This past weekend, I was listening to a People I (Mostly) Admire podcast entitled “How to Have Good Ideas” with guest Sarah Stein Greenberg. She is the executive director of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University, commonly known as the d.school. The discussion explores the nature of design thinking, its application in solving real-world problems, and the unique culture of design education.
The history of modern-day design thinking mostly started at the d.school at Stanford in 2004. Because of this, listening to Greenberg’s podcast was particularly relevant to me. I’ve read many articles about it over the years and have tried to implement some of the thoughts behind it for my business. It has helped me focus more on the underlying problems that my clients come to me to help solve. They often come to me with a particular, predetermined solution for me to implement. They want a logo, a website, or perhaps an annual report. But I try to help ensure as much as possible that it’s the best solution for their particular problem.
This was part of the podcast’s context. It’s about fully understanding and addressing human needs in various contexts. She emphasizes the importance of parallel prototyping, exploring multiple ideas simultaneously to avoid premature closure and ensure a wider range of opportunities are considered.
And it’s okay if some of these ideas are failures. Much can be learned through these failures that would otherwise be very difficult to discover. In a way, design thinking is about learning and adapting as you go. And, it should be a collaborative approach that involves the communities and stakeholders most affected by the design solution. And pursue multiple ideas simultaneously to navigate the complexity of the problem, simplify it as much as possible, and converge on the most promising solution.
It’s been over twenty years since design thinking became a thing. The human, technological, and strategic needs of our times make it even more relevant today. Businesses and organizations can greatly benefit from focusing on their target audiences’ needs before considering a possible solution.
Have a need that you’d like to discuss? Let’s explore the possible options—together and with your target audience. Innovation comes from collaboration and creative exploration.