Design Thinking is a design discipline
Be prepared for an uncomfortable truth! I know a lot of people will not be very happy about to hear it: Even if many try to do it, Design Thinking is best done by designers.
For me, Sven Marten, this has become evident over the last 12 years — Design Thinking workshops are much more successful when run by a designer. I am aware that this is a provocative statement with a touch of hubris, but before you turn your nose up at it and turn to the next article, let me explain to you what I have observed.
There are many talented and skilled Design Thinking coaches who come from various disciplines such as psychology, project management, development, etc. and I am sure they do a very good job in facilitating workshops. The problem is, that good facilitation alone does not lead to a successful outcome. The warning bell should always ring when the only feedback you get is that the workshop was really well facilitated. A really successful workshop solves a business problem and participants leave with a smile on their faces and an artefact in their hands — visible proof that they have achieved their goal and a trophy they can show others back in their offices. Therefore, core design skills like visualisation and prototyping are key to success and that is exactly what designers are trained to create during their education. Designers can help to bring the team’s ideas to life in a quality that makes everyone proud when the results are shared. Of course, you may say that these are all skills that can be trained but as with all disciplines, there is a fundamental difference between receiving a multi-year education and a 3-months training. But as a product designer, let me share a thought. In which plane you would feel safer? In the one constructed by a fully educated and experienced aircraft engineer or in one that was built by someone who went through a three month plane building crash course? Yeah, I said “crash”…
There are additional reasons why Designers are the best choice for doing a Design Thinking Workshop. It is by far not only the crafting skills that matter. Designers are trained to quickly anticipate new unknown topics, connect the dots, see the wider context, read between the lines, embrace ambiguity, truly step into the users’ shoes, and add speed and momentum to the process. Possessing these characteristics allows designers to keep the participants on track during the workshop, to circumnavigate risks, and to ensure that the workshop is an outstanding experience. Participants may initially have a good impression if the Design Thinking coach is just the facilitator or someone who really understands the business problem and is committed to the topic. But the secret sauce is when the invisible border between the facilitator and the participants starts to dissolve and the coach becomes a natural part and an accepted leader of the team. This is where the magic happens. And that is what designers are known for. So, in my experience, the best setup for a Design Thinking Workshop is a team of two designers, who can facilitate and transform the ideas into high quality, tangible artefacts.
This article is part of a series under the title “10 out of 100 - Learnings I wish I had known years before”. Get an overview here.
