Category Archives: Design

Applying Design Thinking for Innovation and Problem Solving

Applying Design Thinking for Innovation and Problem Solving

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Applying design thinking as a problem-solving and innovation strategy has become increasingly popular in recent years. Design thinking is a creative and iterative process that encourages people to think differently and find solutions to problems in a more innovative way. It allows people to look at problems from a different perspective, and come up with creative solutions to tackle them.

Design thinking is based on the idea that an organization should focus on the user and their needs, instead of focusing on the technology or features. By understanding the user’s needs and problems, organizations can come up with creative solutions that meet those needs.

Design thinking is a creative process that involves a series of steps to help solve complex problems. It is a form of critical thinking that uses creative processes to identify potential solutions to a problem. This process is often used in business and product design, but it can also be applied to problem solving in any area.

Design thinking begins by taking a step back and looking at the problem from a different angle. This includes gathering data and researching the problem, identifying potential solutions, and brainstorming ideas to solve the problem. It is important to take a holistic approach to problem solving and to consider all angles of the problem. This helps to ensure that all potential solutions are considered and that no stone is left unturned.

Once potential solutions have been identified, the next step is to evaluate the options. This is where design thinking works best, as it encourages creative thinking and allows for exploration of innovative solutions.

Design thinking involves a five-step process:

1. Empathize: The first step of design thinking is to understand the user’s needs, wants, and pain points. This can be done by conducting research, interviews, and surveys, or simply observing and speaking to users.

2. Define: Once the user’s needs and challenges have been identified, the second step is to define the problem and come up with a clear statement of the problem.

3. Ideate: The third step is to brainstorm ideas and solutions to address the problem. This is a creative step, where people can think outside the box to come up with innovative solutions.

4. Prototype: The fourth step is to create a prototype of the solution. This can be done by creating a mockup or a low-fidelity version of the solution.

5. Test: The fifth and final step is to test the prototype with users. This will provide valuable feedback that can be used to further refine the solution.

Design thinking is an invaluable tool for problem solving, and it can help teams identify solutions that are creative, innovative, and effective. It encourages critical thinking and encourages teams to think outside the box. By using a holistic approach to problem solving, teams can ensure that all potential solutions are considered, and that no stone is left unturned.

Design thinking has become an invaluable tool for organizations looking to create innovative solutions to their problems. By taking a user-centric approach, organizations can come up with creative solutions that meet the needs of their users.

Using the design thinking process can help organizations and individuals create innovative products and services that meet their users’ needs. It is an iterative process that involves researching, ideating, prototyping, and testing. It can help generate creative ideas and create solutions that are truly innovative. While there are some challenges associated with design thinking, such as finding the right user demographics and getting feedback, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

Image credit: Pixabay

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Applying Human-Centered Design to Create Innovative Solutions

Applying Human-Centered Design to Create Innovative Solutions

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful business. In today’s competitive market, organizations must stay ahead of the curve in order to remain competitive. In order to do this, companies are turning to Human-Centered Design (HCD) to create new products and services that meet the needs of their customers.

At its core, HCD is a process that focuses on the customers’ needs and wants in order to create meaningful products and services. This process involves understanding the customer’s experience and expectations, defining the problem, and then creating a solution. HCD is not just focused on creating products; it is also used to create processes and services.

The goal of HCD is to create innovative solutions that are tailored to the customer’s needs. By understanding the customer’s experience, companies can develop products and services that accurately reflect the customer’s needs. This helps to ensure that the solution is not only effective, but also attractive and attractive to the customer.

HCD is an iterative process that involves several steps. First, companies must understand their customer’s needs and wants. This can be done through market research, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Once the customer’s needs are established, companies can begin to develop a solution.

The next step is to design the solution. This involves creating a prototype and testing it with customers to gather feedback. The feedback can then be used to refine the design and make improvements. The goal is to create a product or service that is intuitive, efficient, and suitable for the customer’s needs.

Finally, companies must ensure that the solution is tested and verified before it is released for use. This helps to ensure that the product or service is safe and effective. The feedback gathered during the testing phase can also be used to further refine the solution if necessary.

As you design your product using human-centered methods, be sure and keep in mind the five secrets of successful product design:

1. Understand customer needs and develop a product to meet them: The first step in creating a successful product is to perform market research to gain insight into customer needs and preferences. Develop a product that meets those needs and provides a solution to a problem.

2. Create a unique product: Research the market and make sure the product you are creating is unique and different from what is already available.

