Design Thinking — Unwrapped

jason.r.dehler
3 min readSep 1, 2023

It’s for everyone (yes, you)

This is an article I wrote for Design Thinking for All a publication of Northome Group.

Design thinking is a proven, powerful problem-solving methodology, but it’s time to debunk a common misconception — it’s not just for designers and innovators.

In fact, I would argue that we have been practicing design thinking all along, often without realizing it. Take, for instance, the simple act of giving a gift. You must think about the person and the occasion. You must understand what they want in the context of their expectations. You must purchase the gift, stay within your budget, and deliver the gift in a way that makes sense to the receiver (in-person, mail, etc.).

This is design thinking.

To give a gift, you use key skills of design thinking. You used empathy in considering the individual, the occasion, and expectations. Price and reality are your constraints. Your expertise, experience, and unique point of view broaden the field of possible ideas before you ultimately narrow down to the one gift you choose.

Applying Design Thinking

Let’s kickstart your journey into the world of design thinking and help you begin to apply this skill in your work:

1. Become a User — Place yourself in your user’s shoes and experience their frustrations and needs. Just as you did when choosing a gift, you’re now collecting valuable insights into your customers’ pain points. By doing so, you’re actively engaging in empathy, much like when you handpicked a gift tailored to someone’s interests. Where might a customer be struggling with your company’s product or service? Start with that pain point.

2. Draw a Picture- Don’t overthink it. Draw a picture or write down the ideas you come up with to solve your user’s pain point. What might be potential solutions? Sketch them. We all can draw boxes, lines, circles, and text. Do it. Here is a recent example of an idea that I brought to our mobile app team:

3. Reflect and Align- How do your ideas or solutions align with your organization’s goals? Just as you ensured your gift was timely and meaningful, ensure your solution resonates with your organization’s priorities. (or intentionally push them!)

4. Get Feedback- Arrange a meeting with partners or key stakeholders to discuss your ideas and sketches. Convey its alignment to the user and their pain points. Be open-minded and listen to the perspectives of others.

Conclusion

The act of giving a gift illustrates that design thinking isn’t foreign to us; it’s a part of our everyday lives. The four steps above are a quick and easy way to begin applying design thinking to your work. By applying design thinking to your work, you can introduce meaningful change, in the same way you bring joy with a thoughtful gift.

Empower yourself to innovate, embrace change, and develop solutions that deeply resonate with both your customers and your colleagues.

(Also — don’t be afraid to ask for help.)

We got this!

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Design Thinking for All takes the tools and techniques used in design thinking and makes them relatable and usable to individuals and organizations regardless of industry, experience, or role. Any individual or organization can benefit, and we’ll show you how. Contact Us

Interested in doing more? We’re now accepting enrollments for fall courses:

Check out our other courses and coaching options on NorthomeGroup.com.

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jason.r.dehler

eat,move,sleep repeat (it’s not that simple but pretending it is helps)