The 5 Phase of Design Thinking

The design thinking process is a design methodology used to solve complex problems by providing a solution-based approach for these problems. It allows re-framing the problems in human-centric ways, creating ideas during brainstorming sessions, and adopting a hands-on approach in prototyping and testing to help find the best possible solutions for the complex problems.

The design thinking methodology involves the following five phases:

1. Empathise

2. Define

3. Ideate

4. Prototype

5. Test

Each of these phases has been discussed in detail below.

THE 5 STAGES OF DESIGN THINKING

One thing you must keep in mind is that these phases are not always followed sequentially; they can be followed simultaneously or in any order that works the best in solving your problems. The main aim of the design thinking methodology is to gain the deepest understanding of what would be the ideal solution or product for the users.

Usually, these stages are followed in the following manner:

Stage 1: Empathize
Empathy is the first and foremost step involved in design thinking as it encourages design thinkers to put aside their assumptions. This helps the design thinkers to concentrate and give importance to the users and their needs. This stage involves observing, engaging, and empathizing with others to understand their experiences and motivations so that you may get a better understanding of the issue. During this stage, adequate information is collected that helps in a better understanding of the problem at the later stages.

Stage 2: Define
This stage involves the analysis of the information that was gathered during the empathize stage. After a thorough analysis of your observations and findings, all the core problems are stated as problem statements in a human-centered manner. Once this is done, you are ready for the next stage.

Stage 3: Ideate
Once all the problems have been identified and listed, you can work on generating ideas to find solutions for the problems. The designers are encouraged to come up with great ideas and think out of the box to provide solutions for the stated problems. Brainstorming is particularly useful in this stage.

Stage 4: Prototype
This stage usually involves testing on prototypes by the internal design team or people from other departments, or by a small group of externals. During this stage, a scaled-down version of the product or features is designed so that the design team can investigate the solutions that have been proposed during the ideation stage. This helps the design team to experiment freely so that they can come up with the best possible solutions for the identified problems. All the solutions that were proposed are tried out, after which they are accepted, modified, or rejected by the design team, based on the experience of the users. By the end of this stage, the design team will have a better idea about how the real users will interact with the final product.

Stage 5: Test
After prototyping, the design team will rigorously test the complete product using the solutions that were deemed the best during the prototyping phase. During this phase, the team can redefine problems, causing them to go back to the previous stages and make alterations to them.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Design thinking methodology is used by almost all businesses and organizations to help solve complex problems. Usually, these complex problems cannot be solved by the internal team and they require professional help. DigAptics is one team that can help you in solving these problems. Contact them today to discuss things further.