{"id":534,"date":"2020-01-28T15:18:42","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T14:18:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovatiestudio.hku.nl\/?p=534"},"modified":"2020-02-11T14:31:24","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T13:31:24","slug":"critical-notes-on-design-thinking-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovatiestudio.hku.nl\/?p=534","title":{"rendered":"Critical notes on design thinking: HKU model"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A brief introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u2022 empathise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The design process starts with a series of activities called Empathise. This means the design team engages actively with their stakeholders or end users and tries to get a deep understanding of their position. Through interviews, or observations (shadowing), and through empathic listening (not judging!) the team learns about the experiences, the emotions, the problems and challenges the stakeholders encounter in the design problem you are tackling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 define<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The next step is make sense of all the data, impressions and observations, and reframe the design problem you are addressing. In most cases these data redefine the problem you were starting out with, or the problem your client wants to address. In this phase you will also define the scope of the project, and to identify the key ‘Pain points’ your users experience that your solution needs to address or preferably take away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 ideate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this phase, with the boundaries defined for your project, you will start to use your creativity. Alone or in your team, you will generate and share ideas on a possible solution. In the beginning of this phase, all suggestions are valid; don’t be too judgemental. The process starts with diverting<\/strong> into the subject, exploring<\/strong> many solution paths. After the exploration phase, the team needs to switch gears towards conversion, <\/strong>making choices and finding and deciding on the most effective or possibly most productive solution path.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2022 prototype<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A core aspect of design thinking is to start creating the simplest, cheapest, first draft of the solution. These will be rough sketches, storyboards, wire frames, paper prototypes… The function of the prototype is to engage with your end users with these first drafts to learn immediately from your end users whether you stay close to their demands, wishes and needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fail fast means that you do not waste resources on creating a polished solution without verifying <\/strong>the appropriateness of your solution for your stakeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most starting designers make the mistake of working too long on their first prototype, possibly adding value to an idea that still contains mistakes or assumptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An explanation for this is the feeling designers might have that they show something to their end users that is not ‘finished’ or ‘beautiful’ or ‘polished’.
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Test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The function of testing is to let your end users be the judge of the quality of your idea. Your users are always right. Initially your concept will probably ‘not work’. Some elements are good, other things are broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most difficult bit in testing is to find our where your design is ‘broken’ and what you need to do to fix it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will probably also get feedback that is not relevant to the phase of the design you are in. If people comment on the look and feel of a rough first prototype, those comments should be ‘ignored’. Do not get defensive explaining this to your users. Just receive the feedback and put it aside for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For each test you should know up-forehand what it is you want to test. You should do as little explanation as possible. Your design should eventually be able to explain itself. Your most important role is to observe and take notes. If possible and allowed, you might record visuals or audio to reflect later on the test. You might easily miss important cues; body language; individual behaviour; social interactions etc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Although design thinking has many merits in being used in this fashion, it has some repercussions. The most important downside of this model is the fact it ends with a prototype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many innovation trajectories fail after<\/strong> the prototype phase. There are many possible causes for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n