CHAPTER 1

Introduction of
design thinking

HUYNH DANG KHOA (MBA)

 CONTENT:

1.1. History of design thinking

1.2. Definition of design thinking
1.3. Role of design thinking in business
1.4. Design thinking mindset
1.5. Design thinking skills
1.6. Principles of design thinking

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 1.1
History of design thinking

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 1.1 History of design thinking

The 1960s: The 1980s: The 1990s: The 2000s: The 2010s and
Early The 1970s: Design Emergence of Popularization Beyond:
Formalization
Foundations Expansion and Thinking in Design and Global Integration and
of Design
(Pre-1950s) Application Academia Thinking Impact Expansion
Methods

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 1.1 History of design thinking

◎ Early Foundations (Pre-1950s)

• Thomas Edison (1847-1931): Though not formally recognized as a
design thinker, Edison’s approach to invention, emphasizing user needs
and iterative prototyping, laid early groundwork for design thinking
principles.
• Bauhaus School (1919-1933): This German design school
emphasized the integration of art, craft, and technology, focusing on
functionality and human-centric design.
 1.1 History of design thinking

◎ The 1960s: Formalization of Design Methods

• Herbert A. Simon: In his book "The Sciences of the Artificial" (1969),
Simon discussed design as a way of thinking and introduced the
concept of “bounded rationality,” influencing how problems and
solutions are approached in a structured way.
• L. Bruce Archer: Archer was instrumental in the development of
design methods. His work, particularly in the UK, contributed to the
establishment of design as a systematic process.
 1.1 History of design thinking

◎ The 1970s: Expansion and Application

• Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber: In their 1973 paper, "Dilemmas in
a General Theory of Planning," Rittel and Webber introduced the
concept of "wicked problems," highlighting complex issues that are
difficult to define and solve, which design thinking aims to address.
• IDEO's Early Influences: The design firm IDEO, founded in 1991,
started to formalize design thinking processes during this time,
although its impact became more prominent in later years.
 1.1 History of design thinking

◎ The 1980s: Design Thinking in Academia

• Donald Schön: In his influential book "The Reflective Practitioner"
(1983), Schön explored how professionals think in action, contributing
to the understanding of design thinking as a reflective practice.
• Stanford University's Influence: Stanford University began
incorporating design thinking into its curriculum, particularly through
the work of the Stanford Design Program and faculty like Rolf Faste,
who further developed the concept.
 1.1 History of design thinking

◎ The 1990s: Emergence of Design Thinking

• IDEO: Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, popularized design thinking through
his work and publications. The firm’s human-centered approach to
innovation became a benchmark for design thinking practices.
• David Kelley: Founder of IDEO and a professor at Stanford, Kelley
played a key role in integrating design thinking into business and
education.
 1.1 History of design thinking

◎ The 2000s: Popularization and Global Impact

• Tim Brown's "Change by Design" (2009): This book brought
design thinking to a broader audience, emphasizing its application in
business and social innovation.
• [Link] at Stanford (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design):
Founded in 2004, the [Link] became a hub for design thinking
education and research, spreading its principles globally.
 1.1 History of design thinking

◎ The 2010s and Beyond: Integration and Expansion

• Design Thinking in Business and Education: Design thinking has
been integrated into MBA programs, corporate training, and public
sector innovation. Companies like IBM, Google, and Procter & Gamble
adopted design thinking methodologies to drive innovation.
• Global Challenges and Social Innovation: Design thinking has
been increasingly used to tackle global challenges, such as
sustainability, healthcare, and education, emphasizing empathy and
user-centric solutions.
 1.2
Definition of design thinking

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 1.2 Definition of design thinking

◎ Tim Brown (IDEO CEO)

• "Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that

draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the
possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success."

Source: Brown, T. (2008). Design Thinking. Harvard Business Review.

 1.2 Definition of design thinking

◎ Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford ([Link])

• "Design thinking is a methodology for innovation that combines creative

and analytical approaches and requires collaboration across disciplines."

