Week 32, 2018
Modes of Thought: Intuition, Analysis, and Design
Each week I share three ideas about how to make work better. And this week, I’d like to share a realization I’ve had in regards to the origins and purpose of Design Thinking — everyone’s favorite method for creative decision making.
1. Intuitive Thinking
Intuition is an automatic, fast, and often unconscious way of thinking. It’s autonomous and efficient, requiring little attention or energy. But it’s also prone to biases and systematic errors because it relies heavily on emotion and past experiences. In psychology, it’s referred to as System 1. And in business, it’s generally frowned upon.
2. Analytical Thinking
Analysis is the polar opposite. It’s slower, more linear, and more logical. But it doesn’t come naturally, and so it requires conscious effort and training. In psychology, it’s referred to as System 2. And in business, it’s the much-preferred method of problem-solving. But it’s not bulletproof. And in addition to being slow, it’s also susceptible to confirmation bias.
3. Design Thinking
Design thinking is a method for creative problem solving based on the process that designers use during the process of design. It aims to balance intuitive and analytical thinking in an effort to reap the benefits of both while minimizing the potential drawbacks. Design thinking, therefore, is not one or the other — it’s the successful combination of both.
Design thinking didn’t rise to prominence because designers suddenly began to branch out. It did so because non-designers went looking for new and better ways to do things. Design is what they found. And that’s why we talk about design thinking today.
