Design Thinking Assignment Sample

Introduction to Design Thinking

I have enrolled for this course on design thinking with an objective of learning something entirely new. Moreover because the focus of this course has been dual, one is on problem solving and the other is on developing skills by enabling us to solve the problems that we are facing. Facing of problems is an inseparable unique of our life and we have to face problems at each and every stage of our life but it is actually how we face and solve such problems make all the difference in our life. This is the point where design thinking makes all the difference and that is something new which we get to learn. Design thinking enables us to look at the problem from a very different angle having a totally new approach to view and analyze the problem and then to proceed towards a creative way of solving such problem (Brenner, & Uebernickel, 2016). This method of thinking is entirely based on the human approach where all the thinking is actually a combination of critical and creative thinking so that it facilitates to organize the different types of information and plans, helps to take decisions by improving the situation and resulting in further gain of knowledge out of the entire process.

Knowledge Development

It is one of the most important and precious take-away from this course of learning. The various modules of this course and the projects designed to suit the need of this course gave us huge insight about the creative tools and techniques of design thinking which are used not only to solve problems but will automatically help in knowledge development of any individual who will go through such a process. The biggest gain of knowledge is to identify a new chance of innovation in order to solve a given problem. Various methods like focus groups, surveys or brainstorming activities etc. are targeted towards a single goal of collaborating knowledge with the process of design thinking (Wrigley, & Straker, 2017). Such an approach always gives more importance to knowledge of individuals like us rather than opting for a solution that is based on any technology.

Here we get to learn that knowledge development is not an one way process of learning it is also about having the experience of making minor mistakes while looking for any solutions and learning from such mistakes and use those learning towards further enhancement of knowledge. From the core perspective of design thinking which we experienced while doing our own reflective exercises knowledge development is all about authorizing the end users of design thinking like us to lead, continue, and progress with such benefit with time (Kannengiesser, & Gero, 2019). In the process of design thinking the approach towards knowledge development is evenly distributed among the various stages of education, brain storming, planning of action and prototyping where the agenda of knowledge development for the end user has been placed at the center of the design thinking process.

Empathy and Design Thinking

The course taught me that empathy is the first stage of design thinking. It is actually the practice of visualizing someone else’s problem through his own standpoint so that the viewer of the problem can get to feel in the exact way as to how the sufferer is actually feeling under such a problem. This might not give the viewer a hundred percent accurate feel of the sufferer’s realization but it definitely takes him to the closest possible point where one can get to know very closely about the pain point of someone else (Armstrong, 2016). It not only helps to know about how someone else is feeling while suffering from any specific problem but it also helps to discover certain dormant wants and requirements while trying to examine their behaviors may be such dormant wants and requirements may not have been actively known to the subject as well.

So now we know that why empathy is often termed as the foundation stone of design thinking. The level to which one can realize and empathize with the users will finally decide the end result of the design thinking process. So as a design thinker I had to adopt the process of empathy as an opportunity to know the end user better especially on the context of his pain point trying to emulate them as much as possible so at the end this act of empathy always helped me to make better decisions regarding. Without the proper application of empathy any design thinking all outputs of design thinking would always be short of that user friendliness in their solution which would make the difference between the success and failure of the design thinking outcome.

Prototyping in Design Thinking

Prototyping is one of the prime components of deriving knowledge out of design thinking. Prototyping is actually a type of sampling test method which is primarily done at a small scale and the results of such a sample test is being thoroughly examined and analyzed to find the various pros and cons of such sampling outcomes. Based on which further modifications of the sampling are done to get better results (Harvey, O'Connor, & McDonnell, 2017). For the design thinker prototyping provides ample scopes for development of ideas, to check the practical acceptance of such sampling and to examine the probable reasons how the sample users would react about any such sample product or service.

