What is Design Thinking - Assignment Example

What is Design Thinking? 1. EXAMPLES EXPLORING THE CURRENT LITERATURE ON DESIGN THINKING, ITS INFLUENCES AND ITS CRITIQUES RELATED TO REAL WORLD APPLICATION OF DESIGN THINNKING USED AS A STRATEGIC TOOL IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP Example 1: What is Design Thinking? Numerous studies explore the aspects of design thinking and how it affects an organization. Traditionally design was utilized to develop innovation in services and products. However, in the current world this concept has transformed to incorporate problem solving in the business world. Many studies conducted concur that over the past decade, design thinking has become a norm in the business media as it has transformed into an awareness label, which benefits the business. Figure 1 The figure above indicates the value of design thinking to the society as a whole. Design thinking has become a tool for changing a business’s future. Consequently, the concept not only works in the corporate world but also transforms and guides the actions of individual and the society as a whole. Therefore, it transforms operations in every sector of the economy including education and manufacturing. It is an integrative tool for innovation, observation, critical thinking and inspiration. According to the figure and various literary resources, design thinking revolves around many aspects of the contemporary world. Hence, it is a method for creative and practical resolution of issues with the aim of enhancing the intended outcome, both in the present and the future (Mootee, I. 2013, 78). Example 2: Chulha Cooking Stove For the business world, both designers and executives, design thinking is a tool to imagine and develop services, strategies, products and models of business initiatives. In the realm of creativity, design thinking assists businesses to gain an advantage in the market with the introduction of a new product (Mootee, I. 2013, 78). Figure 2 The product illustrated above is known as a Chulha Cooking Stove created by Philips Designs. Because of the concept of design thinking, Philips Design managed to offer the market a new stove that was aimed at the developing world. The community is able to prepare food in its traditional way by utilizing the efficient stove. Designers aimed at creating a product that alleviated the health problems accrued by other means of fuel, by developing the Chulha stove. The product reduces the risk resulted by smoke inhalation and thus helps to save lives. Therefore, the stove promotes a safer environment for household (indoor) cooking. The designers have gone through various plans and alterations of the original design to develop Chulha. Therefore, the company focused on reviewing many centuries of traditional modes of cooking stoves to generate a gladly satisfactory response to the prevalent problem of unsafe cooking stoves. Hence, by dwelling on social problems and cultural norms businesses can create products that offer a solution to societal issues as well as satisfying traditional needs of a community. Due to the innovation of Philips Designs, the product won an award for the Home category of the Index Awards 2009. Example 3: Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine According to literature by Tim Brown on “Design Thinking”, innovation requires several minds of design thinkers from the onset of the project (Brown, T. 2008, 1-10). This assists the company to lay down various ideas of the same project and deciding on the best alternative. However, the human-centered approach should be the basis of the project. The head of design team at Coca-Cola, Vince Voron agrees with the concept of ensuring that in the early stages of innovation design a group of design thinkers are invited onboard. Figure 3 The Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine was developed from a historical perspective of using the design to enhance the company’s brand as well as the client’s experience. The machine is characterized by modern designs and latest technology with an iconic coca-cola look. The machine is able to produce numerous flavors of coca-cola brand drinks by the use of an interactive screen. According to Vince Voron, the technology took four years to develop by utilizing old-fashioned market models like vending machines and fountains. Therefore, the final product utilized creativity and research (Brown, T. 2008, 1-10). Example 4: Dyson Air Blade Hand Dryers  In design thinking, thoroughness is a vital component of innovation. Accuracy, safety and care should come fast before effectiveness of a product. This ensures that the innovation does not affect or risk the lives of individuals as well as the environment. At first glance, the hand dryer machine looks perfect and sophisticated but after thorough assessment, it can be deciphered that the Dyson Air Blade innovation has various flaws. The designers of the product only put emphasis on the effectiveness of the Air Blade but failed to assess its problems. One major flaw is the wetness of the floor beneath the Air Blade and thus can damage the material in the long run. The wetness is as a result of the strong air stream blows on water on a users hands and ultimately on the floor. The worst-case scenario is for users in a public toilet like in Airports whereby thousands of individuals utilize the machine. Assessing the future use of a product and designing the invention to the last detail is vital. With a company’s motive of becoming a world business leader, it is essential to plan the project thoroughly to avoid unfavorable outcomes like the Air Blade’s case. Therefore, design thinking must incorporate assessment elements in order to alleviate future problems or issues (Brown, T. 2008, 1-10). 2. My Own Definition of Design Thinking and its application in a business organization Today, many organizations face a myriad of problems that emanate from models of business that are growing complex with the advancement of technology. The challenges are resulting from the intense globalization that the world is experiencing. However, businesses get a fair share of challenges as well as outstanding opportunities. Thus, the need for organizations to use efficient models of business to curb the menace of meltdowns in the market is paramount (Meinel & Leifer 2011, 25). The models provide multidimensional approaches that bring abiding solutions. To acquire the effective model of business in an organization to guarantee efficacy, the requirement of stretching the limits of the normal business applications of the products as well as services cannot be dismissed. Up to this point, an organization must employ design thinking to materialize the improvement of the products and service s that it offers to the market. By employing valid design thinking, an organization creates the platform to tackle its problems as well as boosting its competitive edge. Design