Design thinking is a process for creative problem solving
Design thinking is a term coined by David Kelley, founder of IDEO and the Stanford d.school. It utilises elements from the designer’s toolkit like empathy and experimentation to arrive at innovative solutions. By using design thinking, you make decisions based on what future customers really want instead of relying only on historical data or making risky bets based on instinct instead of evidence.
“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.” says Tim Brown who is now CEO at IDEO.
Thinking like a designer can transform the way organizations develop products, services, processes, and strategy. This approach, which has become known as design thinking, brings together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable. It also allows people who aren’t trained as designers to use creative tools to address a vast range of challenges.
Consumer Packaged Goods
- Braun – Creating a Better Oral B Toothbrush
- PepsiCo – How Indra Nooyi Tured Design Thinking Into Strategy
- Procter & Gamble – Classic Oil of Olay + DT Case, often Cited by A.G. Lafley
Education
- Design Thinking Success Stories for Educators – Good collection of K-12 DT Cases
- Teaching Kids Design Thinking – Enable Kids to Solve the Worlds Biggest Problems
- Riverpoint Academy – Small school that achieved real results through DT
- Alpha Public Schools – Designing a High School Through Design Thinking
- One School District’s Approach to Innovation For the 21st Century
- Memorial School – Design Thinking in a Medford, MA Elementary School
Financial Services
- Bank of America – “Keep the Change” Program
- ABN AMRO – Design Thinking As Competitive Advantage in the World of Banking
- BBVA / USAA / Citi – Design Thinking Success Stories at 3 Large Banks
- Deutsche Bank – Design Thinking to Achieve Customer Proximity
- Bank of Ireland – 20 Minute Podcast with Bank of Ireland’s Head of DT
Healthcare
- GE Healthcare – Building a better MR scanner experience for children by using paintings and storytelling
- Thomas Jefferson University, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Montreal – Design Thinking Success Stories at University Hospitals
- UCSF & IDEO – Applying Design Thinking to Schizophrenia Care
- Mayo Clinic – Design Thinking at Mayo Clinic’s Center for Innovation
- Stanford Healthcare – Design Thinking to Improve Patient Experience
Journalism
- Voice of San Diego & OrbitaLAB – 2 news media outlets that apply DT principles
- Hearken – How Design Thinking is Being Applied to Journalism
Non-Profit/NGOs
- Golden Gate Regional Center – Design thinking to provide better, faster service to support people with developmental disabilities
- Design Thinking in Museums – Stories from DT practitioners specializing in museums
- Municipality of Holstebro, Denmark – Designing “The Good Kitchen”
- Mobisol, Reinventing Solar Energy Supply for Rural Africa
- IDEO & Cambodia – Using DT principles to bring sanitation systems to Cambodia
Retail
- Nike – Design Thinking Infuses Everything Nike Does (It All Starts with the CEO)
- Nordstrom – Building a Better Experience Shopping for Sunglasses
Tech
- Airbnb – Using DT to Avoid Bankruptcy & Develop a Winning Business Model
- Apple – Think Different about Innovation through Design Thinking
- IBM – I Love That IBM Has An Entire Section of its Website Dedicated to DT!
- Google – How To Brainstorm Like a Googler
- Intuit – Measuring & Communicating the Impact of a Design Thinking Program
- Uber – Creating the Future of Food Delivery through Design Thinking
- SAP – Speeding Up Development & Tech Solutions Designed to Delight Customers
Transportation
- Airports (in general) – DT to Make Airport Waiting Time More Pleasant
- Makassar, Indonesia – Using DT to Improve Traffic Congestion in a City
Self-Improvement