A Design Thinking Point of View
Design thinking is a process by which designers and design teams developed design concepts for new products, buildings, machines, and more. The process consists of five steps, Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.
The first step, empathize, is basically understanding your users and the targeted group you are intending to help. In order to empathize, you need to observe, engage, and watch and listen. Doing so will give you a window into the lives of the users, which can help you uncover insights that you may not have found otherwise.
The next step is to define. The purpose of the define stage is to bring clarity to really start to focus down on a meaningful problem statement. This stage involves data analysis, 5 whys, personas, redefining, and problem statements.
Following this stage is ideation. This is the stage where generating ideas and design concepts begin to materialize. Ways to help generate ideas include bodystorming, mind mapping, and sketching.
The next stage is prototype. In the prototype stage, all the research and ideas really come to life. Different prototypes can include paper prototypes, animatics, tight comprehensives, wireframes, mock-ups, walkthroughs, and marquetries.
After this, the final stage is to test. In the test stage, you learn from mistakes and refine until you find the most satisfactory solution. Different ways to test are to launch, publish, print, debug, upload, screen, ship, manufacture, promote, release, and beta. Although these stages are in steps, they are not linear, and the projects are never truly finished.
Personally, I think this design thinking method will be very applicable to all aspects of my work. Each step holds equal importance. I have always been an intensely creative person, who enjoys designing, generating ideas, and problem-solving. Therefore, it is easy for me to want to jump right into the ideation step. Although, with the design thinking process in mind, taking the time to empathize and clearly define, leads to better products in the end. Empathizing is such an important step to include when creating designs. It allows for a much more in-depth and accurate solution that could not have been found otherwise.
In David Kelley’s TED talk about creative confidence, I thought his points were fascinating. I have personally never been in the position where I felt as if I am not creative, due to criticism of my art, but I definitely have watched others go through that. In my school, every year the art class got smaller and smaller. I think opening people to the idea that they are creative when they think they are not, by turning fear into familiarity, is an amazing thing to do. Increasing people’s self-efficacy in the area of creativity, would open so many new doors and create more ideas and innovation in the world.
Also, I think the point Tim Brown mentioned in his TED talk was very interesting. He discussed how the design thinking process inspired divergence and creates more choices versus the convergent path of making choices. This idea of choices really resonated with me and the impact they can have. The greatest part of the design thinking process is the fact that ideas and choices are endless. They can also be changed, revised, and redone if they later prove to be faulty. The design thinking process is a beautiful cycle that will not only help your client or the consumer but also help the designer, by allowing for learning and growth. I am very excited to take these concepts and apply them to my future works and designs. I know, with practice, this design process will become a second nature to me that will be able to be seen through the growing quality of my work.
Sources:
https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_brown_urges_designers_to_think_big/up-next#t-795459
https://www.ted.com/talks/david_kelley_how_to_build_your_creative_confidence/up-next#t-648968
https://www.fastcompany.com/90298167/how-to-organize-your-to-do-list-effectively
