Introduction to Design Thinking

Blackvard Management Consulting
Introduction To Design Thinking
Copyright © Blackvard Management Consulting – All rights reserved www.blackvard.com

Agenda
What Will Be Covered:
1. Overview of Design Thinking Process
1. Empathizing
2. Defining
3. Ideation
4. Prototyping
5. Testing
2. About Us

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_thinking
The Design Thinking Process
 Design Thinking refers to design-specific cognitive activities applied by
designers during the design process.
 The idea of design as a “way of thinking” can be traced back to the 1960’s.
 Various books described the methods & approaches used by urban planners & architects.
 In the 80’s & 90’s, Design Thinking began being taught as a method of creative action.
 Design Thinking was adapted for business purposes in 1991.
 Design Thinking was eventually adapted to express a broader view, as
addressing intractable human concerns through design.

Empathize
•Develop an
understanding
of the direct
challenge in
front of you.
Define
•Clearly
articulate the
main problem
you are trying
to solve.
Ideate
•Then
brainstorm,
select and
develop
potential
solutions.
Prototype
•Use short-cycle
innovation
processes to
continually
improve your
design.
Test
•Design a
prototype to
test all or part
of your solution
w/ your testers.
The Design Thinking Process
 Design Thinking defines a specific problem & implements solutions.
 Taking user needs & requirements into consideration.
 User demographic is the core of concept development.
 Focuses on discerning needs, understanding, creating & doing.
 Design Thinking is based on action & creation.
 Creating & testing allows users to improve on ideas.
 Design Thinking consists of five important steps:

1 - Empathizing
 Empathizing is the core aspect of the human-centered design process.
 Allows developers to fully understand the user’s needs & requirements.
 Observe/Interact/Immerse yourself in the user’s experiences.
 Problems being solved are rarely your own.
 The effort exerted in order to understand why people do what they do.
 Physical & emotional needs (physical manifestations of user’s experiences).
 Thought patterns & the meaning behind those thoughts matter.
 Insights into user’s values, thoughts & deeply held beliefs.
 Enables designers to surmise intangible
meaning in regards to the user’s experiences.
 Uncovers insights that provide direction to create
inventive solutions.
 Allows for a “fresh set of eyes”.

1 - Empathizing
 In order to Empathize you must do the following:
 Observe: View users & their behavior within the context of daily lives.
 Pay attention to contextual observations & conduct interviews.
 Pay attention to disconnects (what someone says vs. what they do).
 Find out if “work-around” solutions exist.
 Engage: “Interviewing” should be more of a conversation (long or short).
 Prepare questions ahead of time & let conversations deviate from them.
 Encourage stories & ask “why” to discover deeper meaning.
 Watch & Listen: Combine observation & engagement.
 Observe the user completing a task.
 Ask why they are doing what they do.
 Ask user to vocalize their thoughts on the task at hand.
 Use the environment to prompt additional questions.

1 - Empathizing
 When transitioning from the Empathize mode to the Define mode:
 Process what was seen & heard from the user.
 This is the beginning of the synthesis mode.
 Share important data with other designers.
 Capture important parts in a visual form.
 Use pictures/post-its/maps/quotes, etc.

2 - Defining
 The Define mode allows designers to process & evaluate results
discovered during the empathy mode.
 Allows productive insights to be created.
 Brings clarity & focus to the design space.
 Become familiar with the subject & gain empathy for the user.
 Focuses on insights & needs of the user.
 Goal is to create a meaningful & actionable statement Point of View (POV).
 POV is the explicit expression of the problem/concern at hand.
 Defines the correct challenges to address (based on observations).
 Narrowed focus allows for greater quantity & higher quality solutions.

2 - Defining
 The Define mode requires designers to consider what aspects of certain
observations were evident when interviewing & observing subjects.
 Ask relevant questions, regarding patterns, interests, etc.
 Consider personality types & certain observed behaviors.
 Select & evaluate a limited set of needs.
 Use empathy & data research to articulate thoughtful insights.
 Articulate a Point Of View by combining three elements as an “actionable
statement” that influences the overall design: User/Need/Insight
 Excellent POVs provide focus & frame the issue.
 Inspires, connects & empowers team & provides criteria.

2 - Defining
 When transitioning from the Define mode to the Ideate mode, define
important & specific challenges to undertake.
 Explore different avenues by generating diverse & possible solutions.
 Step beyond the immediate & obvious.
 A well-thought out & framed POV initiates the best ideation.
 Create a “How can we tackle this…” catalog of thought provoking questions.
 Focus on the problem as a whole while brainstorming.
 Focus on different aspects of the challenge.
 Select different topics & discover new & compelling ideas.

3 - Ideation
 The Ideate mode allows for the generation of ideas.
 Represents a “large blanket ” approach regarding concepts & outcomes.
 Provides fuel & content for creating prototypes & innovative solutions.
 Ideate to evolve from recognizing problems to creating valid solutions.
 Ability to combine the understanding you have of the problem at hand
with the users you are designing for.
 Imagination & thought utilization.
 Allows solutions to be generated.
 Ideation is about searching for an expansive range of
possible ideas to work with; not one single solution.
 Best solutions are discovered through user testing & feedback.

