Design Thinking vs Traditional Problem-Solving

Traditional problem-solving usually takes a methodical and scientific procedure. It Identifies a problem, defines the stages and tools in order to generate a solution, then follows the plan and hope for the expected outcomes. This kind of problem-solving is straightforward, however, it is not always flexible, innovative, operative, and effective. In fact, it brings some question with vague answers to our mind such as:

·         What if the concern recognized isn’t the actual source of the problem?

·         What if the stages can’t lead to the correct solution?

Regarding the concept of design thinking, something that really surprised me is the way that we approach a problem. I considered that as a design thinker, instead of starting with a problem, I need to start my journey with an observation which helps me to identify the context and the culture of a problem and what people exactly need, rather than just a narrow idea of the problem. Indeed, we need to understand every problem has an exclusive context and unique culture which is defined by people. In design thinking, we have to try to understand the values, beliefs, and needs that make our audience tick.  Actually, the reason behind starting with observation and listening in design thinking is to understand our audience and get engaged or interact with them in order to identify their unmet needs and the roots of their problems. 

As Tim Brown said:

“The mission of design thinking is to translate observation into insights and insights into products and services that will improve lives.”

 Therefore, the aim of improving lives is the main endpoint to the procedure of design thinking and it’s all about discovering the fresh and creative solutions to the problems in a way that places people and their needs at priority.

Retrieved from: Collective Campus

References and Learning more:

Does Design Thinking actually work? : https://www.collectivecampus.com.au/blog/does-design-thinking-actually-work