Design Thinking - Module 1 - Introduction To Design Thinking - Dr. Rohan Dasgupta.pdf
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In this presentation, the following topics have been discussed in details: 1. Definition and origin of design thinking 2. Design thinking vs Traditional problem-solving approaches 3. Importance of design thinking in modern innovation 4. Design thinking mindsets: empathy, experimentation, optimism 5. Overview of models: Stanford d.school 5-step process, Double Diamond model 6. Principles of human-centered design 7. Case Studies on Design Thinking
Design Thinking - Module 1 - Introduction To Design Thinking - Dr. Rohan Dasgupta.pdf
- 1. Introduction to Design Thinking Module No. 1 Dr. Rohan Dasgupta
- 2. 1.1. Definition and Origin of Design Thinking
- 3. What is Design Thinking? ● Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving. ● It combines creative and analytical thinking to develop innovative solutions. ● Focuses on empathy, definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing. ● Used to tackle complex, ill-defined, or unknown problems. ● Promotes collaboration across disciplines and user involvement. ● A mindset, not just a method — encourages curiosity and experimentation.
- 4. Key Features of Design Thinking ● User-centric: Solutions are designed around real user needs. ● Iterative: Solutions evolve through multiple cycles of feedback. ● Collaborative: Involves diverse perspectives and teamwork. ● Problem reframing: Helps understand the real problem before solving. ● Visual and hands-on: Uses sketches, prototypes, and storytelling. ● Solution-focused: Moves quickly from ideas to actionable outputs.
- 5. Historical Origins of Design Thinking ● Traces back to the 1960s–70s in design and architecture disciplines. ● Herbert A. Simon (1969) introduced "The Sciences of the Artificial" — early ideas of design as a way of thinking. ● Bruce Archer and Horst Rittel contributed to understanding design as a structured process. ● 1980s: Design thinking began influencing engineering and product design. ● IDEO (founded in 1991) played a major role in popularizing the term. ● Adopted in business, healthcare, education, and social innovation over time.
- 6. Evolution and Adoption of Design Thinking in Modern Times ● 2000s: Stanford d.school formalized design thinking for education. ● Tim Brown (IDEO CEO) helped define design thinking for innovation and leadership. ● Now widely used in engineering, management, and public policy. ● UN, Google, Apple, and NGOs apply it for global problem-solving. ● Design thinking is taught in top institutions worldwide. ● It continues to evolve by blending technology, empathy, and sustainability.
- 7. 1.2. Design thinking vs Traditional problem-solving approaches
- 8. Design Thinking vs. Traditional Problem Solving Approaches Aspects Design Thinking Traditional Problem Solving Focus Human-centered (empathy-driven) Problem-centered (efficiency-driven) Approach Iterative & non-linear (explores multiple solutions) Linear & sequential (follows fixed steps) Mindset Open-ended, creative, and collaborative Analytical, logical, and structured Process Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test Define → Analyze → Solve → Implement Risk Handling Early failure encouraged (learn fast) Avoids failure (risk minimization)
- 9. Design Thinking vs. Traditional Problem Solving Approaches Aspects Design Thinking Traditional Problem Solving Solution Type Innovative, user-friendly, and often disruptive Optimized, proven, and incremental User Involvement Continuous feedback from users Limited user input (experts decide) Flexibility Adapts based on new insights Follows a predetermined plan Outcome Desirable, feasible, and viable solutions Efficient and predictable results Best For Complex, ambiguous problems Well-defined, routine problems
- 10. 1.3. Importance of Design Thinking in Modern Innovation
- 11. Importance of Design Thinking in Modern Innovation ● Human-Centered Approach: Prioritizes the needs, desires, and behaviors of users, leading to more relevant and impactful solutions. ● Encourages Creativity: Fosters out-of-the-box thinking and encourages novel approaches to solving problems. ● Improves Problem Definition: Helps in deeply understanding and redefining problems before jumping to solutions, ensuring the right issues are addressed. ● Promotes Rapid Prototyping: Encourages early creation of low-cost prototypes to test ideas quickly and efficiently. ● Reduces Risk of Failure: Iterative testing and feedback reduce the chances of launching ineffective or unwanted products or services.
- 12. Importance of Design Thinking in Modern Innovation ● Boosts Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Brings together people from different fields, encouraging diverse perspectives and teamwork. ● Accelerates Innovation Cycles: Streamlines the idea-to-product journey by focusing on quick iterations and continuous user feedback. ● Enhances User Experience: Results in products and services that are more intuitive, functional, and enjoyable for users. ● Adapts to Uncertainty: Useful in navigating complex and ambiguous challenges through a flexible and adaptable process. ● Drives Competitive Advantage: Companies that adopt design thinking often deliver more innovative solutions, differentiating themselves in the market.
