Innovation or our capacity to innovate is the key to the growth of science. Without innovations, our technological growth would still have been in its infancy. Creating solutions for the existing problems can generate a better, effective and actionable idea, which grows us. But is an innovation that easy and simple? To sustain in the competitive market, companies don’t have the liberty to spend a leisurely time thinking about the innovations. It has to be fast and a part of the company’s DNA. That’s where Design Thinking comes in. In the modern world, design thinking has been credited with many remarkable feats and has many high-profile success stories under its cap. So, let’s learn what design thinking is and how it is changing the world.

Design Thinking

Design thinking began as an approach for engineers to tackle problems more creatively, just like the designers. Later on, it was also termed as ‘creative engineering’, established in four areas of design thinking. Design thinking evolved as a way of thinking in science and design engineering. Design thinking is an ideology that provides solutions in a user-centric way. The focus is on creating practical results & solutions that are:

• Technically feasible
• Economically viable and
• User Desirable

How Does Design Thinking Work

Design thinking is an iterative process to create alternate creative solutions which were not visible earlier. It is based on users’ observations and understandings and aims to improve future results. It is not about solving a specific problem but creating a solution-oriented mindset. Design thinking requires systems thinking and vice versa, and it helps in problem detection, framing, and solution processes. 

The traditional problem-solving process is a linear process in which we identify the problem and then brainstorm the solution. In contrast, design thinking only works if it is iterative and non-linear. Instead of getting one solution, it continues to evolve your thinking to respond to costumer’s needs. 

5- Steps Of Design Thinking

Teams use Design thinking to understand users, challenge the assumptions, redefine problems, create solutions to prototype and Test. It is most useful for tackling unknown or ill-defined problems that need a more creative approach and a time-sustaining solution. The five phases involved in design thinking are:

• Empathize
• Define
• Ideate
• Prototype 
• Test

Future Scope Of Design Thinking

Inspired by the designer’s toolkit, design thinking approaches technical and social innovation. By the start of the 21st century, design thinking had started to make its way into the business world. But twenty years ago, its scope was limited. To have a career in design at that time, the aspirant, either with an engineering degree, went to design schools or went to art school and studied graphic design, architecture or industrial design.

But now things have changed a lot. Since then, we have come a long way, and design thinking has now acquired a mass curiosity. Today even graduates of non-traditional programs can go for design careers, and many well-reputed institutes provide online design thinking certificate programs. Design thinking is not limited to just one design stream. Still, it has multiple streams like one can go for product design, visual design, Interaction design, strategic design management, design research & strategy, business design and futurology and many more. 

• Design Thinking is and will remain so popular in future that anyone with a ‘designer’ title will be immediately hired.
• Strategic Design Management/ Business Design/ Design Studies- This degree bridges the gap between the designers and the management. The candidate with these degrees can be a product manager or an innovation manager, brand manager, or even a design research manager.
• Product Design- It will help you secure a position in the very core design team of the company.
• Interaction Designs or UX Design is currently a very exciting field and futuristic.
• Design companies are working for friendly companies in comparison to corporate houses.
• Many working professionals claim that design thinking has enabled them to see things from fresh and new perspectives.

Future Of Design Thinking In Various Fields

• Design Thinking in Marketing– Design Thinking encourages marketers to be more empathetic in their approach and communications with the customers. Hence it has become an irreplaceable technique even in the future.
• Design Thinking in Management– Today, more than 50% of the established corporations are using design thinking to their business level to increase the pace & success of the business transformation. Industries like IBM, Procter & Gamble have trained their whole organization with design thinking to be more innovative and customer-centric. Design thinking has now become a crucial part of the management teams. Candidates with a design background tend to rise higher up the management ladder within no time.
• Design Thinking in Business– Design thinking has a place in the future of business.  Design thinking philosophy is implemented to enhance many areas of business today. As we know, business is dependent upon the customers, so developing user-centric ways is only possible through design thinking. So, many working professionals in the business field take up design thinking.

Conclusion

As many big companies around the world, such as IBM, Marriott and capital one, are engaging in design thinking to help create innovative products, in the next few years, it is sure that we will see many more companies enter that fold. Design thinking will help rethink the channels, structure and decision making processes of the organization to maximize the flow of innovative ideas and increase organizational efficiency. The rising demand for design thinking professionals is taken care of by many institutes providing postgraduate degrees in this field. One of the pioneer institutes of design thinking is Stanford. It foresees the future of design thinking way back when no one had a clue about it. Today Stanford design thinking programs are also highly recognized, and thousands of professionals/ students are securing their future with its design thinking programs. Scale up your career through an online design thinking course.  

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