Design Thinking is all the rage in Corporate America. From what I understand it helps businesses prosper, makes customers happy and obstacles are magically conquered with this technique. The problem is, I don't know what that technique is.
One article I read said that design thinking, "Design Thinking is a design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It’s extremely useful in tackling complex problems that are ill-defined or unknown, by understanding the human needs involved, by re-framing the problem in human-centric ways, by creating many ideas in brainstorming sessions, and by adopting a hands-on approach in prototyping and testing." Hhhmmmm...as much as I understood that super-easy-to-follow blob of words, I decided to give it another Gainer-Go and look for a second definition.
My next web search found this explanation, "In its simplest form, design thinking is a process, applicable to all walks of life, of creating new and innovative ideas and solving problems; it is not limited to a specific industry or area of expertise. It can be as effective in technology or education as it may be in services or manufacturing." Ok, finally, something I can grasp... it is applicable to all walks of life. I have always hated the processes that only catered the working class...what about the fancy people? They need a process too!
In my research, I realized that there are some exact steps in Design Thinking...kind of. One sources stated that the steps are:
- Step 1 - Empathy. Any social endeavor begins with the human element. ...
- Step 2 - Define. ...
- Step 3 - Ideate. ...
- Step 4 - Prototype. ...
- Step 5 - Test.
Interesting, but as I continued my learning quest, I also found another website that stated the steps could are:
- Gather Inspiration
- Generate Ideas
- Make Ideas Tangible
- Share The Story
I guess my purpose of this blog-post is to explore the corporate buzzwords and HR-Trends. I may not understand them all. I may read and research countless articles and still be confused, but at the end of day... I comprehended nothing. (And that's what it is all about!)
Stay Awake Kids,
Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer
