Design Thinking

“Design Thinking”

Design thinking is a human species-centered process used to solve complex problems by prioritizing the needs of the end user. Design thinking has 5 core phases as shown in the bullet points and image below. Phases do not have to be followed in strict order, you can loop back, repeat steps, or run them based on new insights.

The Five Core Phases

• Empathize: Understand your users by observing, interviewing, and immersing yourself in their experiences to uncover unstated needs.

• Define: Analyze your findings to state the core user problems clearly, often framed with "How we might..." statements.

• Ideate: Brainstorm a wide range of creative solutions without immediately judging or filtering them.

• Prototype: Build scaled-down, inexpensive versions of the best ideas to investigate their viability and user response.

• Test: Share prototypes with real users to gather feedback, learn what works or fails, and refine your direction.