3 - Ideation
 Various forms of Ideation are utilized to allow for the following:
 Going beyond the obvious & increasing solution innovation.
 Harvesting your team’s strengths, ideas & exploring the unexpected.
 Creating volume & variety through innovation.
 Ignoring the obvious & pushing your team to higher performance levels.
 Combine conscious/unconscious mind, rational thoughts
& imagination in order to ideate.
 Build upon each other’s ideas.
 Look for related & inspiring materials.
 Embrace misunderstandings.
 Building (physically creating something) forces
decision-making.
 Encourages new ideas.
 Separate the generation of ideas from idea evaluation.

3 - Ideation
 When transitioning from the Ideate mode to Prototype, it is
important to ensure the innovation potential created during
the ideation process is preserved.
 Employs a process of considered selection.
 Multiple ideas progress forward into prototyping (maintains innovation).
 Best practice is to designate a vote on three different ideas that were
developed while brainstorming.
 Referred to as “Three vote criteria”
 “Most likely to satisfy” “The rational decision” & “Most unexpected”
 Advance two/three ideas forward into the prototyping phase.
 A much better approach than settling on one single idea.

4 - Prototyping
 The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of items/artifacts
developed to answer questions that help in generating solutions.
 Prototype to ideate, problem solve, communicate, debate & build-to-think.
 In early prototype stages, keep questions broad & simple.
 Create inexpensive, quick, low-resolution prototypes; elicit feedback.
 Fail (trial/error) inexpensively & commit to fewer resources.
 Test possibilities & pursue different ideas without committing too soon.
 Manage solution-building processes.
 Identify variables & divide larger issues into smaller (testable) ones.
 In later stages, prototype & related questions should be more refined.
 Ask more involved & intimate questions.

4 - Prototyping
 The best way to Prototype is:
 Start building, use your materials to get motivated & build with the user in mind.
 Ration your time – don’t spend too much time on one prototype.
 Don’t get too emotionally attached to any one prototype.
 Identify a variable & what is being tested.
 Prototype should answer a particular question when tested.
 Ask “What behaviors do I expect?” “What do I hope to test?”
 The Prototype can be anything interactive.
 Notes, storyboard, toys, etc.
 Something a user can experience, which elicits emotions & responses.

4 - Prototyping
 Prototyping and Testing should be analyzed together; rather than
transitioning between the two.
 Ask: “What are you testing?” & “How are you going to test it?”
 The questions above help to generate layers of testing a prototype.
 Although testing & prototyping are often combined, planning & executing a successful
testing scenario takes a lot of additional time & effort.
 True testing (to obtain informative & correct feedback) requires thoughtful planning.
 Planning elicits honest & natural feedback.

5 - Testing
 During the Test mode, gather feedback on the prototype &
obtain further empathy for those you are designing for.
 You are now more aware of certain prototype issues.
 You now have various prototypes to test.
 Do not reduce testing to whether or not users like your solution;
continue to ask “why” they like it.
 Focus on knowledge about the user, the problem & potential solutions.
 Test within real-life user context (ask testers to use your prototypes in daily life).
 Have users embrace a role/task when testing prototypes.
 Prototype as if you’re always right.
 Test as if you’re always incorrect.

5 - Testing
 The Test mode is required to fine-tune prototypes & associated solutions.
 Testing also determines further prototype iterations.
 Learn more about the user’s wants, needs, etc.
 Build additional empathy for the user (observe & engage).
 Refines your Point Of View (POV).
 Did you ask the problem in the correct manner?
 Did you reach an incorrect solution?

5 - Testing
 When Testing a prototype, show- don’t tell.
 Allow users to touch & experience the prototype.
 Let users interpret the prototype.
 Don’t explain or lead their experience.
 Watch how users (correctly/incorrectly) handle the prototype.
 Listen to their feedback & questions.
 Create a user experience.
 Create & test in methods that users can react to.
 Ask users to compare.
 Feature more than one prototype.
 Let user comparisons reveal hidden needs.

Summary
 Iteration is essential to a successful design.
 It is best practice to iterate by completing the design process
several times & by iterating within each step.
 Create several prototypes & try multiple group brainstorm sessions.
 After multiple iterations, the design scope will narrow.
 Progress from a broad concept to finer details (linear progression).
 Use design modes in various orders.
 Allows for different challenges to be met.
 There are an unlimited number of successful design frameworks.
 Ultimately, the design process will become your own.
 Able to be adapted.
 With practice, a designer mindset will emerge.
 Can be utilized with any process.

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Blackvard Management Consultants
www.blackvard.comCopyright © Blackvard Management Consulting – All rights reserved
Short Bio:
Lukas M. Dietzsch is managing director at Blackvard
Management Consulting, LLC. He is holding a Master’s
degree in Information Technology and is an experienced IT
solution architect and project lead.
His strong background in adapting to requirements and
standards in different industries and on various platforms are
valuable assets for Blackvard customers.
He is repeatedly commended by customers for driving
efficient solutions for complex problems in globally
distributed team environments and meeting tough deadlines.
For further information please visit:
www.blackvard.com
Lukas M. Dietzsch
lukas@blackvard.com
Copyright © Blackvard Management Consulting- All rights reserved www.blackvard.com
Managing Director

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