Design Thinking has a deep correlation towards Systems
Thinking. The concept of design thinking lays much emphasis on the design of
existing problems. In an iterative manner, which is for most part user centric,
a mindset for innovation is created. The strength of this process relies mainly
on diversity and the powerful creativity that comes with it. For a given
problem, two rationales are evaluated. A convergent and a divergent mindset
differing mainly in the way solutions are generated and applied. Interestingly,
over the last decade Design Thinking has found its application mainly in
product development and sales. This was because until recently, these fields highly emphasized the need for customer satisfaction. However, with a stark rise in
social innovation it has become clear that there is a greater need for customer
centric development in vast spheres of management and engineering.
We have to
step out of the traditional approach of creating solutions and engage more
consumers of the technology to get a reflection of what truly is the problem.
As Steve Jobs once said, “It is not the customers’ job to know what they want”.
Indeed, creating technologically pioneering solutions and feasible engineering
systems requires a lot more than the problem statement and resource availability.
It is time we introduce design thinking as an empathic component into the
design process and not just a technical aspect.
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