- 13. 1.4. Design thinking mindsets: empathy, experimentation, optimism
- 14. Design thinking mindset - EMPATHY ● Empathy is central to human-centered design ● Observe behaviors and environments directly ● Engage users through open-ended conversations ● Watch & listen for disconnects between words and actions ● Seek stories to uncover deep needs and values ● Helps overcome biases and see with “fresh eyes”
- 15. Design thinking mindset - EXPERIMENTATION ● Transforms ideas into tangible experiences for users through quick, low-fidelity prototypes ● Encourages a “fail fast, learn faster” mindset by testing assumptions early and often ● Stimulates creative exploration by allowing teams to build, test, and refine multiple solutions ● Reveals unexpected insights through user interaction with prototypes ● Reduces risk and saves resources by identifying flaws before large-scale implementation ● Promotes iterative learning, where each experiment improves understanding of both user needs and design effectiveness
- 16. Design thinking mindset - OPTIMISATION ● Refines and improves solutions based on continuous feedback and user testing ● Focuses on enhancing user experience by eliminating pain points and inefficiencies ● Encourages iteration to reach better outcomes, not just settling for the first workable idea ● Aligns the design with practical constraints, such as cost, time, and feasibility ● Balances innovation with functionality to deliver effective, scalable solutions ● Uses insights from testing and prototyping to optimize both the solution and the process
- 17. 1.5. Overview of models: Stanford d.school 5-step process, Double Diamond model
- 18. Stanford d.school 5-step process of Design Thinking Stanford d.school, officially known as the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, is a hub for innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration at Stanford University, California. It was founded in 2005 with the support of Hasso Plattner, co-founder of SAP. Key Features of Stanford d.school: ● Design Thinking Pioneer ● Interdisciplinary Learning ● Experiential Education ● Innovation Ecosystem ● No Formal Degree ● Global Influence Stanford d.school has provided a 5-step process of Design Thinking; which is an extremely popular model of design thinking in multiple disciplines and industries.
- 19. Stanford d.school 5-step process of Design Thinking
- 20. Stanford d.school 5-step process of Design Thinking Step 1: Empathize – Engage with users to deeply understand their experiences, emotions, and needs. Use interviews, observation, and immersion to gather meaningful insights. Step 2: Define – Synthesize the information to clearly frame the core problem to be solved. Craft a user-centered problem statement that guides focused ideation. Step 3: Ideate – Brainstorm a broad range of creative solutions without judgment. Encourage wild ideas and build on others to uncover unexpected directions. Step 4: Prototype – Create low-fidelity models or mockups of selected ideas quickly. These tangible versions help test feasibility and spark further thinking. Step 5: Test – Share prototypes with users to gather feedback and uncover flaws or improvements. Use what you learn to iterate, refine, or even redefine the problem.
- 21. Double Diamond Model of Design Thinking Double Diamond is a design process model popularized by the British Design Council in 2005. The process was adapted from the divergence-convergence model proposed in 1996 by Hungarian-American linguist Béla H. Bánáthy. The two diamonds represent a process of exploring an issue more widely or deeply (divergent thinking) and then taking focused action (convergent thinking).
- 22. Double Diamond Model of Design Thinking
- 23. Double Diamond Model of Design Thinking It suggests that, as a design method, the design process should have four phases: Discover: Understand the issue rather than merely assuming what it is. This phase involves speaking to and spending time with people who are affected by the issues. Define: With insight gathered from the discovery phase, define the challenge in a different way. Develop: Give different answers to the clearly defined problem, seeking inspiration from elsewhere and co-designing with a range of different people. Deliver: Test different solutions at a small scale. Reject those that will not work and improve the ones that will.
- 24. 1.6. Principles of human-centered design
- 25. Principles of human-centered design ● Focus on Users and Their Needs: The process starts by understanding the real people you’re designing for their behaviors, motivations, challenges, and aspirations. Example: Instead of asking “How do we make this app faster?”, ask “How do we make this app easier for a busy commuter to use?”. ● Empathy is the Foundation: Deeply immerse yourself in the user’s world — through interviews, observation, shadowing — to feel what they feel and see what they see. In design thinking, this aligns with the Empathize stage. ● Involve Users Throughout the Process: Don’t just consult users once at the beginning; co-create with them at every stage i.e. ideation, prototyping, and testing. This keeps solutions relevant and grounded in reality. ● Iterative Process: Human-centered design in design thinking is non-linear — you cycle between empathy, ideation, and prototyping, refining solutions based on feedback. You learn quickly from low-cost prototypes and improve before final development.
- 26. Principles of human-centered design ● Balance Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability: A solution must be: ○ Desirable – People actually want it. ○ Feasible – Technically possible. ○ Viable – Sustainable for the business or organization. In design thinking, this ensures ideas aren’t just “cool” but practical and sustainable. ● Holistic Understanding of Context: Consider the social, cultural, and environmental context of the user — not just the product interaction. Example: Designing an e-learning platform for rural areas requires understanding internet connectivity, device availability, and language needs. ● Test in Real-Life Conditions: Evaluate prototypes in the actual environment where they will be used, so you uncover practical issues early. Directly tied to the Test stage in design thinking.