3. Focus on quality: Quality is essential for a successful product. Ensure that your product is reliable and meets the customer’s expectations.

4. Utilize effective marketing: Marketing is a key factor in the success of any product. Utilize effective marketing strategies to spread awareness of your product.

5. Listen to customer feedback: Getting feedback from customers is essential to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your product. Use the feedback to refine and improve your product.

Human-Centered Design is an invaluable tool for any company looking to innovate and create solutions that meet the needs of their customers. By understanding the customer’s needs and wants and developing a solution that reflects those needs, companies can create products and services that are attractive and effective. HCD is a powerful tool that can help companies stay ahead of the competition and create meaningful solutions for their customers.

SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

Image credit: Pixabay

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Design Thinking and Its Benefits for Businesses

Design Thinking and Its Benefits for Businesses

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Design thinking has become an increasingly popular concept in business circles in recent years, primarily due to its potential to help businesses drive innovation and create successful products and services. Design thinking is an approach to problem-solving that emphasizes the human element and focuses on understanding the needs of customers. It involves elements from both design and engineering, and encourages collaboration between product developers, engineers, designers, and other stakeholders to create new solutions.

1. Design Thinking Creates Customer-Centered Problem Solving

At its core, design thinking involves putting the customer at the center of the problem-solving process. Rather than starting with a solution and working backwards, design thinking encourages businesses to look at the problem from the customer’s perspective and work towards a solution that meets their needs. This allows businesses to create products and services that are tailored to customers’ needs, and that offer a unique experience.

2. Goes Beyond Traditional Problem Solving

One of the main advantages of using design thinking is that it allows businesses to move beyond traditional problem-solving methods. By examining the problem from the customer’s point of view, businesses can come up with innovative solutions that may not have been possible using traditional approaches. Additionally, by collaborating with different stakeholders, businesses can ensure that all relevant perspectives are taken into account when designing a product or service.

3. Helps Create More Efficient and Effective Products and Services

Another benefit of design thinking is that it can help businesses create more efficient and cost-effective products and services. By understanding the customer’s needs, businesses can design products and services that are more likely to be successful in the marketplace. This not only allows businesses to save money on research and development costs, but also helps them ensure that the final product meets the customer’s expectations.

4. Fosters a Culture of Creativity and Collaboration

Finally, design thinking can help businesses foster a culture of creativity and collaboration. By involving multiple stakeholders in the problem-solving process, businesses can encourage employees to think outside of the box and come up with innovative solutions. This can lead to higher levels of engagement and motivation, which can in turn lead to better products and services.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, design thinking offers a number of benefits for businesses. By involving customers in the problem-solving process and encouraging collaboration between different stakeholders, businesses can create products and services that are tailored to customer needs and are more likely to be successful. Additionally, design thinking can help businesses create more efficient and cost-effective products, as well as foster a culture of creativity and collaboration. For these reasons, design thinking is an invaluable tool for businesses looking to drive innovation and stay ahead of the competition.

SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

Image credit: Pixabay

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

What is Design Thinking?

What is Design Thinking?

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Design thinking is a creative problem-solving approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs and creating solutions that are both innovative and practical. It’s an approach that seeks to understand the user, context, and constraints of a problem and create solutions that are tailored to these needs.

Design thinking is based on the idea that through a combination of creativity, collaboration, and experimentation, it is possible to create solutions to even the most complex problems. This process involves a series of steps that encourage designers to go beyond the surface and consider not only the user’s needs but also the implications of their solution.

The first step of design thinking is to define the problem. This involves getting to the root of the problem, understanding user needs and expectations, and considering the broader context in which the problem exists. Once the problem is defined, the next step is to brainstorm potential solutions. This involves the use of creative methods such as brainstorming and prototyping to generate ideas and solutions that address the problem.

The third step is to test and refine the solutions. This involves testing the solutions with users and further refining them based on feedback. Testing also helps to uncover new insights that can be used to improve the solutions.

Finally, the last step of design thinking is to develop and implement the solutions. This involves taking the ideas, solutions, and insights generated during the process and turning them into tangible products or services.

Design thinking is a powerful and versatile approach to problem-solving that can be applied to a wide range of problems. It focuses on understanding the user’s needs, creating innovative solutions, and testing and refining solutions based on user feedback. By following this process, designers can create solutions that are tailored to the user’s needs and context.

SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

Image credit: Unsplash

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

What is Human-Centered Design?

