process. One of the most influential design-oriented thinking shows us that the process can proceed more cyclically rather than linearly.
If we think of design-oriented thinking as a methodology that only concerns designers, we will be mistaken. This actually gives us the answer to how we can accurately combine the possibilities of technology and the requirements of a successful business. In other words, we can use design thinking in many areas of business life.
We can think of design thinking in 5 main categories:
• Empathy
• Identification
• Idea Development
• Prototyping
• Testing
Empathy
In the first step, we try to learn the needs of users by empathizing. We can do empathy by experiencing, researching, observing, or listening. We can reach more relevant results by asking the question “Why does s/he prefer?” instead of “What does s/he use?”, “What does s/he prefer?” to understand this process better. In order to produce a more innovative product, question why instead of what will be one of the most important tools we should have in our tool bag.
(Problem) Identification
After determining the needs in a scattered way by thinking empathically, it is time to define the problem. Having the right perspective stands at the most important point in defining the problem. In order to have the right perspective, determining the user first and then writing the user’s needs will help us a lot in defining the problem.
Idea Development
When we think of idea development, the first thing that spring to mind is brainstorming which is the number one for meetings. Brainstorming, which is one of the most enjoyable areas for people who do this job, can sometimes get out of control with the emergence of fantastic ideas. I think we need such ideas as well, but in some cases, it can block business development.
In light of all this, design thinking places the brainstorming right in the middle of this process. After defining the problem, it goes into an idea development phase and aims at problem-oriented brainstorming.
When I tried to find ideas before empathizing, I generally thought that I could solve very superficial problems in a simple way, this method taught me that this was wrong. We can think of it not only for design but even for a human relationship. In relationships we try to find solutions to only the problems we see, we usually cannot find the right solution.
Prototyping
Prototyping is often perceived as a stage in which we begin to see the product in front of us, but actually it is not. It may even be prototyping to determine the conditions for how to solve problems or the methods we will use.
In addition, we encounter situations where prototyping is mandatory. Such situations allow us to test the ideas we have matured in a controlled manner. This brings us to the final stage of this methodology.
Test
If we have been able to come up to this stage properly, I think this part will be partly comfortable. Because prototyping can sometimes turn us into idealization or even empathy. In this way, we come to the testing stage by solving most of the problems in the prototype stage. By returning to the “identifying (problems)” stage of the new problems we encountered in the test, we rerun the process.
Result
I think that design thinking is very important for businesses today. I realized that there are always certain patterns in the businesses I work with, and that these patterns gain a place among the employee's overtime and that everyone follows them. Among these, I witnessed that the very wrong method determines the fate of businesses. If we can really apply design thinking, I think it will enrich us in solving problems and developing products.
Share your design thinking experiences with us in the comment section below.
Take care~
Mert İnan