Source: [Link]. (2023). An Introduction to Design Thinking. Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at
Stanford.
 1.2 Definition of design thinking

◎ IDEO

• "Design thinking is a process for creative problem solving. It

encourages organizations to focus on the people they're creating for,
which leads to better products, services, and internal processes."

Source: IDEO. (n.d.). What Is Design Thinking?. IDEO.

 1.2 Definition of design thinking

◎ Harvard Business Review

• "Design thinking is a methodology that imbues the full spectrum of

innovation activities with a human-centered design ethos."

Source: Liedtka, J. (2018). Why Design Thinking Works. Harvard Business Review.
 1.2 Definition of design thinking

◎ MIT Sloan Management Review

• "Design thinking is a collaborative, human-centered approach to

solving complex problems that emphasizes empathy, ideation, and
experimentation."

Source: Beckman, S. L., & Barry, M. (2007). Innovation as a Learning Process: Embedding Design
Thinking. MIT Sloan Management Review.
 1.2 Definition of design thinking

◎ The key aspects of design thinking:

• Human-centered design
• Emphasis on creativity and collaboration
• Iterative process for problem-solving
1.2 Definition of design thinking
Design thinking and Innovation

[Link]
Design thinking and Innovation

[Link]
 The Innovation Sweet Spot

Design thinking and innovation

Source: Tim Brown (2009)

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 1.3
Role of design thinking in
business

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 1.3. Role of design thinking in business

◎ Fostering Innovation:
• Creative Problem-Solving: Design thinking encourages out-of-the-box
thinking and helps businesses generate innovative solutions to complex
problems. By focusing on user needs and iterative prototyping, companies can
develop unique products and services.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: It brings together diverse teams to

collaborate, leveraging different perspectives and expertise to drive creative
solutions.
 1.3. Role of design thinking in business

◎ Enhancing Customer Experience:

• Empathy and User-Centric Approach: By prioritizing the needs,
preferences, and pain points of customers, businesses can create products and
services that resonate more deeply with their target audience.

• Iterative Feedback Loop: Prototyping and testing with real users ensure
continuous improvement based on direct feedback, leading to better user
experiences.
 1.3. Role of design thinking in business

◎ Improving Processes:
• Streamlined Operations: Design thinking can be applied to internal
processes, identifying inefficiencies and developing more effective workflows.

• Employee Engagement: Engaging employees in design thinking workshops

and activities fosters a culture of innovation and ownership, leading to higher
job satisfaction and productivity.
 1.3. Role of design thinking in business

◎ Driving Growth:
• Market Differentiation: Innovative, user-centered products and services help
businesses stand out in competitive markets.

• Adaptability and Agility: The iterative nature of design thinking enables

businesses to adapt quickly to market changes and emerging trends.
1.3. Role of design thinking in business

“IBM Design Thinking” framework

[Link]
1.3. Role of design thinking in business

◎ Product innovation:
• Apple’s use of design thinking has led
to iconic products like the iPhone,
which combined cutting-edge
technology with intuitive design to
transform the mobile phone industry.
1.3. Role of design thinking in business
◎ Business Model Transformation:
• Faced with slow growth, Airbnb founders
used design thinking to deeply
understand their users' needs, leading to
major changes in their platform and
business model that significantly boosted
user engagement and growth.
1.3. Role of design thinking in business
◎ Organizational Change:
• By embedding design thinking into its
corporate culture, P&G developed more
innovative consumer products and
significantly improved their market
performance.
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 1.4
Design thinking mindset

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 The Innovation Sweet Spot

Design thinking and innovation

Source: Tim Brown (2009)

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1.4. Design thinking mindset
Empathy

Solve
complex
problems

Creativity

Drive
innovation
Iterative
learning
 1.5
Design thinking skills

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 1.5. Design thinking skills

◎ A blend of various skills to effectively solve complex problems:

• Empathy: This is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
In design thinking, empathy involves immersing oneself in the user's
experience to gain a deep understanding of their needs and challenges.