thinking simply entails the innovation of new ideas and perspectives to enhance an organization’s growth and prosperity. It follows an approach that integrates creativity from a designer’s scope of knowledge to satiate the desires of consumers of an organization’s product or service. The process of creating a product or service that will be of satisfaction to the consumers, there are numerous factors to be considered for the achievement of the same. The fundamental factor is incorporation of technology, which is an essential element in the production process for many organizations today. This is because it ascertains the effectiveness of a product as well as a service. Thus, design thinking is a recipe for the success of an organization’s profitability since its application guarantees good returns. In practice, it can be applied in business ventures to seal loopholes that are characterized by poor production and quality of products and services. For instance, a company that manufactures phones can use design thinking to create a phone that meets the customer’s needs. In such a case, design thinking is used a toll of innovation form the organization to create a product of better quality (Plattner, Meinel & Leifer 2012, 67). The designer can project ideas into the manufacturing of the new better phone by making an analysis of the customer’s needs in the market as well as the demand associated with the organization’s current phone models. The possible principles that are slotted in the formulation of strategies and ideas to come up with a product of high creativity are numerous. However, the fundamental ones that organizations use begin with the definition of a challenge that an organization is facing in the selling of its product. This serves as the panacea to understanding the loopholes that were unseen in the production process for the organization to improve. Collection of data about the feasibility of a product in the market is also another principle of design thinking that organizations use to help in decision-making strategies. The data can include the satisfaction that consumers derive from it, the effects of the set price in the market as well as the availability of homogenous by competitors. This information is always vital for an organization to help in formulating a pathway to higher creativity in the production of a new product. Moreover, an organization can use design thinking to come up with artful prediction of what the market truly needs in terms of quality and image of the product. This is often the foundation of the product’s marketability since the branding of the product depends on it. Despite the branding of the product, it must meet the standards of high quality that customers need in them market. Thus, a product must always be of high quality to ensure that the customers do not cry foul of exorbitant prices charged on piss-poor products. 3. Future of design thinking The future of design thinking is looking prospective since many organizations are embracing it. The effectiveness of an organization is partially determined by the inputs that an organization projects into its design thinking. It is predicted that in the future, most organizations will be aware of the importance in implementing strategies that will fulfill the requirements of design thinking to fetch as many customers as possible. The awareness then breeds the baseline, where an organization plans for the next move in creating solutions to improve on the quality of a product that an organization is manufacturing. After the creation of the solutions, an organization can no envision about the prospects of the market and know where to improve ion their product (Liedtka & Ogilvie, 2011, 37). This is essential since the organization gets to engage production of higher quality products for the consumers in the market. After the whole process of awareness, creation of solutions and visioning, an organization can now understand if the improvement of their products will be feasible. Thus, the future of design thinking is evidently a success since many organizations are on the verge of embracing the strategy fully. The diagram (Fig.5) below shows it. Fig. 5 4. References Brown, T., 2008. Design Thinking. Harvard Business Review: pp. 1-10. Liedtka, J., & ogilvie, T. (2011). Designing for growth: a design thinking tool kit for managers. New York, Columbia Business School Pub., Columbia University Press. Martin, R. L., 2009. The design of business: why design thinking is the next competitive advantage. Available at: (Martin, R. 2009, 25) [Accessed 9 May 2014]. Meinel, C., & Leifer, L. 2011. Design thinking understand - improve - apply. Berlin, Springer. Mootee, I., 2013. Design thinking for strategic innovation: what they can''t teach you at business or design school. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley. Plattner, H., Meinel, C., & Leifer, L. J. 2012. Design thinking research measuring performance in context. Heidelberg, Springer. 5. APPENDIX Case Study 1: Texas Tech University-STEELCASE EDUCATION SOLUTIONS Figure 6 The library has become one of the favorite places at Texas Tech University (TTU). This is due to the development of a new area within the library for group discussions. The study area has been developed with a nontraditional perspective on the utilization of spaces in a library. Students can study and discuss effectively with the use of animated conversations. Consequently, webcams, flat screens and laptops characterize the library area. This approach leads to a collaborative setting for students to exchange knowledge and information and work better in groups. This approach provides a new era, which transforms the role of libraries beyond the housing of books. However, libraries are places that promote contemporary means of teaching and learning including group projects. This comes at a perfect time when classroom and group projects are shifting to the library. Case Study 2 The Boeing Company Fig.7 The Vice President-cum-General Manager of Boeing changed the model of the Boeing 737 after a serious earthquake that destroyed many things and cost lives in the Boeing. The need for the change of the Boeing’s look was evident and she took the bold step to mould it for the better. This was in a move to ensure that the new Boeing would at least cover people from major injuries as well as death in case calamities occurred. Moreover, the Boeing had to change its communication structure and make it more consistent and strict as well as reducing the space inside the Boeing so that it carried fewer people than before. The large space was too risky to operate the plane especially in case a calamity struck. The communication lines were made more efficient to ensure that the pilot could communicate easily with the airline communication stakeholders so that any case of predicted risks in the sky would be tackled as fast as possible to save the passengers’ lives. Read More