Definition:

● Design thinking is a problem-solving and innovation methodology. It is a non-linear,

iterative process that teams use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine
problems, and create innovative solutions to prototype and test.
● It is most useful to tackle problems that are ill-defined or unknown.
● Design thinking is a more creative and iterative approach to problem-solving that can be
used in any field, not just design.
● It can be applied to a wide range of challenges and often places a strong emphasis on
creativity and innovation in addition to human-centered principles.
● Design thinking is a broader problem-solving approach that incorporates elements of
both HCD and UCD and be more applicable to various domains
● Design Thinking is not limited to any specific domain. It can be applied to a wide variety
of challenges, including product design, business strategy, and social innovation.
● It encourages a holistic approach to problem-solving, considering both the human
experience and the overall system.

Note: These stages are not always sequential, and teams often run them in parallel, out of
order and repeat them in an iterative fashion.
Stage 1: Empathize—Research Your Users' Needs

● Here, you should gain an empathetic understanding of the problem you’re trying to
solve, typically through user research.
 ● Set aside your own assumptions about the world and gain real insight into users and
their needs.

Stage 2: Define—State Your Users' Needs and Problems

● You then analyze your observations and synthesize them to define the core problems
you and your team have identified.
● These definitions are called problem statements.
● You can create personas to help keep your efforts human-centered before proceeding to
ideation.

Stage 3: Ideate—Challenge Assumptions and Create Ideas

● Now, you’re ready to generate ideas.

● Look for alternative ways to view the problem and identify innovative solutions to the
problem statement you’ve created.
● Brainstorming, storyboarding, journey maps

Stage 4: Prototype—Start to Create Solutions

Your team should produce some inexpensive, scaled-down versions of the product (or specific
features found within the product) to investigate the ideas you’ve generated.
This could involve simply paper prototyping, low - medium fidelity prototypes, or even high
fidelity prototypes depending on your business needs

Stage 5: Test—Try Your Solutions Out

● Rigorously test the prototypes.

● Teams often use the results to redefine one or more further problems. So, you can
return to previous stages to make further iterations, alterations and refinements – to
find or rule out alternative solutions.

Human-Centered Design and User-Centered Design are closely related, with UCD being a
specific application of HCD. Design Thinking, on the other hand, is a broader problem-solving
approach that incorporates elements of both HCD and UCD but extends its applicability to
various domains and challenges. All three concepts share the common principle of prioritizing
user needs and experiences in the design process but differ in their scope, focus, and
methodologies.
In summary, the primary distinctions are related to scope and emphasis:

● HCD is a broad philosophy that applies to various design domains and focuses on a deep
understanding of human needs and experiences.
● UCD is a specific application of HCD that concentrates on the user experience within the
context of digital technology.
● Design Thinking is a problem-solving methodology that can be applied to a wide range of
challenges and often places a strong emphasis on creativity and innovation in addition to
human-centered principles.