Design thinking is a methodology for creative problem solving. It\u2019s popular among prominent businesses such as Nike and Starbucks because the process fosters a sense of teamwork, empathy for the end-user, and outside-the-box thinking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It began at Stanford Design School in the 1960s and was popularized by IDEO, a global design company, in the 90s. Though its roots are in design, Design thinking can be used to solve any type of complex problem, from changing a company\u2019s toxic work culture to designing a new social media app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gather as much information as possible to get a full picture of the end-user\u2019s needs and what problems may arise as the idea development moves forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Traditional problem-solving methods often lead to thinking about the problem too much from the perspective of the company. Using the data gathered in step one, define your issue in a human-centric way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, if your company\u2019s problem is a high turnover rate that increases recruiting and onboarding costs, you want to flip it to your employees’ point of view. \u201cWe need to improve our company culture so employees feel valued and can see a future with us\u201d would be a good problem statement for that issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This step embodies the philosophy that there are no bad ideas in brainstorming. Think big. Get as much of your team involved as possible to collect a broader range of perspectives. You want to generate a large pool of innovative ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on the problem you\u2019re trying to solve, you may not need to create an actual prototype. The essence of this step is to prevent your team from getting stuck in the ideation phase. Take the most viable ideas generated in step 3, and create a plan to get them in front of users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the initial plan or prototype is in place, it\u2019s tested with audiences and tweaked based on their feedback. Don\u2019t be afraid of multiple iterations. When you make these changes to align your solution with your end-user\u2019s needs, you\u2019re creating a more successful product or service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Innovative problem solving leads to innovative solutions. Design thinking leaves behind accepted wisdom and prepackaged ideas in favor of collecting research directly from the intended audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analyzing this information provides valuable data to base your solution around. By the time you reach the prototype step, you\u2019ll already have a solution that closely relates to your end user\u2019s pain point. From there, it\u2019s just a matter of making a few tweaks until you\u2019ve perfected your final service or product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Design thinking can also help your business because it emphasizes moving quickly from ideation to prototypes. This prevents companies from getting stuck in a loop of constant brainstorming without action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this methodology, you\u2019ll develop a deeper understanding of your clients, customers, or employees, and that information will prove valuable long after your initial issue has been solved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Onehub Workspace is where your design thinking project will live. It\u2019s a digital HQ. All the market research you\u2019ve collected will be stored there. It\u2019s also where your team will collaborate<\/a> on files as they work to define the end-user\u2019s needs, brainstorm creative solutions, and develop prototype plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your team has easy access to a variety of tools to help keep the design thinking process moving forward smoothly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Design thinking can lead to radically innovative ideas, and you don\u2019t want your competitors to get their hands on them! Onehub secure file sharing<\/a> keeps your data safe in the cloud with bank-level encryption and extensive control over the roles and permissions of invited users. You can also add automatic watermarks to your files to protect your intellectual property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Design thinking is meant for complex, unruly problems with a lot of moving parts. Onehub can help you keep the process organized with task management. You can easily assign tasks to any invited user, and you\u2019ll be notified when it\u2019s completed. From the tasks tab, you can view all tasks that you\u2019ve assigned or that have been assigned to you. It\u2019s a simple way to track progress and make sure everyone knows what their role is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The design thinking method of problem solving is heavily dependent on a team\u2019s communication. Our Workspaces provide messaging, comments, and notifications that make it simple for colleagues to reach out for clarification or contribute new, ingenious ideas. Collaborating<\/a> remotely with teammates without leaving the platform keeps everyone focused on the task at hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you get to the ideation and prototype stages, you\u2019ll likely be involved in reviewing changes to the project as they\u2019re added. With Onehub, you\u2019re able to preview a file and quickly approve or deny the updates. Timely approval workflows keep the design thinking process from stagnating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Automatic file syncing is essential for collaborative teams tackling a problem with design thinking. Updates need to be available for all team members in real-time. Without this, employees will waste valuable time working with outdated information. This can bring the project\u2019s progress to a halt and cause a lot of confusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With automatic file syncing, everyone is on the same page no matter what device they\u2019re using or where they\u2019re located.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSecure file sharing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Task management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Collaboration tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Approval workflows<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
File syncing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n