What is Human-Centered Design?

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Human-centered design is an iterative process that focuses on the needs of people and their environment when creating solutions to problems. It is a user-centric approach to product design and development that puts the user at the center of the entire process. This form of design puts the user’s needs, wants and desires first and foremost in the design process.

This type of design philosophy is often referred to as ‘design thinking’ and it involves taking a step back from the product, to gain an understanding of the user’s needs and desires. This allows designers to come up with solutions that are tailored to the user’s individual needs.

The process of human-centered design begins with research and understanding the user. This involves gathering information about the user’s needs and desires. This can be done through interviews, surveys, focus groups, and other research methods. Once the research is complete, the designer can begin to create a prototype or concept that meets the user’s needs.

The process of human-centered design is iterative, meaning it can be repeated over and over again until the best possible solution is found. This allows designers to make adjustments and improvements to the design until it is perfect.

The goal of human-centered design is to create products that users can easily understand and use. It should make the user’s experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. This type of design should also be intuitive, so users can quickly and easily understand how to use the product without reading a manual or instruction guide.

Human-centered design is becoming increasingly popular in product design, as companies realize the importance of putting the user first. By creating products that are tailored to the user’s individual needs, companies can create products that are more successful in the long run.

SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

Image credit: Unsplash

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Strategies for Incorporating Human-Centered Design into Your Organization

Strategies for Incorporating Human-Centered Design into Your Organization

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Human-centered design (HCD) is an approach to product and service development that puts people first. It is a user-focused approach that puts the user’s needs and experiences at the center of the design process. This approach has become increasingly popular as organizations strive to create products and services that are tailored to the needs of their customers.

Incorporating HCD into an organization requires a commitment to a holistic approach to design. This involves understanding the customer’s needs, researching their behaviors and preferences, and designing a solution that addresses their needs. It also involves actively engaging with customers throughout the design process.

If your organization is looking to move toward an HCD approach to design, here are some strategies for getting started:

1. Understand your customers: Before you can design for your customers, you need to understand their needs. Conduct research to gain an understanding of who your customers are, what their needs and preferences are, and how they use your products and services.

2. Create an HCD team: Assemble a team of people who are dedicated to understanding and responding to the needs of your customers. This team should include people from all areas of the organization, including product and service designers, user experience designers, researchers, marketers, and customer service representatives.

3. Define goals and processes: Establish clear goals and processes for incorporating HCD into your organization. This should include processes for gathering customer feedback, incorporating user data into the design process, and evaluating the success of your design efforts.

4. Involve customers: Involve customers in the design process. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, interviews, and other methods. Make sure to listen to their feedback and use it to inform your design decisions.

5. Use feedback to inform changes: Make sure to use customer feedback to inform changes to your products and services. This will help ensure that your products and services are meeting the needs of your customers.

6. Monitor results: Monitor the success of your HCD efforts by tracking customer feedback and usage data. This will help you understand what is working and what needs to be improved.

By following these strategies, your organization can begin to incorporate a human-centered design approach. This will help ensure that your products and services are meeting the needs of your customers and will help you to stay ahead of the competition.

Image credit: Pexels

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Design Thinking for Digital Transformation Projects

Design Thinking for Digital Transformation Projects

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Design Thinking is a creative problem-solving approach that enables organizations to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges. The methodology has been used for many years in product development, but it is now being increasingly applied to digital transformation projects.

Digital transformation projects involve the implementation of new or upgraded technologies, processes, and systems. The goal is to make an organization’s operations more efficient, improve customer experience, and create new opportunities for growth. Digital transformation projects are often complex and involve a great deal of risk, so organizations must develop innovative solutions to ensure success.

Design Thinking is well-suited to these types of projects because it emphasizes the importance of understanding the customer. By focusing on customer needs, organizations can develop solutions that are tailored to the user’s needs. Additionally, Design Thinking encourages experimentation and iteration, which allows organizations to quickly test and refine their solutions.

When applying Design Thinking to a digital transformation project, it is important to first understand the current state of the organization and its customers. This includes understanding the customer’s needs, the current technology and processes in place, and any constraints that may prevent successful implementation.

Once the current state is understood, the next step is to identify the desired outcomes of the transformation project. This could include improved customer experience, increased efficiency, or a reduction in costs.

The next step is to brainstorm potential solutions. This should involve both the technical and non-technical stakeholders. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible, and then narrow them down to the most viable.

