What Is Design Thinking?

One of the challenges with introducing Design Thinking is that this concept does not have one agreed-upon definition. Depending on the source you consult, the definition differs slightly, and the concept can be elusive to understand.

To address this challenge, I consulted 164 pieces of scholarly and popular literature to arrive at a research-based definition. Here's how I answer the question: What is Design Thinking?

The Research-Based Definition

Comprehensive Definition: Design Thinking is an iterative and collaborative process that takes an empathetic approach to problem-solving, which is particularly effective when the issue at hand requires solutions that are innovative yet practical. Design Thinking emphasizes balancing creative thinking with analytical thinking, calls for shifting between generating and evaluating ideas, and encourages confronting uncertainty by testing out potential solutions early in the process to learn what may or may not work.

Simplified Definition: Design Thinking is a human-centered and iterative approach that brings people together to design practical yet innovative solutions by marrying analytical and creative thinking.

Six Core Concepts of Design Thinking

Through my literature review, six concepts emerged as central to engaging the Design Thinking process:

1. Collaboration

Design Thinking does not take place in isolation—it requires engagement with others. This collaboration includes both internal teams and external participants such as customers. Design Thinking calls for working directly with those experiencing problems, sharing emerging solutions with potential end-users while still in development, and gathering various perspectives to ensure solutions are desirable, viable, and feasible.

2. Generating Ideas

The purpose of Design Thinking is to create innovative solutions to complex challenges, which requires an abundance of ideas. While idea generation isn't unique to Design Thinking, a unique aspect is the focus on taking a human-centered and empathetic approach. The ideas generated must meet the real needs of people.

3. Human-Centered and Empathy

Design Thinking calls for placing the human experience at the center of creating solutions and emphasizes the need for empathy in the problem-solving process. Empathy allows us to develop deeper understanding of problems by seeing them from the perspective of those impacted by the issue.

4. Prototyping

It isn't enough to generate ideas—Design Thinking calls for testing ideas early before too much time is invested in them. This involves creating tangible ways for others to engage with ideas and try them out. Importantly, prototypes apply to services and experiences, not just physical products.

5. Risk Taking

Creating something new or making changes to existing solutions requires moving away from what is known and comfortable to a place of unknown and discomfort. There can be no innovation or change without this movement. Design Thinking calls for developing comfort with navigating unknown spaces.

6. Embracing Failure

Whenever we take risks, we must face the possibility of failure. There can be no innovation without taking risks. Design Thinking requires that we seek failure because failing provides opportunities for learning, and learning enables innovation and change.

What Design Thinking Is NOT

Understanding what Design Thinking is not helps clarify common misconceptions:

Not About Artistic Skills

When introducing Design Thinking to organizations, I consistently hear "we're not really the creative type" or "we're not artistic." Design Thinking does not require artistic abilities, drawing skills, or creative talent in the traditional sense.

Not About Abandoning Analytical Thinking

Design Thinking is not fluffy or anti-analytical. It requires both creative and analytical thinking working together. You need generative thinking to create ideas and analytical thinking to evaluate and refine solutions into practical implementations.

Not Just a "Nice to Have"

Design Thinking is not a fun workshop activity separate from "real work." When properly applied, Design Thinking is the real work that delivers valuable solutions to actual problems and drives business results.

Not a "Once and Done" Approach

Design Thinking is not a single workshop or sprint. It requires iterative, continuous application as problems evolve, contexts change, and new information emerges.

Why Design Thinking Matters Today

Through my research, three factors emerged that make Design Thinking particularly relevant for today's challenges:

1. Globalization

Problems are increasingly interconnected and complex. A challenge in one part of the world impacts other regions, requiring systems thinking and collaborative approaches that Design Thinking naturally enables.

2. Pace of Technology

Technology advances faster than human adaptation. Successfully implementing and integrating new technologies requires the experimentation, iteration, and human-centered approaches that Design Thinking provides.

3. Savvy Consumers

People have access to more information, options, and higher expectations than ever before. Success requires understanding actual needs rather than operating on assumptions—exactly what Design Thinking's empathetic approach delivers.

How Design Thinking Helps Organizations

Breaks Down Silos

Design Thinking brings together people from different parts of organizations, combining diverse capabilities and thinking styles to tackle challenges holistically.

Makes Problem-Solving Practical

Instead of theorizing from a distance, Design Thinking gets teams directly engaged with problems and the people experiencing them.

Reduces Development Costs

By encouraging experimentation and prototyping early, Design Thinking helps organizations avoid expensive solutions built on incorrect assumptions.

De-Risks Innovation

Design Thinking enables organizations to test ideas quickly and cheaply before making major investments.

Galvanizes Teams

The approach creates shared understanding and energy around concrete problems rather than abstract concepts.

The Three Levels of Design Thinking

Most organizations focus solely on learning the process of Design Thinking, but mastery requires understanding three distinct levels:

Level 1: Process

Learning the steps of Design Thinking—the "101" level that most training covers.

Level 2: Tools

Understanding which tools to use in which situations with which people, recognizing that different tools yield different results.

Level 3: Capabilities

Developing the underlying human capabilities that enable effective use of processes and tools—this is where breakthrough results emerge.

Organizations that achieve the promised benefits of Design Thinking progress through all three levels rather than stopping at process knowledge alone.

The Context Challenge

One critical insight from my work: there is no such thing as context-agnostic problem-solving. Organizations often struggle with Design Thinking because they apply "out-of-the-box" solutions without considering their specific context.

Factors that influence Design Thinking success include:

• Organizational culture

• Leadership support

• Team dynamics

• Resource availability

• Problem complexity

• Industry constraints

• Human and organizational capability

Effective Design Thinking requires adaptation to specific organizational contexts rather than rigid adherence to prescribed methodologies.

Key Takeaways

1. Design Thinking is a proven approach with decades of research supporting its effectiveness for complex, human-centered problems

2. It requires both creative and analytical thinking working together, not one or the other

3. Success depends on proper application including understanding context, developing capabilities, and committing to iterative approaches

4. It's particularly relevant today due to globalization, technological pace, and elevated consumer expectations

5. Process knowledge alone is insufficient for achieving breakthrough results