Design thinking: the holy grail for complex issues!

If there is one thing we all crave, it is a holy grail formula for solving complex issues. Well, let that be precisely the power of fameddesign thinking. Don't get me wrong. It's not magic that makes every project succeed. What it is? Think of it rather as a formula, which shows you where the root of the problem lies, and indirectly leads you to an innovative solution.

Sounds interesting, doesn't it? It is! Design thinking is the subject of a lot of books, is taught at the most famous master's programs and is the basis of the mindset of a lot of business consultants. And that's not surprising, because you actually face more and more complex, dynamic problems. The constant evolution actually makes it impossible to stand still.

This is true now more than ever. Of course, conventional approaches no longer work then. Simply because it takes far too long. Before you have found the solution, there is a chance that you can't even apply it anymore. Ah no, because the root of the problem has already spread to another level. Too bad!

Fortunately, someone in 1969 was already thinking about today's problems. Back then, Herbert A. Simon wrote about design thinking in his article "sciences of the artificial. There he described the word "design" as "transforming existing conditions into desirable conditions. Together with a few fellow scientists, he thus laid the foundations for "design thinking.

In the 1980s, the term experienced a boost. Tim Brown took the working method to the next level in Silicon Valley. So its enormous popularity is no longer a surprise. But what exactly is it?

It is not hype, but a proven, problem-solving method to innovate and renew. Human-centered and instinctive, to initiate a thoughtful creative process for the influx of new, strong ideas. So it is always about a problem or difficulty, coupled with improving the future.

It seems simple: gather a few fun ideas together. It's usually not that simple. In fact, design thinking is mostly applied to answer complex issues. Situations in which many people are involved. Directly and indirectly, inside and outside the company.

So that's where everything starts: gathering all the stakeholders' interests, and looking for added value. This is how design thinking creates sustainable solutions that are guaranteed to succeed. The process? It takes five steps.

We start at the beginning. And that has everything to do with understanding human need. Not just any "people," but the people who are relevant to your business. That is primarily the user of your product or service, but also certain clients, employees and all other stakeholders. You map out those stakeholders first. This can also be done with an empathy map, in which you summarize the pains & gains of those stakeholders.

The focus is on gathering as much information as possible so that you can sharply define the problem. After all, the objective is to gain insight into the problem through the target audience. Whence does it come from? How did it arise? When? And why is it so complex? This requires field research. In the form of a survey, interviews or even a focus group.

Once you know what your target audience thinks about it, it's time to tackle the problem further. The first task? Define the problem statement unambiguously & concisely based on all the information you got from phase 1. Actually, that's half the battle. Once you have a really good thesis statement, you automatically know what the actual problem you need to solve is.

"It's not the customer's job to know what they want"
Steve Jobs

That solution doesn't come flying by itself. Too bad, right? You'll need to organize a brainstorming session to generate ideas. Internally, with your own team, but certainly also with outsiders and a few of your ideal clients. Anything is possible, as long as it fits within the problem definition.

Strong concepts from the past, or inspiration from other industries are also more than welcome. After all, you can build on certain processes and principles that have proven successful for others before. There are several methods for starting such a creative process. Remember: at this stage it is not about quality, but quantity. The more ideas you have, the stronger your final concept can become. Only after you have gathered the masses can you proceed with a few final proposals.

Time to put it all together: what about the pros and cons of all these ideas? The chances of success? Bring all the data together into one. Combine, integrate and say goodbye. Successful? Then it's time to create a prototype based on the most promising compositions.
This is a cheap and simplified version of the solution as you envision it. You should be able to work this out with a minimal investment of time and money. Therefore, it is only a test version, which you later optimize into the final solution.

Et finalement: time for action! Now that your prototype is finished, you can subject it to the real test. Let your team use it, but also send it to the end user. Do this in an experimental setup. Test the prototype piece by piece, phase by phase, comparing different versions. This is the quickest way to discover limitations and to explore all possible avenues for shaping the final solution.

In this phase, you bring your product together with the user. Only so do you learn how they interact with it, what they think and feel when they interact with it. This is an interactive process. In fact, you will need several rounds of testing to test everything. Only then can you move on to final development, and be ready to score.

And, are you feeling it already? Such a design thinking process really sets things in motion. It may seem difficult when you start it, but becomes a delightful routine once you roll into it. We're sure Steve Jobs would be proud of you. A genius man, and a purebred design thinker. He empathized with users, and thought purely from their mindset and needs. It is partly because of him that user-friendliness as a total experience have gained a beautiful place in our way of working today. A way of working that we are only too happy to use. Are you in?