Design Thinking & Innovation

Design Thinking - Introduction

Design thinking is a methodology that designers use to brainstorm and solve complex problems
related to designing and design engineering. It is also beneficial for designers to find
innovative, desirable and never-thought-before solutions for customers and clients.
Design thinking is used extensively in the area of healthcare and wellness, agriculture, food
security, education, financial services, and environmental sustainability, to name a few. Design
thinking has helped in the digital space, contributed to the development of physical products,
spurred social innovation projects and much more.
The iterative design process helps the designers to involve clients and customers in
meaningful ways. It is not just a strategy to come up with feasible solutions to a problem, but
also a method to think of unimaginable solutions and then trying to make them not just
feasible, but also viable.
Design thinking is a blend of logic, powerful imagination, systematic reasoning and
intuition to bring to the table the ideas that promise to solve the problems of the clients with
desirable outcomes. It helps to bring creativity with business insights.

Design Thinking - Definition

Depending on the industry we are talking about, design can have many different definitions.
Most generally, “design” is a process for deliberately creating a product to meet a set of needs.
Mobile app development requires both engineering design and product design. Engineering
design focuses on physics, such as speed, mass and other performance measures while product
design also considers user and consumers by asking what the user wants in a product. Thus,
Design is a realization of a concept or idea into a configuration, drawing or a product Features
of Design Thinking
Such problems require multidimensional solutions. Design thinking helps in this regard. It not
only assists a professional to come up with a solution, but it also helps the organization to gain
a competitive edge over its rivals. Following are the benefits conferred by design thinking.
These are incidentally also the distinguishing features of design thinking.

 Finding simplicity in complexities.

 Having a beautiful and aesthetically appealing product.
 Improving clients’ and end user’s quality of experience.
 Creating innovative, feasible, and viable solutions to real world problems.
 Addressing the actual requirements of the end users.
Strategy of Innovation
Design thinking is also considered to be a strategy for innovation. It leads to dramatic
improvements in innovation. This is why design thinking forms the core of effective strategy
development and seamless organizational change. Anything that involves human interaction,
from products, services, processes etc., can be improved through design thinking. It all depends
on the designer’s way to create, manage, lead, and innovate.
Use of Design Thinking
The basic principle of design thinking is that innovation can be disciplined. Innovation is not an
elusive entity that only a few genius people can experience. It is, rather, a practice that can be
systematically approached by a set of practical and meticulous tools, methodologies, and
frameworks.
Design thinking helps you learn the following.
 How to optimize the ability to innovate?
 How to develop a variety of concepts, products, services, processes, etc. for end-users?
 How to leverage the diverse ideas of innovation?
 How to convert useful data, individual insights and vague ideas into feasible reality?
 How to connect with the customers and end-users by targeting their actual requirements?
 How to use the different tools used by designers in their profession for solving your
customers’ problems?
DESIGN THINKING APPLICATIONS

Business
Design thinking helps in businesses by optimizing the process of product creation, marketing,
and renewal of contracts. All these processes require a companywide focus on the customer and
hence, design thinking helps in these processes immensely. Design thinking helps the design
thinkers to develop deep empathy for their customers and to create solutions that match their
needs exactly. The solutions are not delivered just for the sake of technology.
Information Technology
The IT industry makes a lot of products that require trials and proof of concepts. The industry
needs to empathize with its users and not simply deploy technologies. IT is not only about
technology or products, but also its processes. The developers, analysts, consultants, and
managers have to brainstorm on possible ideas for solving the problems of the clients. This is
where design thinking helps a lot.
Education
The education sector can make the best use of design thinking by taking feedback from
students on their requirements, goals and challenges they are facing in the classroom. By
working on their feedback, the instructors can come up with solutions to address their
challenges.
For example, Michael Schurr, a 2nd grade instructor from New York, realized that his students
would be more comfortable with bulletin boards lowered. He also found the idea of creating
comfortable semi-private space for working students as it provided them space to study. As a
result, his students became more engaged and felt free to move.
Healthcare
Design thinking helps in healthcare as well. The expenditure on healthcare by the government
and the cost of healthcare facilities is growing by the day. Experts worldwide are concerned
about how to bring quality healthcare to people at low cost.
Venice Family Clinic in Venice, California has come up with innovative solutions to the
challenge of opening a low-cost children’s clinic to serve the low-income families. Problems of
finance, transportation, and language barriers had to be solved. And all this had to be done at
low cost for the poor kids. Fostering good health along with profits was a challenge, as it does
not sound sustainable. Using design thinking, the inefficiencies in the system and the perennial
crises were addressed.
Elements of Design

Think of the elements of design as the ingredients you need for a recipe. These basic
components are essential in art and design and how you can visually construct pieces. Each
element is a crucial part of a visual message, and the combination of these has an impact on
how the design is perceived. You can use these elements alone or in combination with each
other, depending on what you're looking to achieve.

