Design thinking sounds like it has to do with product design — and that's partly true. But design thinking is basically a method for solving problems, but those problems do not necessarily have to result in new products. In this blog, I'll explain what design thinking is and how you can apply it to your marketing and PR strategies.
Who came up with design thinking is unclear. What we do know is that Nobel Prize winner and scientist Herbert A. Simon named the method for the first time. He did this in one of his books in the early 1970s, where he described this method as a way of thinking that he further substantiated in the following years. These ideas are considered to be the foundation of design thinking as we see it today.
In the 90s, American design firm took VIDEO the method over into their organization. Since then, they have made the method accessible to organizations, which can thereby implement design thinking themselves. IDEO has done this by acting as thought leader to set up in design thinking. They developed useful tools and terms to share their knowledge about this method.
So you can solve problems with design thinking. These solutions are people-oriented. The purpose of this method is to find solutions for, in the case of an organization, the customer. The first and most important step is to understand your customer's behavior, perspective, and goals. By using this method, you will come up with groundbreaking ideas. At least, ideas you wouldn't have been able to come up with without this method. This is because you consciously go through different phases in order to come up with an idea.
When we talk about design thinking, there is no fixed model that is used. There are different variants, but the most used is the model of D. School. This model consists of five steps.
Organizations often think they know who their customer is, but you will still be surprised at this stage. To get to know your customers, choose a specific target group and dive into the lives of the customers. What does their day look like? What do they run into? What are their desires? See everything from their perspective. And whatever you do, don't base your answers on your own assumptions.
This is because in the empathy phase, you are researching your customer. Observe them by looking at their social media channels and delving into what they all do. Be open to seeing and hearing things you (may) disagree with. You can also interview customers or have them fill out a questionnaire. It is important that you listen actively and ask the right questions. The aim is to gather information but not provide answers to the observations yet.
The next phase is defining. Here, you process all the collected information from the first phase and define the problem. Questions that you answer in this phase are:
The outcome of this phase could be a problem you hadn't thought of yet — or come from a completely different angle than you expected. Design thinking forces you to see it from the customer's perspective and to formulate the problem that way. A human approach, where you especially do not think from the perspective of the organization and its interests.
Only in the third phase should you start thinking about the solution you are going to offer. Design thinking is a creative process and it may begin to express itself in this phase, so brainstorm! There are various brainstorming techniques, find one that works well for you and your team. You can brainstorm with a word web on paper, or an app like Miro use.
Remember the most important rule when brainstorming: in this phase, no idea is a bad idea. Criticizing and reflecting on ideas comes later. When brainstorming, you don't shoot a single idea.
Example: In developing your content marketing strategy In this phase of the design thinking method, you also brainstorm about the channels and content.
The prototype phase is the phase where you can start designing your solution. This can include anything that is relevant to the strategy, such as a scenario, timeline, or campaign. The challenge here is that you don't have to give yourself time to think (too) much. Create something within a certain time limit and remember: it doesn't have to be perfect just yet. It is most important that the solution that comes out of the ideation phase is translated into your prototype.
Then consult with your team and test your prototype. Note their feedback and incorporate it into your prototype before testing with your target group. This final test phase is the phase where you present your prototype, note feedback and continue working until your customers are satisfied. So you can go back to your prototype as often as necessary to make further improvements.
