Today’s businesses face numerous challenges, far beyond what is commonly called a “crisis.” The continuous evolution of business models and digital transformation generate daily management issues, but also opportunities that can become competitive advantages when correctly understood and managed.
These ongoing challenges require multidimensional solutions, which must encompass various aspects of a company’s reality—from cognitive and interpretative skills to creativity, development, and implementation capabilities. All of this must happen with the awareness of operating in a highly ambiguous and uncertain context, where the likelihood of failure is an essential part of the new rules of the game.
This multidimensionality in the process of change and innovation is the key aspect of Design Thinking.
Developed by IDEO founder David Kelley, Design Thinking is defined as:
“A human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.”
The method focuses on three key elements:
People, Technology, and Business.
And at the center of all of them: the customer.
Integrating these three factors requires that those involved in the innovation process be analytical and empathetic, rational and emotional, methodical and intuitive. Some researchers refer to this dualistic thinking style as “abductive thinking”—distinct from deductive and inductive reasoning.
Abductive thinking involves imagining entirely new possibilities that are not yet present in existing models. In this way, we can say that feelings and emotions are just as important as logic and reason.
Design Thinking, in its broadest sense, can be applied to every social domain—not just business. It’s a process for creating and developing innovative ideas and solving problems, not limited to any one area or skill set. While it originated in design, it now finds applications in science, medicine, engineering, and more.
To remain profitable and competitive, companies must innovate continuously. This process can be applied within corporate functions like HR, finance, marketing, or in the different stages of a company’s lifecycle—for example, during the startup phase.
So, how does the Design Thinking process work?
As mentioned earlier, the customer drives the current state and future developments of the company. They are the cornerstone in launching or changing a product or organization.
Products and services—whether delivered to internal or external customers—must create intrinsic value and meet specific needs. This cannot happen unless the customer is a central part of the entire product lifecycle. The customer thus becomes the main focal point of the process for any viable solution.
In addition, Design Thinking constantly applies values such as:
- Empathy – understanding others and “walking in your customer’s shoes”
- Ambiguity – rediscovering childlike curiosity and the ability to pursue opportunities that seem impossible or unreachable
- Multidisciplinarity and Diversity – leveraging the power of collective experiences, teamwork, different perspectives, and varied problem-solving approaches
The methodology and philosophy of Design Thinking is far more complex and rich than what we’ve described so far. It’s a subject of extensive literature and is now a formal academic path in many universities and business schools worldwide.
A nod to Thomas Edison
One great inventor and innovator often associated with Design Thinking is Thomas Edison.
Edison’s brilliance lay not just in inventing the lightbulb, but in his vision of a fully developed market around it. He was able to imagine how people would use his invention and design accordingly, based on this intuitive insight. Of course, he wasn’t clairvoyant—he didn’t have a crystal ball—but he always gave great weight to people’s needs and preferences.
In conclusion, here are some historic Edison quotes that perfectly capture the essence of Design Thinking and the mindset every innovator or startup founder should adopt:
“I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”
“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: first, hard work; second, persistence; and third, common sense.”
“People are not remembered for the number of times they fail, but for the number of times they succeed.”
“There are no rules here—we’re trying to accomplish something.”
“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”
