HTML6 and CSS4 – Future of HTML This first draft is just to create an environment for the concept of design thinking. I will definitely relate the concept with examples [real time and proposed], but I hope I have been able to instigate a different thought/concept in you, to be continued…

1. HTML6 and CSS4 – Future of HTML
Before even briefing on design thinking or why the word thinking is associated with design,
Let me first talk on generic kind of problems. There are two kinds – There are puzzles and
then there are mysteries. Puzzles are problems where if you the perfect data set the
problem, that gives a perfect analysis of situation and hence the exact requirement than the
puzzle can be solved. E.g. if we know GPS coordinate of a particular location we can find that
particular location.
There is another kind of problem that is mysteries, where there is no single piece of data,
that will actually solve the problem, in fact there might be too much of data and it’s about
interpreting all the data that’s there, so these are more richer harder problem which requires
more systems thinking, more prototyping and that is where designers often most adapt, for
e.g., rebuilding an existing structure, so there’s not one single way, it’s trying different things
and experimenting, move forward to solution, we are never going to have enough
information, we are never going to have the right information. We just have to interpret what
we have and do the best we can, so we start to resolve this when good things happen. But
certainly it’s the mysteries that get the designers excited.
Design Thinking comes into play for the latter kind – mysteries. It is most effective when you
need something very disruptive and out of the box solution. Design thinking is usually
compared with traditional design and development strategy like requirement gathering,
prototype designing and development. While traditional strategy has given us great and
humongous data, great analytics from which one can make the most logical decisions, design
thinking gives use curiosity and power of observation. It takes all the available data and then
puts into context of situation.

2. What exactly is traditional strategy?
Although we say about using innovation or creating alternate solution, we are not used to
wonder over the processes we implement. I believe that most times they all feel the same
and in conventional business that is probably true. All the processes currently employed in
solving a problem using design and development is analytical, rational, prescribed and
convergent. Analytical in which we break problems up to study them. Rational in where we
take an ordered approach. Prescribed where we can describe the approach and replicate it
easily and finally convergent in where we start with available choices and work toward a
single best solution. We have been experiencing processes like this ever since studying math
or science at school.
What is design thinking?
Design Thinking is a problem solving technique. Not a process, not a phase, But a design
thinking itself acts as a complete solution provider and it works best in case of problems
which are mysteries as explained above. It acts as a solution for problems which are complex
and ill-defined. Prominent Tools used for design thinking are Observation, ethnography, and
interviews, synthesis question answer.
There are basically two major types of software solutions, one is utility solutions and
another is strategic solutions. Utility solutions are those which are necessity and aid in
existing workflows of some business domain, say finance apps, banking solutions etc… where
as strategic solutions are one where the need is created and then luxury is converted to
necessity. Considering current scenario, both utility and strategic solutions have evolved
beyond basic requirements.
In these new age solutions, a whole suite of abilities have come into picture, which are like

3. difficult to routinize, difficult to turn them into an algorithm, or a set of rules thus making
them hard to outsource and hard to automate therefore more valuable. For e.g. design
thinking, or a narrative or a story are tremendously overlooked and undervalued, pattern
recognition, empathy [capacity to stand in someone’s shoes see with their eyes, feel with
their hearts], giving a sense of meaning/purpose to a solution. These attributes are difficult
to routinize and that makes them more difficult to implement.
Baeck & Gremett describe more about Core attribute of design thinking along with their
description and their personal comments.
Attribute Description
Ambiguity Being comfortable when things are unclear or when you don’t know the answer
Collaborative Working together across disciplines
Constructive Creating new ideas based on old ideas, which can also be the most successful ideas
Curiosity Being interested in things you don’t understand or perceiving things with fresh eyes
Empathy Seeing and understanding things from your customers’ point of view
Holistic Looking at the bigger context for the customer
Iterative A cyclical process where improvements are made a solution or idea regardless
of the phase
Nonjudgmental Creating ideas with no judgment toward the idea creator or the idea
Open mindset Embracing design thinking as an approach for any problem regardless of
industry or scope
Design thinking talks of business model innovation rather than new products or ideas. It
usually relates to solve something existing and modify the existing process rather than
creating a whole new idea, and frankly speaking Frontiers of Business model innovation
hasn’t been tried as frequently as the new product innovation.
This first draft is just to create an environment for the concept of design thinking. I will
definitely relate the concept with examples [real time and proposed], but I hope I have been
able to instigate a different thought/concept in you, to be continued…