Design Thinking: what it is, areas of use and best courses

Solving complex problems using creativity: this is, to simplify, what Design Thinking means.
It all stems from the need to innovate and innovate oneself: in fact, several successful companies were born from an innovative idea. But one-off innovation is not enough: it needs to be part of the corporate culture, to be a real approach to problem solving and need satisfaction.
But what is meant by Design Thinking and what are the most common areas in which it is used?

What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking originated as a method to teach engineers to creatively approach problems. It was first regulated by John E. Arnold, professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford University. In his text “Creative Engineering” published in 1959, he had outlined the four stages of Design Thinking. In the years that followed, the concept evolved to identify a human-centered approach.
Today, the Design Thinking methodology is based on five stages:

• empathize: observe your audience, to understand what their needs are (you can conduct interviews or anonymous surveys);
• define: based on what you learned in the previous step, define what the problem is so you can work on solving it. (e.g., “My employees must be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle while working in the office” instead of “I want my employees to be healthy and happy to increase their retention.”)
• ideate: when the problem is well mapped out, move on to the ideation phase by thinking outside the box and using tools such as bodystorming and reverse thinking
• prototyping: after outlining one or more ideas, turn them into prototypes (they can be paper, digital or interactive). If, for example, the problem is the willingness/need to enable your employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle in the office, and the identified solution is to offer free meditation classes, you can set up a temporary relaxation area in the office and call a mindfulness teacher to test the idea in practice;
• test: allow the audience for whom you have designed the solution (whether they are your customers or your employees) to test it, so they can receive their feedback. You will then understand whether or not the Design Thinking method is effective in solving the specific problem.

What are the most common areas in which Design Thinking is used

The areas of application of Design Thinking are numerous. It turns out to be particularly useful:

• in the field of startups, for designing and launching innovative enterprises;
• in the design of products and services: in a market saturated with alternatives, products and services that arise from a creative approach can make a difference
• in education: business schools have long since incorporated it into their curricula.

What you learn in a Design Thinking course

Phyd’s Design Thinking courses teach the principles of the discipline, so you can learn how to apply this innovative approach to problem solving in your own business.
You can take basic courses, suitable for beginners and those who have never heard of Design Thinking, or more in-depth courses to develop analytical skills, learn how to seize opportunities, make connections between ideas, and to bring innovation into your work. By learning Design Thinking strategies you will learn a new way of thinking and acquire a soft skill that you can use in multiple areas.