The main elements are:

 Line
 Color
 Shape
 Form
 Value
 Space
 Texture

Line

Lines are the most basic elements of design. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Once
you start noticing them, you’ll see grids all around you. Lines have direction they can be visible
or invisible and can help direct the eye to a specific spot. The thickness of a line can also
communicates certain cues. Bold and thick lines can draw attention, while thin lines are the
opposite.

Most if not all layouts contain invisible lines. Grids are made of multiple lines and lend
structure to a page. Lines can be used to create demarcation on a specific section of a design.
Depending on the form of the line, you can convey different moods. A simple line can carry so
much—for instance, a squiggly line is perceived as young and fun compared to a straight line.

Lines don't necessarily have to be solid. Dashed and dotted lines can also be used and have a
friendlier feel than a solid line. Straight lines usually come across as a steady and static
element. On the other hand, curved lines are dynamic and give energy to your design.

Shape

A shape is the result of enclosed lines to form a boundary. Shapes are two-dimensional and can
be described as geometric, organic, and abstract.

Geometric shapes have structure and are often mathematical and precise (squares, circles,
triangles). You’ll notice that the Swiss graphic design movement from the 1950s used mostly
geometric shapes in their designs. Shapes can add emphasis to a layout.

Organic shapes lack well-defined edges and often feel natural and smooth. Shapes add
emphasis to a layout.

Abstract shapes are a minimalist representation of reality. For instance, a stick figure of a
person is an abstract shape. Logos are mostly represented by abstract figures to show the type
of business. The icon pack below is a great example of abstract shapes conveying real-life
objects and situations.
Form (Positive Space)

On a page, form is the positive element over the space, the negative element. A dot, line, or
shape is a form when placed on a page. Unfortunately, form and shape are mostly used
interchangeably. A form can be either two-dimensional or three-dimensional. Many also
believe that form is a shape that acquires three-dimensional values, but the correct term is
volume.

Form and shape are mutually dependent because changing one would affect the other. The
spatial relationship between form and space can create tension and add 3D qualities to your
design. Form and space will lend the design lots of visual activity that can help keep viewers
engaged. To create a 3D effect in your design, you can add shadows, stack multiple elements,
or play with color.

Space (Negative Space)

Space is the area that surrounds a shape it creates a form within the space. Think of it as music:
space is the silence between the notes of a song. If all the notes were played together, that
would turn into noise.

If you look at a design piece, the negative space is the area that is not occupied by any
elements. In essence, it is the background color that you are able to see. For instance, abundant
negative space in a layout result in an open, airy, and light background. The lack of negative
 space can result in a cluttered design. Visually speaking, a layout needs space to achieve a level
of clarity within the design. Negative space is a very important element to consider as you are
designing a piece.

Color

We can apply color to any of the elements we mentioned before this point. Colors create moods
and can say something different depending on the connotations associated with it. Color can
create an emphasis on specific areas of your design layout.

This element contains multiple characteristics:

 Hue is the name of a color in its purest form. For instance, cyan, magenta, and green are pure
colors.
 Shade is the addition of black to a hue in order to make a darker version.
 Tint is the addition of white to a color to make a lighter version.
 Tone is the addition of grey to make a color muted.
 Saturation refers to the purity of a color. A specific color is most intense when it is not
mixed with white or black.

Value
Value refers to the degree of lightness and darkness of a specific hue. Yellow has a higher
value than purple because it is closer to white. Value changes create contrast on a page. The
reason you can read this text is that the black content contrasts with the white background.

In design, use different tonal values to create emphasis in your design. Create the illusion of
movement by overlapping multiple elements with different values. Value is also important in
photography. You’ll notice that high-value images have a light and airy feel to them, while
dark value images feel heavy and dramatic.

Value also defines the spatial relationship between elements. If color values are close between
the elements and space, then the design will look flat. If there is a strong contrast between the
elements, then the form will be extremely noticeable. The example below features multiple
colors with multiple values, which helps add a sense of depth to the design.

Texture

Texture adds a tactile appearance to a design layout. Imagine how a design piece would feel if
you touched it. The goal of texture is to add depth to a 2D surface. Texture can be applied
graphically through patterns, either digitally created or an image mimicking the desired pattern.
Below is an example of an abstract geometric pattern made up of basic geometric elements.

To achieve an authentic vintage feel, you may try a rough effect as a background or a natural
pattern like the wood pattern below. Highly texturized patterns like this can translate the feel of
wood grains visually. Textures can also be physical—for example, laser cutters give you the
ability to stack multiple shapes and intensify a tactile response.

Add real tactile texture to your design by embossing a texture to paper. This way, you have the
chance to create a memorable piece that will certainly stand out from the crowd. Stylistically, it
is not ideal to blend multiple textures in a design (unless necessary) as it can be overwhelming
for the viewer.
 Principles of design.

According to Christoph Meinel and Larry Leifer, there are four principles to design thinking.
 The Human Rule − This rule states that all kinds of design activity are ultimately social in
nature.
 The Ambiguity Rule − This rule requires all design thinkers to preserve ambiguity in the
process design thinking.
 The Re-design Rule − The re-design rule states that all designs are basically examples of re-
design.
 The Tangibility Rule − The tangibility rule states that making ideas tangible always facilitates
communication between design thinkers.

