Design thinking takes a human-centred approach that integrates the needs of people with the potential of technology and what it takes to deliver a successful business outcome.
David Storey, a director at G plus D, says, “Design thinking is about deeply understanding who you’re designing for, the problem you’re trying to solve for them, being very clear on all the things you know and those you don’t know, and dismissing a very fixed A to B mindset.”
The approach Storey and other design thinking practitioners take complements the shift technology teams are experiencing towards using agile development technologies.
“That can be a bit daunting to someone new to this process. So, I like to take a step back and break it down specifically around the word ‘design’ because it really is a loaded word,” says Storey.
When people think about design, they often see it as relating to beautiful objects. But in design thinking you need to shift your mindset to see design as a verb.
“It’s a process to do or plan something with a specific purpose in mind,” explains Storey, adding that the design thinking process starts with empathy – listening to the people you’re designing for and watching them interact with whatever you’re designing.
This is the approach the SBS On Demand team took when Storey worked with them. By spending time in people’s homes, reviewing customer feedback, reviewing first party data for key trends, working with manufacturers to understand what was coming down the pipe, prototyping fast and testing options with customers, the team found that its delivery of the SBS On Demand platform was one of its smoothest client uptakes in recent times.
“A desk can be a very dangerous place to make decisions from. Get out into the real world and engage with your customer,” says Storey.
It’s also important to not be too fixed in how you define things when a project starts. There’s a human tendency to define everything, says Storey, that stops us from identifying ambiguities and new perspectives. By ‘embracing the grey’ you can create an environment where innovation takes place.
The US engineer Charles Kettering once said, “A problem well stated is half-solved.” Storey says you need to invest in taking the time to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing.
As you move through the design thinking process, ensure you deliver outcomes and not just theory.
“It’s through creating tangible, action-led ideas that you’ll start to see change really occur,” he adds.
The iterative delivery of features and benefits, something that the agile model of systems development strongly espouses, lets you keep moving forward even when upstream management is sceptical. Moving forward continually creates confidence in both the approach and the delivery team.
“The business benefits speak for themselves,” says Storey. “It’s a way to create autonomy in teams, to spark creativity and true innovation, to solve problems from different perspectives, to truly understand your customer, and to keep iterating to ensure you make it better.”