Overview
Design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process, which helps us to understand future customer needs, challenge existing assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test. The method consists of 5 phases - Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test. Design thinking works if you aim for sustaining innovation, such as a new feature for an existing technology (a camera in a laptop), but also if you look for a disruptive idea (a tablet PC).
Already in a one-day workshop, it is possible to go through all phases, if the potential customer is accessible. I believe strongly in that the customer is outside and his/her needs cannot be understood by sitting at a desk in front of a computer. Let’s leave the office and find out what the customer really wants. And if we listen carefully, test quickly with easy build solutions, we may understand what is behind a customer’s story and come up with an innovative idea which can help our customers to make that progress in his/her life. Is it possible that our customer is not wishing for a thinner laptop with more functionality but actually for something with less functionality and no keyboard at all?
I moderate Design Thinking workshops across industries and teach the method in our international project module INTRPO. For the latter, I always like to collaborate with industry partners, take on a real problem and find that solution which may help our partners and his clients to run better. Sounds interesting? Do not hesitate to contact me.
