Perspectives On Design Thinking

Design Thinking in Action: 5-Step Design Thinking Process

Table of Contents

In this blog, let us dive deep into School of Design Thinking’s ‘5-Step Process of Design Thinking©’. Any problem solvers while they aim to solve any problem, they do have that particular problem in mind along with how they would envisage its solution. While there is no harm in this approach, it however lacks a particular framework. It’s the absence of the framework which makes problem-solving sometimes go haywire.  Especially when it comes to Design Thinking which aims to solve complex wicked problems, Design experts across the globe have ensured the application of a typical multi-step Design Thinking process. The process acts as a framework that brings better alignment amongst Design Thinkers, acts as a checkpoint in the journey of problem-solving and ensures we are not missing anything important in the overall problem-solving approach.

Though, there are various Design Thinking process variants pioneered by various organizations/ universities; every process however follows a theme viz. Understanding the problem through empathy, followed by Defining the problem, subsequently brainstorming through various techniques and converging into one particular idea through prototyping.  

We at School of Design Thinking too have our ‘5-Step Process of Design Thinking©’ which follows the above-mentioned theme, however with a few additional elements that make it holistic. Let us understand each step in detail.  

Design Thinking Process : To put Design Thinking in action

5-Step Process of Design Thinking
Copyright by Arun Jain, Polaris Banyan Holding Pvt. Ltd 2024.

Fundamental Step – Preparing the Design Mind

We feel preparing the Design Mind is indispensable before the actual application of Design Thinking. Over the years with our collective experience of Design Thinking collaboration with various stakeholders from diverse walks of life; we have put together a very comprehensive ‘Design The Thinking®’ framework that focuses on bringing a mindset transformation for Design Thinkers before commencing on Design Thinking problem-solving.  The framework focuses on 13 different elements of the human mind when conditioned properly have the potential to generate a world of possibilities. We have segregated these 13 elements into –

  1.  SEPIA – 5 Forces of Growth© 
  2.  DCAFE – 5 Frictional Forces©
  3.  VAL – 3 Elements to Watch©

 

For a detailed understanding about each of the 13 elements, we would request you to go through this blog that illustrates the importance of Design Mindset transformation

 Step 1 – FEEL

In this stage, we need to apply Empathy to understand the situation of every stakeholder in the problem arena. We need to arrive at the Desirability of every stakeholder in getting the problem solved. This desirability will help Design Thinkers to find down patterns, anti-patterns of user behavior, market behavior, stated and importantly unstated needs of every stakeholder.  

In the beginning Desirability itself is not very clear at a very macro level. Thus we use two tools to bring clarity to desirability itself.  Some of these tools involve Personas, Journey Mapping, Empathy Mapping, Cartographic Framework to understand the customer landscape, etc. 

To summarize, we need to understand the entire picture.  Since Design Thinking focuses on holistic problem-solving, we need to map all the elements and actors of the System. For this, we need to think like a Cartographer who plots all the elements of a map on a sheet.

Here is our blog focusing on a very niche tool (L0 Framework©) that helps us to ‘not miss the forest for the trees’ and stay focused on the big picture.

Step 2 – DEFINE

We now have lots of data and insights collected during the FEEL stage. We need to converge on the ‘real problem’ to be solved by ‘asking the right questions’. This is the most crucial stage in the entire Design Thinking process because you need to solve the correct problem. That’s why paraphrasing the problem by decluttering the entire load of information (gathered from the FEEL stage) becomes critical. Design Thinking Tools, especially a famous Root Cause Analysis Tool named 5-WHY comes in handy. Toyota Corporation invented this unique approach and most of the organizations leverage the same to move the journey from ‘Diagnosis of the Problem’ (Symptoms of the Problem) to arrive at the ‘Root Cause of the issue’.   This Root Cause then becomes the problem to be solved..

As part of our Design Thinking exercise, we take the help of Ice-Cream sticks to narrow down the problem. The philosophy behind utilizing Ice-Cream sticks is to think if we have been able to summarize the problem so sharp and crisp that we can jot it down on an ice cream stick (not more than 6-7 words). The sharper we go, the better it reflects in narrowing down the problem.

Step 3 – DIVERGE

Divergence means bringing multiple expertise and multiple perspectives at the same time to generate ideas. In this stage, we need to challenge all existing assumptions and biases. We need to challenge the existing processes or policies of the institutions. Design Thinkers engaged in Divergence should follow one key principle here – “No Idea Is a Bad Idea”. 

To summarize, we need to come up with lots of ideas without thinking about the operational and feasible parts of them. All kinds of ideas are to be noted which can be classified, colored, and coded (usage of Post-it / sticky notes) for better assimilation and arriving at affinity.

Brainstorming is the most popularly used tool here. However, niche Design Thinking Tools such as Metaphors, Random Association Techniques too are leveraged here to generate ideas by allowing more ‘connecting the dots’

We would like you to recall the ’13 Musical Notes’ at this point & you would understand how some of those elements play a key role in this phase of Collaboration.

Step 4 – CONVERGE

Not all the ideas will be implemented. This is where the team of Design Thinkers needs to ‘filter’ ideas and try to eliminate as many ideas as they can. We famously speak of the phrase ‘Don’t fall in love with your solution but fall in love with the problem’. There is a tendency to fall in one’s suggested idea (from the Divergence phase), thus making elimination of the same difficult. This is where Design Thinkers need to avoid the ‘my Idea’ syndrome. 

To help make the elimination and prioritization of ideas easy and more rationale, there are niche Design Thinking Tools such as QBL (classifying Ideas as Quick, Bold and Long-Lasting) and the law – “Theory of Prioritization – 1000 gm/100 gm/10 gm’ come handy.

By applying these tools, Design Thinkers finally converge on a very select handful of ideas.  These ideas then can be taken to the Prototype stage to finetune them further, align with the customer’s problem and importantly garner feedback from the user.  

Important –  If teams feel none of the solutions are working, they should be ready to go to previous stages of Design Thinking to start again from scratch. It’s important to note that ‘Design Thinking is not Linear in its approach’

Step 5 – COMMUNICATE

Communication is key for scaling up any solution or institutionalizing the innovation or process. The success of a movie is in its ability to communicate.  Ideas have to be communicated to develop the much-needed ‘buy-in’ from stakeholders.

History has proven that a lot of innovative examples couldn’t see the light of the day then, because their innovators couldn’t communicate them properly. Had these ideas been in the market, things would have been totally different. Ideas don’t have wheels of their own instead Ideas need stories to set in motion.

That’s where Persona-based storytelling becomes critical. Here you understand the audience persona (their beliefs, likes-dislikes, ethnography etc.) & then you design the story revolving around the idea to convince the persona.

In a diverse country where a good amount of the population stays in inaccessible areas of the country, their literacy levels are modest; ‘COVID-19 Vaccine hesitancy’ became one of the major hindrances in the journey of the vaccination program. That’s where various NGOs adopted novel storytelling techniques to quell the public’s doubts and eliminate vaccine hesitancy. Sharing with you an insightful blog about Persona based storytelling.

FOLLOW-UP

Assuming the idea is successfully launched in the market after developing buy-in from the stakeholders, Design Thinkers need to consistently be in touch with users to check the implementation of the solution. So, follow-up and if needed going back to square-1 becomes very important in this process.

To summarize & reiterate, though the Design Thinking application comprises of 5-Steps, none of them would be fruitful without bringing a mindset transformation as the fundamental step. Design Thinking is a team sport (an exercise of collaboration) & these interpersonal dynamics, team dynamics and accordingly the ’13 Musical Notes’ of ‘Design The Thinking®do come into the picture from time to time. 

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