This skill is crucial in the initial phase of the design thinking process, where
designers gather data about the problem and the user.
 Interviews
Conduct user Surveys and
research Questionnaires

Observation

Focus on users
Engage in
Active listening Clarify and
reflect
Empathy

Create empathy Capture insight

maps

Build personas Develop user

personas

Role - playing
Use immersive
techniques Experience
mapping
Identify pattern
Synthesize and
share insights
Share findings
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 1.5. Design thinking skills

◎ Creativity
• Creativity is at the heart of the ideation phase in design thinking.
It involves brainstorming, thinking outside the box, and generating
innovative ideas without immediately judging them.

This skill helps in exploring a wide range of potential solutions to a given

problem
 1.5. Design thinking skills

◎ Collaboration
• Collaboration skills are essential to effectively communicate, share ideas, and
integrate diverse perspectives into the design process.

• This helps in developing well-rounded solutions that consider various aspects of

the problem.
 1.5. Design thinking skills

◎ Prototyping and Testing

• The ability to create prototypes and test them is crucial in design thinking.
This skill involves building tangible models of potential solutions, experimenting
with them, and iterating based on feedback.

It helps in refining ideas and ensuring they are feasible and effective before full-
scale implementation​.
 1.5. Design thinking skills

◎ Problem Framing and Reframing

• This skill involves defining and redefining the problem to ensure that the right
issue is being addressed.

• By framing the problem correctly, designers can focus on finding effective

solutions that address the underlying needs of users​.
 1.5. Design thinking skills

◎ Analytical Thinking
• Alongside creativity, analytical thinking is necessary to evaluate ideas critically,
identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions.

• This balance of intuition and analysis ensures that the solutions are both
innovative and practical​.
 1.5. Design thinking skills

◎ Iterative Development
• Iteration is a key principle in design thinking.
• It involves continuously refining and improving ideas through repeated cycles of
prototyping, testing, and feedback.

• This skill helps in developing robust solutions that are well-tested and user-
approved​.
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 1.6
Principles of design thinking

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1.6. Principles of design thinking

Source: Stanford University

 1.6. Principles of design thinking

◎ Empathy (Start With Humans)

• User-Centric Approach: Empathy involves understanding the needs,
experiences, and emotions of the users. It is the foundation of design thinking,
as it helps to create solutions that truly address user needs.

• Techniques: Methods such as interviews, observation, and journey mapping

are used to gain deep insights into the user’s perspective​.
 1.6. Principles of design thinking

◎ Empathy (Start With Humans)

 1.6. Principles of design thinking

◎ Empathy (Start With Humans)

 1.6. Principles of design thinking
◎ Empathy (Start With Humans)
 1.6. Principles of design thinking

◎ Define problems (Define the real problem)

• Problem Framing: Clearly defining the problem based on insights gathered
during the empathy phase. This step involves synthesizing information to
formulate a clear problem statement.

• Focus: It helps in narrowing down the scope and ensures the team is
addressing the right issue​.
 1.6. Principles of design thinking

◎ Ideation
• Creative Exploration: Generating a wide range of ideas and solutions. This
phase encourages thinking outside the box and considering multiple
perspectives.

• Brainstorming Techniques: Use of techniques like brainstorming, mind

mapping, and sketching to foster creativity and innovation​.
 1.6. Principles of design thinking

◎ Prototyping
• The prototype stage in design thinking is a crucial phase where ideas
generated during the ideation stage are turned into tangible, testable
models.

• Prototyping Techniques: Use of physical or digital prototypes to explore

potential solutions and refine concepts based on user feedback.
 1.6. Principles of design thinking

◎ Testing
• User Feedback: Testing prototypes with real users to gather feedback and
identify any issues or areas for improvement.

• Iterative Process: This phase is often repeated multiple times, incorporating

feedback and making necessary adjustments to enhance the solution​​.
 Thanks!

Any questions?

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