Design Thinking Skill

Overview

Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation and problem-solving. It integrates the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.

The Five Phases

1. Empathize

Purpose: Understand the people you're designing for.

Key Activities:

• User interviews

• Observation

• Immersive experiences

• Empathy mapping

Outputs:

• User insights

• Empathy maps

• User journey maps

• Pain points and gains

Key Questions:

• Who is the user?

• What do they need?

• What frustrates them?

• What delights them?

• What are their goals?

2. Define

Purpose: Synthesize findings into a clear problem statement.

Key Activities:

• Insight synthesis

• Problem framing

• Point of View (POV) statements

• "How Might We" questions

Outputs:

• Problem statement

• POV statement

• HMW questions

• Design challenge

Frameworks:

POV Statement:

[USER] needs [NEED] because [INSIGHT]

How Might We (HMW):

How might we [action] for [user] so that [outcome]?

3. Ideate

Purpose: Generate a wide range of potential solutions.

Key Activities:

• Brainstorming

• Mind mapping

• Sketching

• SCAMPER technique

• Worst possible idea

Outputs:

• Idea bank

• Concept sketches

• Clustered themes

• Selected concepts for prototyping

Rules for Ideation:

• Defer judgment

• Encourage wild ideas

• Build on others' ideas

• Stay focused on topic

• One conversation at a time

• Be visual

• Go for quantity

4. Prototype

Purpose: Create representations of solutions to explore.

Key Activities:

• Sketching

• Storyboarding

• Role-playing

• Paper prototypes

• Digital mockups

Outputs:

• Prototypes (any fidelity)

• Storyboards

• Scenarios

• Physical or digital models

Prototype Principles:

• Start rough, refine later

• Build to think

• Fail fast, learn faster

• Prototype to learn, not to prove

5. Test

Purpose: Gather feedback and refine solutions.

Key Activities:

• User testing

• Feedback sessions

• Observation

• Iteration

Outputs:

• Feedback synthesis

• Refined prototypes

• Iteration plans

• Validated concepts

Feedback Framework:

• What I like...

• What I wish...

• What I wonder...

• What if...

Design Thinking Mindsets

1. Human-Centered

Always start with people and their needs.

2. Bias Toward Action

Build to think. Don't just talk about ideas.

3. Radical Collaboration

Diverse perspectives lead to better solutions.

4. Culture of Prototyping

Make ideas tangible early and often.

5. Show, Don't Tell

Use visuals, stories, and prototypes.

6. Mindful of Process

Know where you are in the process.

7. Embrace Ambiguity

Stay open even when unclear.

Workshop Timing Guide

90-Minute Sprint

Phase Time Focus

Empathize 15 min Quick user perspective

Define 10 min Problem statement

Ideate 25 min Solution brainstorm

Prototype 20 min Concept sketches

Test/Feedback 15 min Peer review

Close 5 min Next steps

Half-Day Workshop (3 hours)

Phase Time Focus

Empathize 45 min Deep user research

Define 30 min Synthesis + HMW

Ideate 45 min Multiple techniques

Prototype 45 min Multiple concepts

Test 30 min User feedback

Close 15 min Actions

Full-Day Workshop (6+ hours)

Extended exploration of each phase with breaks and team exercises.

Common Techniques

Empathy Map

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ SAYS │ │ (quotes, phrases) │ ├───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┤ │ THINKS │ FEELS │ │ (beliefs, thoughts) │ (emotions, reactions) │ ├───────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┤ │ DOES │ │ │ (actions, behaviors) │ │ ├───────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┤ │ PAINS │ GAINS │ │ (frustrations, fears) │ (wants, needs, goals) │ └───────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┘

User Journey Map

PHASE: Awareness → Consideration → Decision → Use → Loyalty ACTIONS: [What user does at each stage] THOUGHTS: [What user thinks] EMOTIONS: [How user feels - graph line] PAIN PTS: [Friction points] OPPTYS: [Opportunities to improve]

2x2 Matrix for Prioritization

            HIGH IMPACT
                │
┌───────────────┼───────────────┐
│    DO LATER   │   DO NOW      │

HIGH│ │ │LOW EFFORT │ EFFORT │ DON'T DO │ FILL-IN │ └───────────────┼───────────────┘ │ LOW IMPACT

When to Use Design Thinking

Best For:

• Complex, ill-defined problems

• Human-centered challenges

• Innovation and new product development

• Experience design

• Service design

Less Suitable For:

• Well-defined technical problems

• Urgent decisions with no time for exploration

• Problems with clear, known solutions

See activities.md for detailed activity guides.