Once potential solutions have been identified, they should be tested and refined. This can involve prototyping the solution or running a pilot project. The goal is to ensure that the solution is viable before full implementation.

Finally, the solution should be implemented. This involves developing the infrastructure, training staff, and rolling out the new system. Throughout this process, organizations should continue to monitor the results to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved.

By applying Design Thinking to digital transformation projects, organizations can develop innovative solutions that meet the needs of their customers. The methodology encourages experimentation, iteration, and customer-focused solutions, which can help organizations ensure successful implementation.

Image credit: Pixabay

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

Leveraging Human-Centered Design to Improve Productivity

Leveraging Human-Centered Design to Improve Productivity

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Human-centered design (HCD) is an approach to designing products and services that focuses on the needs, values, and preferences of the people who use them. It is a process of creating solutions that are tailored to the needs of the user and can be used to create innovative products, services, and experiences that are both meaningful and useful. By leveraging HCD, businesses can improve their productivity and create a more enjoyable work environment for their employees. Here are five ways to do this:

1. Identify user needs: The first step to leveraging HCD is to identify the needs of the user. This can be done through user research, surveys, interviews, and other methods. By understanding the needs of the user, businesses can create products and services that are tailored to those needs and have a better chance of achieving the desired results.

2. Create prototypes: Once the user needs have been identified, businesses can create prototypes of their products and services. Prototypes allow businesses to test out their ideas and make adjustments before launching them into the market. This can save time and resources in the long run and ensure that the product or service meets the needs of the user.

3. User testing: User testing is another important step in the HCD process. It allows businesses to gain feedback from users on how their products and services are functioning and how they can be improved. This can lead to better products and services that are more likely to be successful.

4. Iterative design: Iterative design is the process of making multiple iterations of a product or service in order to improve it. This allows businesses to make adjustments based on feedback from users and improve the product or service over time.

5. Continuous improvement: Finally, businesses should strive to continuously improve their products and services by leveraging user feedback and data. This can help businesses stay ahead of the competition and ensure that their products and services remain relevant and useful.

By leveraging HCD, businesses can create products and services that are tailored to their users and can be used to improve productivity and create a more enjoyable work environment for their employees. Through user research, prototypes, user testing, iterative design, and continuous improvement, businesses can ensure that their products and services are always up-to-date and useful.

Image credit: Unsplash

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

8 Design Thinking Flaws and How to Fix Them

8 Design Thinking Flaws and How to Fix Them

by Braden Kelley and Adam Radziszewski

Design Thinking attempts to extract the mindset of a designer, an artist, a creator, or even a child into a series of steps that can be applied to any discipline (even business or politics) to solve human-centered problems. Its steps are so logical that we can’t imagine anyone opposing them.

  • Why wouldn’t you speak with customers and observe them?
  • Why wouldn’t you collect diverse perspectives and research before choosing a problem to solve?
  • Why wouldn’t you come up with lots of ideas, prototype the most promising and test those prototypes?
  • If you’re selling to people, to humans, why wouldn’t you use a human-centric approach?

Because people can quickly understand the power (or promise) of Design Thinking, companies, consultants, and universities have latched on to the methodology and quickly accelerated it to the top of the hype curve. This has created a lot of problems for both expert Design Thinking practitioners and for the methodology itself.

So, let’s look at eight Design Thinking flaws and how to fix them:

Click here to continue reading on CustomerThink.com


Accelerate your change and transformation success

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.

7 Steps to Building Stronger Sales Relationships with Human-Centric Problem Solving

7 Steps to Building Stronger Sales Relationships with Human-Centric Problem Solving

by Braden Kelley and Adam Radziszewski

Building strong sales relationships is all about trust and demonstrating how the product/solution will make the customer’s life better. But is traditional selling getting you where you want to go?

If you’re looking to close more business and feeling stuck, try injecting some human-centric problem solving into your sales process.

What is human-centric problem solving?

Human-centric problem solving goes beyond what people say they do. Instead, it looks for what people actually do.

The approach helps you investigate the distinctly human elements that go beyond what sales tools can tell you about a prospect. It can also help you discover the true problem worth solving for the prospect.

Sometimes, you’ll even find a new problem the customer doesn’t even know they have.

Click here to continue reading on Sales Hacker


Accelerate your change and transformation success

Subscribe to Human-Centered Change & Innovation WeeklySign up here to get Human-Centered Change & Innovation Weekly delivered to your inbox every week.