What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is the process of creating innovative solutions to problems and make products. The purpose of this process is to encourage creative improvement, gather feedback, make prototypes, and potentially redesign. This is a nonlinear process that involves creating an idea, conducting research, defining the research, building a prototype, testing the design and gathering feedback, and finally implementing the innovation.

Empathize

Research done to understand the users of an innovation. This helps entrepreneurs recognize   what is important to potential customers. Determine who the user is, what they need, and how can the innovation meets the customer's needs.

Define

Research done to determine potential customer needs and problems. Take in information from the empathize phase and apply it to a framework for creating an idea. Determine what problems the innovation can solve, and how this information can achieve success.

Ideate

Process of creating solution and ideas. This is the brainstorming phase of design thinking where a product can begin to form. Determine different ways to look at a problem and think outside of the box.

Prototype

Process of building a real representation of the innovation. This is a physical or digital creation of the innovation. The prototype can be a scaled down version, and only serves as a representation of how the idea can be used by customers. Determine how a tangible prototype can be made and interact with users.           

Test

Process of testing with the customers in order to gather feedback. Utilize the prototype to show users how to use the innovation, and to gain an understanding of their experience and any issues. Determine what steps are needed to better the innovation and if any additional research needs to be done to better the prototype.

Implement

The innovation is put into effect. The final step where a finalized product is made. Determine what material is needed to implement the solution.