1.

Describe Design Thinking process, key principles and steps (reference Ideo)

Design thinking is an interactive and

creative process that entails a person
interacting and assessing
opportunities, creating several
prototypes based on the human
contact, and then receiving feedback
to redesign the solution. Design
thinking, according to IDEO, is a
method for generating creative
solutions to issues. Of course, it isn't
a foolproof strategy, nor is it the
only strategy. However, the
relevance of design thinking has
never been higher based on the
effects we are witnessing in our
work. (Tim brown, Ideo 2018)

Design thinking helps us to work and think outside the box and dig deeper into the problem with
different approaches like new ways of thinking, interacting with customers and taking feedback. The
design thinking steps are:

 Empathize: this is one of the most important step and you need to give a lot of time during
this as it’s the main pillar. It's important to develop an empathetic grasp of the issue you're
attempting to resolve.  To get a more in-depth grasp of the challenges at hand as well as their
experiences and motivations you might also wish to immerse yourself in your consumers'
actual physical environments. Since it enables design thinkers to put aside their personal
worldviews and obtain genuine insight into users and their requirements, empathy is essential
to problem resolution and a human-centered design process. Depending on the time limits,
you will obtain a sizable quantity of data for the following step. The Empathize stage's
primary goal is to understand the user and its need to create the problem they are facing and
then solve it.
 Define: You will arrange the data you acquired during the Empathize step in the Define stage.
To characterize the main issues that you and your team have so far found, you will examine
your observations. It is necessary to define the issue and problem statement from a human-
centered perspective.
 Ideate: Designers are prepared to come up with ideas at the third stage of the design thinking
process. In the Empathize stage, you developed an understanding of your users and their
requirements. Then, in the Define step, you examined your observations to produce a user-
centric issue statement. With this strong foundation, you and your team may begin to consider
the issue from several angles and come up with creative solutions to your problem statement.
There are various techniques used to ideate like brainstorming, worst idea possible etc.
 Prototype: prototypes are basically ideas and now we identify the best possible solution
available. This is an experimental phase where we investigate, accept, and reject the solutions.
The prototypes are usually tested in and outside the design team. By the end of this process
we will get our best solution to the problem and then we can test it further.
 Test: Using the greatest options found in the Prototype stage, designers or evaluators
thoroughly evaluate the entire product. The five-stage model's last step, although in an
iterative process like design thinking, the outcomes are frequently utilized to redefine one or
more additional challenges. This deeper degree of comprehension could enable you to look
into the circumstances of usage and how users interact with the product. It might even prompt
you to go back to an earlier step in the design thinking process. After that, you may move
forward with further iterations, make adjustments, and polish your work to rule out other
options. The main objective is to comprehend the product and its users as well as possible.
 2. Why Design Thinking approach is relevant for hospitality business?

In recent decades, the hotel sector has developed and grown more intricate and multifaceted. As a
result, cross-disciplinary and inter-sectoral research and education in the hotel industry have
increased. Professionals in the hospitality business and in academics must navigate a maze of
problems at work. This complexity is caused in part by the relatively unique operational
characteristics of the hotel industry.
The modern hospitality professional must possess both a design- and a decision-making-oriented
mindset. Choosing among options that are relatively simple to create but challenging to examine and
finish demands a choice mindset. It is more difficult to create a good alternative with a design
mindset, but once established, it is simpler to choose and pick alternatives. Complexity, Confusion,
and Clarity are the three Cs that are interrelated in design thinking. The art of making things function
has been elevated to a conscious, self-aware activity called design. Design is the science of making
things work. There is an adage that complexity recognizes complexity as itself, thus complexity
reduces complexity into simplicity. One is the only individual who truly understands themselves,
according to Jeanne (2018). The idea is that design converses with the issue and receives feedback
from it. In this sense, designing is a reflective dialogue with the circumstance. Arnold (2016) claims
that design is both analytical and synthetic and is founded on experimentation, comprehension, and
imaginative reinterpretation.

Recurring business from satisfied customers, the unpredictable nature of short-term demand, and the
power dynamics that exist within the sector are three key characteristics of the hospitality sector.
Managers in the hotel sector have noted that despite the ongoing fluctuation in client demand,
productivity is the main focus with no explanation of how it was accomplished (Gronroos and
Ojasalo, 2004). Without this knowledge, those involved in the hotel industry must make educated
guesses, which might have unfavorable results.

Today's activities are not limited to the linear management of operational sequences; thus hospitality
workers need to approach multitasking from several angles. Whereas mind maps, for instance, are
about connections, linear thinking is about sequences. The employee may better understand the
connections between the many components of their work thanks to this graphic portrayal. It helps him
or her think about the ideal way to demonstrate a concept and it provides them a more intuitive
understanding of the entire. A design thinker in the hotel industry will start by prototyping and then
self-correct as they service their clients.
To better serve the needs of contemporary business travelers, Crowne Plaza hired the renowned
design company IDEO. According to IDEO, today's workplace demands flexibility so that employees
may use their cellphones, tablets, and computers to interact and create in relaxing environments. They
transformed these into Ignition, a cutting-edge new meeting and working environment that is free to
use. Every element of the hotel's lobby, including the space, food, drinks, service, and technology, is
tailored to the demands of the patrons. The end effect is a place that serves both visitors and residents,
drawing people to meet and work whether or not they are staying.
Design thinking is already beginning to pay off in the hospitality sector. Due to the fact that it is still
early, this is an exciting moment. It will be fascinating to observe what new ideas this potent combo
produces.
To demonstrate the potential of these cutting-edge management techniques and tools to develop new
organizational capabilities, maintain competitiveness, enhance societal welfare, and foster a favorable
business environment, the hospitality industry is utilizing design applications and design thinking. For
the firm to provide value as much as possible in the present business climate, design thinking must be
linked with its strategic goals.

