The Little Booklet on Design Thinking

Multiple decisions are made when designing. This means that the reasoning will be intuitive as well as analytical (Martin, 2009).

Design thinking is built on several principles. The design researcher Dr Monika Hestad (co-author of this booklet), with the design and innovation researcher and philosopher Dr Jamie Brassett, surveyed significant design literature and practices looking for the drivers of design thinking (Hestad and Brasset, 2013). They came up with principles that cover the breadth of what design thinking is. These have been further developed into ten principles by teaching and in practice. These are powerful principles, and when starting to master them, you move beyond the buzz of design thinking to become a design thinker yourself.

‘Design thinking combines analytical and intuitive mindsets’, is inspired by the Canadian economist and strategy researcher Roger Martin’s definition of design thinking (2009).

‘Design thinking is reflection through action’, is our interpretation of the American philosopher and organisational learning researcher Donald Schön’s observations of how designers go about their work (2011 [1959]).

This definition is inspired by the American social scientist, computer scientist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics Herbert Simon’s definition that ‘the designer is concerned with how things ought to be’ (1994 [1969]).

Design thinking is a holistic approach to development work, where the desire for continuous improvement and learning is a significant attitude. People are at the centre of attention.

Design thinking is reflection through action. This means that the approach and solution to the challenge emerges while working.

Design thinking combines analytical and intuitive mindsets and allows the involvement of all stakeholders in a co-operative activity. The aim of this co-operation is to provide a joint journey towards a solid solution.

In further development, critique and questioning the ideas is important to develop them into robust and viable concepts. This stage of the ideas can be described as the ‘Yes, but …’ attitude.

Design thinking is a holistic approach to development work, where the desire for continuous improvement and learning is a significant attitude. People are put at the centre of attention.*

*Inspired by Herbert Simon’s expression that design is ‘how things ought to be’ (1994 [1969]).

Design thinking combines analytical and intuitive mindsets and allows the involvement of all stakeholders in a co-operative activity. The aim of this co-operation is to provide a joint journey towards a solid solution.*

* Inspired by Roger Martin (2009).

A design process evolves through different stages. It often starts with an exploration stage, where the goal is to understand the context of the challenge at hand and who to involve. When one has gained an overview of the challenge, and it has been defined, the process enters into an ideation stage. First a range of ideas are generated. Then one or more ideas are developed for further testing and concept development. The concept is developed to a prototype and evaluated. If satisfied with the result, the solution is implemented. A process driven by a desire for continuous improvement often continues after you have tested the solution