Design Thinking

Design thinking is a non-linear process that enables designers to focus on the needs of the users. As mentioned in the previous case study regarding Interaction Design Foundation (who I borrowed the above diagram from), Design Thinking is important for a designer and more importantly, the users.

Understanding and empathising with your potential users is an integral step to help define the needs and expectations of a user. Simply put, place yourself in the position of the user and do your best to understand from the users' perspective what is needed while keeping the user experience as simple as possible.

While many concepts and formulas can make up the ideation process, it is important to keep an open mind and not fall into a one size fits all mentality. Prototyping and testing should be carried out knowing that the process will always continue and that despite the best laid plans, things can and often do need further change.

This iterative process of design thinking gives us to the opportunity to adjust as we gain insights, which allows us to redefine the challenges and work toward an improved design solution.