Design Thinking is an iterative process in which we seek to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems in an attempt to identify alternative strategies and solutions that might not be instantly apparent with our initial level of understanding. At the same time, Design Thinking provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It is a way of thinking and working as well as a collection of hands-on methods.
Design Thinking revolves around a deep interest in developing an understanding of the people for whom we’re designing the products or services. It helps us observe and develop empathy with the target user. Design Thinking helps us in the process of questioning: questioning the problem, questioning the assumptions, and questioning the implications. Design Thinking is extremely useful in tackling problems that are ill-defined or unknown, by re-framing the problem in human-centric ways, creating many ideas in brainstorming sessions, and adopting a hands-on approach in prototyping and testing. Design Thinking also involves ongoing experimentation: sketching, prototyping, testing, and trying out concepts and ideas.
Resource Based View
Design thinking often also involves a process called Resource-Based View (RBV) is an approach to achieving competitive advantage through looking inside the company to find the sources of competitive advantage instead of looking at competitive environment for it.. If a resource exhibits VRIO attributes, the resource can be used to enable the organisation to gain and sustain competitive advantage. VRIO attributes are loosely defined as: valuable? rare? costly to imitate?
The Role of Innovative Thinking in Design Thinking
To utilise the VRIO resources or the “valuable resources” an organisation requires innovation. The use of innovative thinking to develop unique or different ways of combining the resources to better results and gain competitive advantage.
Frugal innovation is the innovation of simple things. Turning something of low value into something of high value. When commodities are scarce, people are forced to go within themselves to tap that most abundant all-natural resource — human ingenuity — and use it to solve problems. Frugal innovation can be low tech, but it can also be about using high tech to make services more affordable and more accessible to more customers.
The mindset throughout this process needs to remain adaptable and agile. Agile methodology or "Agile" is a process that helps teams provide quick and unpredictable responses to the feedback they receive on their project. It creates opportunities to assess a project’s direction during the development cycle.
In Design Thinking your creative process and innovation will never be finished. You need to change your product and ideas when the market changes. And as the market is constantly changing, you never have a final product.
