Design Thinking is a creative, human-centered approach to solving problems — by understanding people’s needs first, then designing solutions that actually work for them.
The term blends design (as in creative problem-solving) and thinking (as in mindset). It’s not about making things “pretty”; it’s about making things work — through empathy, experimentation, and iteration. The concept gained traction through design firms like IDEO and academic programs like Stanford’s d.school.
Design Thinking usually follows five flexible steps: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. Let’s say you’re trying to improve the experience of taking public transportation. Instead of starting with tech or schedules, Design Thinking starts by talking to commuters — what annoys them, what confuses them, what they wish existed. Then you define the problem, brainstorm ideas, build a quick prototype (even with cardboard or sketches!), and test it with real people. Repeat as needed.
It’s used everywhere — from designing apps to rethinking healthcare services. The power of Design Thinking is that it reframes problems from the user’s perspective, not the business’s or the system’s. It helps you build the right thing, not just build the thing right.
Want to dive deeper? Check out IDEO’s Design Thinking resources.
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