From exploration to clarity: design thinking is a human centered, creative, interative and practical approach for coming up with new ideas and solutions. The approach can seem chaotic at first as the process doesn’t follow a linear path. There are plenty of tools to help us to widen and narrow the set of questions in the different stages of the design process:
1. Define the problem
You can’t find a solution until you have a clear idea of what the problem is.
2. Collect information
Collect sketches, take photographs and gather data to start giving inspiration.
3. Brainstorm and analyze ideas
Begin to sketch, make, and study so we can start to understand how all the data and information we’ve collected may impact the design.
4. Develop solutions
Take preliminary ideas and form multiple small-scale design solutions.
5. Gather feedback
Present the ideas to get insightful comments and feedback.
6. Improve
Reflect on all of the feedback and decide if or to what extent it should be incorporated. It is often helpful to take solutions back through the Design Process to refine and clarify them.