In the sequence of design thinking prototyping is the fourth or penultimate stage that is why it is a stage of immense importance just before the final implementation or the TEST stage. It is so very important because it is at this stage that the knowledge level of the design thinker actually gets enriched with the experimental output of prototyping as happened in case of our group task. It helps to identify whether the solution will be actually able to address the problem, will it be able to meet up with the expectation of those for whom the solution is being made. So in other words prototyping is just a miniature version of the actual solution that is being prepared to be applied for solving the given problem in hand. It is one of the most core functions of design thinking where the end users are tested with a sample of the actual solution in order to ascertain the level of success the solution can actually expect to deliver when applied at a larger scale. It gives the knowledge of how end users would actually accept or reject the proposed solution by finding any points related to issues of usability in such a solution before the final implementation of such a solution. Any drawback in the solution design can be identified much earlier and even the cost of such failure is very much inexpensive. So prototyping helps in refining, reworking and improving the existing solution in hand until it reaches the stage where the solution is appropriate to mitigate the given problem.

Skill Development

Not only academically or professionally but design thinking has also helped me to gain certain skill sets which I have never tried or experienced before going through this course. I had the chance to relook at my own strengths and shortcomings in light of my new learning from design thinking.

Lateral Thinking

In our daily life we are used to following the conventional thought processes but design thinking gave me an insight of looking at the problem from a different angle, having an entirely different approach to visualize, analyze and examine the problem. I also suffered from the same problem of having a routine outlook to all my problems before attending this course but now I get to know that by applying the approach of design thinking one can actually find unconventional and creative solutions to problems which not only will provide a solution for the problem in hand but will also serve as a proven process for handling any upcoming problem. Here we get to learn that the way one looks at any problem actually changes the solution pattern. Lateral thinking is an essential component of design thinking which always promotes the use of creative thinking which actually helps to generate solutions looking beyond the routine solutions practiced for such problems (Kolko, 2018). In other words lateral thinking improves the existing solution and takes it to an entire new level.

Team Building and Communication Skills

The way we worked together to find the solution of any problem by using the approach of design thinking also made a lot of improvement in our team building capabilities. We now know that how each team member’s individual inputs can be combined to reach a collective stage of decision making where everyone can contribute in their own manner and we also learned to honor and give value to such individual contributions and improved our internal cohesion as a team. This also helped to improve our communication skills between each other. As every individual input needed to be communicated to every team member thus the importance of interpersonal communication and the need of improving such interpersonal communication were largely felt. Design thinking as a process enabled each of the team members including me to have a better and transparent communication skill so that we can perform the tasks of every stages of design thinking properly and subsequently these two skill sets of team building and better communication will stay with us forever even beyond the limit of this course. So not only as a subject but also as an act of life design thinking helped me to better those areas of mine about whose shortcomings I myself was not aware about so directly or indirectly I have been able to apply the learning from design thinking going beyond the realm of my academic boundaries.

Conclusion on Design Thinking

At the end I can sum up by saying that doing this course on design thinking I could enlighten myself about the various unknown aspects of problem analyzing, reasoning and finding solutions for the problems keeping in mind the actual liking and disliking of the end users for whom the solution is being made. It taught us that the solution must fit the needs of the problem sufferer and not the other way round. As per design thinking a solution is to be reached in an innovative manner and such an innovation would always ensure the benefit of the end user. The course enriched me both academically and personally.

References for Design Thinking

1. Brenner, W., & Uebernickel, F. (2016). Design thinking for innovation. Research and Practice.

2. Wrigley, C., & Straker, K. (2017). Design thinking pedagogy: The educational design ladder. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 54(4), 374-385.

3. Armstrong, C. E. (2016). Teaching innovation through empathy: Design thinking in the undergraduate business classroom. Management Teaching Review, 1(3), 164-169.

4. Harvey, J., O'Connor, R., & McDonnell, C. (2017). Applying Design Thinking to Reimagine Our First Year Experience–Evidence Gained from Prototype Projects in Three Irish Institutions.

5. Kolko, J. (2018). The divisiveness of design thinking. interactions, 25(3), 28-34.

6. Kannengiesser, U., & Gero, J. S. (2019). Design thinking, fast and slow: A framework for Kahneman’s dual-system theory in design. Design Science, 5.

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