3. Find a real business case on other industries (mobility, food delivery, fintech….) and
explain what customer insight they discovered, what specific technology they used
and what

innovative business model they applied.

Urban Clap now Urban Company

UrbanClap (Now Urban Company), an online marketplace that assists in bringing together service
providers and service seekers, is recognized as one of the nation's fastest-growing firms. You may
now put an end to your daily issues. UrbanClap is dotted with hailing experts in all, whether you're
looking for a beautician, a plumber, a mechanic, a yoga teacher, a lawyer, or a counselor. UrbanClap
started online in 2014 to alter the working and compensation conditions for local troops.

The main problem statement that they were solving was “to provide instant and reliable, affordable
services to the customers”

Home services were traditionally one of the industries that did not see major changes. While Sulekha,
Yellow Pages, and Just Dial were widely used services, professional services were not useful.
Previously, these
businesses would
contract with an
aggregator to
transmit the
assignment to the
professionals.

The co-founders of
UrbanClap, Varun
Khaitan, Abhiraj
Bhal, and Raghav
Chandra, began with the idea of connecting users to the local services sector through a marketplace
for mobile apps before UrbanClap was officially launched in November 2014. The concept was
developed to address the difficulties posed by India's unorganized local services sector and to connect
independent contractors with clients looking for comfort and cost savings at home.

When they launched the App for the platform, they gained more recognition and exposure and it drew
more customers than ever. The company picked up the market and now was in the eyes of the
investors and then raised $185 billion by August 2019.

On the other side, UrbanClap links users directly with experts who turn out to be the greatest in their
field. The squad has faced several difficulties, yet they are still paddling through them all.

Their business model has been different from others as they have been using a full-stack approach
wherein the customer experiences the whole channels and not just the delivery. This was the new
innovative approach they took and while other companies were just delivering service, they were
making the customer experience the service and customizing it according to the customer’s needs.
Regardless of the specialists offering the service, the full-stack strategy enabled the business to
maintain quality standards, assuring client happiness and cultivating loyalty. With the full-stack
strategy, Urban Company made significant investments in its partners' training, microfinance,
provision of branded goods and tools, and other areas.

In 2014, there were only a few professionals on UrbanClap; today, there are close to 50,000, and
another 15,000 are waiting in line to join this expanding community.

The firm has gradually extended its client base and its business strategy while diversifying its array of
products. Their strategy for service design has been meticulously crafted to propel them to the
forefront of our rapidly expanding startup ecosystem and has undergone revisions based on market
dynamics and their aims.

Urban Clap has had

significant success
recently, but this is
only the beginning.
The App has recently
begun leveraging AI-
enabled data to better
assess a user's needs.
UrbanClap operates
and today industry
develops in this
manner.

It was difficult to identify user demands, allocate resources, and then monitor everything under one
roof. However, inventive brains were working on their loopholes with the aid of technology. To
formalize how judgments are made, they have now combined techniques supported by AI and
machine learning. The correct resource allocation, determining who is available and where extensive
processing is required at the back end, and operating it quite successfully due to the tech team These
modifications and enhancements have made the setup more. The innovation and creativity were all in
the app and how they got feedback from the consumers. They just started as a normal service
company providing plumbing, technician, and carpenter service but with the feedback, they were able
to know the consumer more and how they wanted more services to be added to the app this way they
were able to cater to more customers on their feedback.
Even after covid when everyone’s business was shut down and people were not able to earn Urban
clap helped certified workers to earn people were stuck at home so they provided the services. It was a
booming year for the urban clap, they did what everyone needed at that time thus their sales grew.

Design thinking has played a major role in Urban clap since it was a customer-centric company it
helped them to modify and adjust according to the customer's needs and preferences. They have
clearly emphasized the problem statement and brainstormed keeping in mind customer needs which
lead them to be successful in the market.

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References

 IDEO design thinking. IDEO. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2022, from
https://designthinking.ideo.com/

 Dam, R. F., & Siang, T. Y. (n.d.). What is design thinking and why is it so popular? The
Interaction Design Foundation. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://www.interaction-
design.org/literature/article/what-is-design-thinking-and-why-is-it-so-popular
 Why design thinking matters in the hospitality industry. Why Design Thinking matters in the
Hospitality Industry. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2022, from
https://www.shms.com/en/news/academics/why-design-thinking-matters-in-the-hospitality-
industry-3662/
 Ritika TripathiI’m very keen to read about modern technology and I try to put the best in my
writing for the readers. (2021, April 26). How to develop UrbanClap Clone App: A complete
step-wise guide. App Dukaan. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from https://appdukaan.com/how-
to-develop-urbanclap-clone-complete-step-wise-guide/
 Author Shweta Sharma Shweta Sharma is a Key Account Manager and has experience in
FMCG sales across GT and MT channels. (2022, February 12). Urban Company's full-stack
business model. The Strategy Story. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from
https://thestrategystory.com/2022/02/12/urban-company-business-model/
 Kapoor, M. (2022, January 21). Urban Company Business Model: How Does Urban
Company Makes Money. StartupTalky. Retrieved October 20, 2022, from
https://startuptalky.com/urban-company-business-model/
 Why design thinking matters in the hospitality industry. Why Design Thinking matters
in the Hospitality Industry. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2022, from
 https://www.shms.com/en/news/academics/why-design-thinking-matters-in-the-
hospitality-industry-3662/
 Andjelic, A. (2018, July 5). Design thinking in hospitality. Medium. Retrieved
October 20, 2022, from https://andjelicaaa.medium.com/design-thinking-in-
hospitality-15e3605aca71