These four principles form the foundation of the design thinking process. A design thinker
needs to form his ideas and put them forward based on these principles.

oR

What are the principles of design thinking?

There are certain principles that are pivotal to design thinking. These are reflected in the design
thinking methodology, which we’ll explore in detail a little later on. We’ve outlined five of
design thinking’s most important principles below.
1. User-centricity and empathy

Design thinking is all about finding solutions that respond to human needs and user feedback.
People, not technology, are the drivers of innovation, so an essential part of the process involves
stepping into the user’s shoes and building genuine empathy for your target audience.

2. Collaboration
The aim of design thinking is to pool a diverse variety of perspectives and ideas this is what leads
to innovation! Design thinking encourages collaboration between heterogeneous,
multidisciplinary teams which may not typically work together.

3. Ideation

Design thinking is a solution-based framework, so the focus is on coming up with as many ideas
and potential solutions as possible. Ideation is both a core design thinking principle and a step in
the design thinking process. The ideation step is a designated judgment-free zone where
participants are encouraged to focus on the quantity of ideas, rather than the quality.

4. Experimentation and iteration

It’s not just about coming up with ideas it’s about turning them into prototypes, testing them, and
making changes based on user feedback. Design thinking is an iterative approach, so be prepared
to repeat certain steps in the process as you uncover flaws and shortcomings in the early versions
of your proposed solution.

5. A bias towards action

Design thinking is an extremely hands-on approach to problem-solving favoring action over
discussion. Instead of hypothesizing about what your users want, design thinking encourages you
to get out there and engage with them face-to-face. Rather than talking about potential solutions,
you’ll turn them into tangible prototypes and test them in real-world contexts.

History of Design Thinking

The history of design thinking is rich and multifaceted, evolving over several decades and
drawing from various disciplines. Here’s an overview of its key milestones:

Early Foundations (1950s-1960s)

 Origins in Design: The concept of design thinking began to take shape in the mid-20th century,
particularly within the fields of industrial design and architecture. Influential designers like
Charles Eames and Herbert Simon emphasized the importance of user-centred design and
problem-solving methodologies.

 Simon’s Contributions: Herbert Simon's 1969 book, The Sciences of the Artificial, introduced
the idea of design as a process of solving complex problems, highlighting the importance of
defining problems and generating solutions systematically.

Formalization and Expansion (1970s-1980s)

 Human-Centered Design: The focus on human-centred design grew, especially in the fields of
engineering and computer science. The development of usability testing and user experience
(UX) began to influence how products and services were designed.

 Systems Thinking: This era saw the integration of systems thinking, which considers the
broader context and interdependencies of problems, further enriching the design thinking
framework.

Rise of Design Thinking as a Methodology (1990s)

 Stanford's School: The establishment of the Stanford school (Hasso Plattner Institute of
Design) in 2005, although slightly later, was pivotal in popularizing design thinking. The
school developed a structured approach to design thinking, emphasizing empathy, ideation,
prototyping, and testing.

 Business Adoption: Companies like IDEO began to adopt and promote design thinking as a
methodology for innovation. IDEO’s work on projects like the Apple computer’s first computer
mouse showcased how design thinking could lead to groundbreaking products.

Mainstreaming and Global Impact (2000s-2010s)

 Widespread Adoption: Design thinking gained traction beyond design and technology, finding
applications in business, education, healthcare, and social innovation. Organizations began to
recognize its value for fostering innovation and addressing complex challenges.
 Books and Frameworks: Key publications, such as Tim Brown's Change by Design (2009),
articulated the principles of design thinking and its impact on innovation, helping to further
mainstream the approach.

Current Trends and Future Directions (2010s-Present)

 Social Innovation and Sustainability: Today, design thinking is increasingly applied in social
innovation, focusing on solving societal issues such as poverty, healthcare access, and
environmental challenges. The approach emphasizes collaboration with communities to create
sustainable solutions.

 Technology and Digital Transformation: With the rise of digital tools and platforms, design
thinking is being integrated with agile methodologies and data-driven approaches, enhancing
its effectiveness in rapidly changing environments.

Here are some new materials and technologies that are used in design thinking:

1.Graphene

A carbon material that is stronger than steel, yet very light and nearly transparent. It can be
used to make smartphones more flexible and resistant to breaking, and to help buildings
withstand earthquakes. Graphene can also be used to enhance the strength and conductivity of
other materials, such as concrete, steel, or glass.

2.Shape-memory alloys

Can return to their original shape after being deformed, and are used in self-healing materials
and medical devices.

3.Thermochromic materials

Change colour when the temperature changes, and are being used in smart textiles and
temperature-sensitive packaging.

4. Electroactive polymers (EAPs)

Can change shape or size when an electric field is applied, and are used in soft robotics, haptic
feedback devices, and adaptive optics.
5.Self-healing concrete

Can repair its own cracks and fissures, which can increase the longevity and safety of
buildings.

6. Transparent wood

Has been treated to remove its lignin, which creates a natural light-filled ambiance and reduces
energy consumption.