- 27. Case Studies: IDEO, Apple, Airbnb
- 28. IDEO ● design and consulting firm ● founded in Palo Alto, California, in 1991 ● offices in the U.S., England, and China ● design products, services, environments, brands, and digital experiences ● uses a design thinking approach ● ideo.com
- 29. ● IDEO worked with LEGO to create MINDSTORMS ● educational kits ● for building programmable robots ● based on Lego bricks ● introduced on 1 September 1998 ● discontinued on 31 December 2022 LEGO mindstorms
- 30. ● Empathy: IDEO worked with children, teachers, and parents to understand how kids interacted with toys, as well as how they could be introduced to technology and robotics. ● Define: The team recognized that there was a need for a fun, hands-on, and educational toy that could teach kids about robotics, coding, and problem-solving. ● Ideation: IDEO brainstormed how to combine Lego's iconic building blocks with robotic elements to create an engaging experience for kids. ● Prototype: Various prototypes were built, and they experimented how well kids understood and engaged with the product. ● Test: Feedback helped refine the design, especially in terms of user-friendliness and interactivity. LEGO mindstorms - Design Thinking
- 31. ● Lego Mindstorms became a popular educational tool that sparks interest in STEM for kids and remains a great example of gamifying education. ● It’s been used worldwide in schools and has inspired young minds to learn robotics and programming. ● With more than 2 million units sold, at an average price of $250 to $350 per kit, the total revenue from Lego Mindstorms likely exceeds $500 million (i.e. almost ₹ 4,400 crores) LEGO mindstorms - Success Story
- 33. ● Before the iPhone, smartphones were mostly utilitarian devices with physical keyboards. ● Under the leadership of CEO Steve Jobs, Apple wanted to create a device that was intuitive, beautiful, and user-focused. Apple iPhone
- 34. Apple iPhone - Design Thinking ● Empathy: Apple deeply studied how people interacted with technology. They noticed that users were frustrated by complex phones and stylus-based touch screens.. ● Define: The team identified the need for an intuitive, all-in-one device for calls, messaging, internet, and entertainment, with seamless usability. ● Ideation: Ideas included full touch-screen interfaces, gesture controls, a music player integration, and camera functionalities. ● Prototype: Multiple prototypes were built. Apple famously iterated on hundreds of models of the iPhone interface, testing things like button sizes, screen responsiveness, and swipe gestures. ● Test: Through internal and user testing, Apple refined gestures like pinch-to-zoom, touch-to-type, and swiping.
- 35. Apple iPhone - Success Story ● more than 2.2 billion iPhones sold ● earned $ 1.75 trillion ● currently in its 16th generation ● Accessory & Service Revenue: Apple also makes significant revenue from accessories (e.g., AirPods, chargers, cases) and services (like iCloud, Apple Music, App Store), all of which are tied to the iPhone ecosystem ● iPhone sales made up around 50-60% of Apple’s total revenue
- 37. ● online marketplace ● facilitates short-and-long-term homestays ● acts as a broker; charges a commission from each booking ● founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk & Joe Gebbia at California ● in 2009, Airbnb was struggling - users weren’t booking rooms, and hosts weren’t getting traction ● earning merely $200 per month Airbnb
- 38. Airbnb - Design Thinking ● Empathy: The founders visited hosts in New York to understand their challenges. They found that poor-quality photos were a major reason for lack of bookings. ● Define: They reframed the problem—not as a tech problem but a user experience issue: "How might we improve trust and attractiveness of listings?" ● Ideation: A simple idea emerged: send professional photographers to hosts’ homes to take better photos. ● Prototype: They manually photographed listings in New York and updated them on the platform. ● Test: The updated listings saw instant increases in bookings, validating the solution.
- 39. Airbnb - Success Story ● This small change led to a huge business turnaround. Airbnb continued to apply Design Thinking—creating intuitive interfaces, flexible search options, and user-friendly host experiences—making it one of the world's leading travel platforms ● more than 1 billion downloads ● available over 220 countries worldwide ● 8.1 million properties listed globally ● $80.19 billion valuation (about ₹7.05 trillion)
- 40. Other Design Thinking Success Stories… ● Uber ● Nike FlyEase Shoes ● GE Healthcare’s Adventure Series (MRI machines for children) ● Oral-B Smart Toothbrush (by Braun & IDEO) ● Google Nest Thermostat ● PepsiCo's redesign of Tropicana packaging (initial failure → redesign using Design Thinking) ● Samsung Smart TVs ● Netflix user experience revamp ● Ford Fusion (car design improvements) ● Starbucks store redesign and customer experience enhancement
- 41. CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, and includes icons by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik Thanks! Do you have any questions? rohan.dasgupta@aiktc.ac.in 9967569336 https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrohandasgupta/