What is needed for design thinking to be successful?
Design thinking is the term used by designers to solve problems and find innovative solutions to please the clients (Creativity). Drawing upon logic, imagination, and reasoning, you can create and explore endless possibilities in which benefits the end user (Naiman). Design not only gives an appealing feature to a product, it is also “how it works” noted by Steve Jobs. An example following would be the change in cell phones — size, capacity, and use of multiple functions. The standard use for cellphones in previous years had been solely for communication. Today, you will find users listening to music, enjoying mobile apps, and even using their phones as calculators.
“Design thinking diverges in its deep brainstorming and prototyping phases, which can be very enlightening and useful when it comes to solving problems” (Santee). Through countless experiments and feedback given by users, design teams can refine previous concepts and test something new until the customer is satisfied. With an ethnographical standpoint, you must consider what someone looks for and how it can affect many lives in the future. One person can’t come up with a solution out of nothing, a team is needed and data must be collected for brainstorming to continue. No matter how we look at it, humans love change. Qualitative research and observation on human interactions and problem solving can help create innovative solutions for any targeted customer.
Ethnography approaches design thinking by communicating with the customer and through experimental analysis over a period of time. As you start to see what a customer desires, you can begin to work out a solution that will please their demands. You might say the same for an architect, whose job it is to plan, design, and construct buildings that meet certain regulations. For an architect, the design lays out the function of the building, the walkways, exits, and where everything will be maintained. For an ethnographer, you might want to establish a set ground that takes the feedback from the users and lay out a prototype of the sort first, then start to develop the design thinking process over time without the preconceived notion that no others will be made before completion. Every approach must please the end user, you must observe first to produce desired results.
