Design Thinking (DT)

– Design Thinking is a systematic, human-centered approach to solving complex problems within all aspects of life. The approach goes far beyond traditional concerns such as shape and layout. Unlike traditional scientific and engineering approaches, which address a task from the view of technical solvability, user needs and requirements as well as user-oriented invention are central to the process.

– This approach calls for continuous feedback between the developer of a solution and the target users. Design Thinkers step into the end users’ shoes – not only interviewing them, but also carefully observing their behaviors. Solutions and ideas are concretized and communicated in the form of prototypes as early as possible, so that potential users can test them and provide feedback – long before the completion or launch. In this way. Design Thinking generates practical results.

– Innovation and effective problem-solving combine three essential components: technical feasibility, economic viability and human desirability.

– Design Thinking approaches problems from a human perspective, with the objective of designing innovative and desirable products, services or experiences that reflect all three aspects.

– Design Thinking was developed by David Kelley, Stanford professor and founder of the renowned design agency IDEO in Silicon Valley.

Design Thinking offers an even balance between creative and analytical methods. This combination motivates teams, coaches and project partners to define the problem and formulate the solution with a greater sense of adventure. Different perspectives and experiences consciously flow into the solution process. The solution space of design innovation opens at the crossroads of user wishes, feasibility and cost-effectiveness.