3. I like to think about design
because design is about thinking.
4. So I thought about thoughtful design and began to
design what others were expecting and thus
thoughts of expected designs were thought
through as users expected them to be.
5. What it is, what it is
Design Thinking is another way to approach the
problems we’re working to resolve. It focuses on
empathy and asking the right questions (which is
normally, “Why?”) to explore new solutions that
may not have initially been obvious.
7. The 5 Whys
A concept developed by Sakichi Toyoda to find the
source of a problem.
Don’t stop when you found the initial answer.
Chances are, that too is a symptom of something
greater.
8. The 5 Whys
There aren’t any new accounts created today. Why?
Because the submit button isn’t working. Why?
Because a bug was introduced last night in the release. Why?
Because there was no testing done before the release. Why?
Because we didn’t have time. Why?
Because management demands too much and doesn’t give
enough time to complete the tasks.
10. The 5 Steps
1. Empathize
2. Define the Problem
3. Ideate
4. Build a Prototype
5. Test
11. People like steps. It tells them how long the process
is, gives them an idea as to where they are in the
process, and offers something to look forward to -
like the end of this talk.
I empathize with you.
So you get 5 steps.
13. 1. Empathize
To understand and share the feelings of another.
This requires observation.
There is no substitute for the user insights you can
gain by observing actual user behavior in authentic
settings. Ethnography.
Get to know the user, create personas, and become
a user too.
15. – Justin Keller
“I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, and
despair of homeless people to and from my
way to work every day.”
http://justink.svbtle.com/open-letter-to-mayor-ed-lee-and-greg-suhr-police-chief
20. –Albert Einstein
“If I were given one hour to save the planet,
I would spend 59 minutes defining the
problem and one minute resolving it.”
21. 2. Define the Problem
This requires “The 5 Whys” and is probably the
most difficult step.
Why?
Because we often don’t have all the information.
Why?
Because we don’t provide enough resources or
time into learning about our users.
22. Why?
Because they want to see forward momentum.
Why?
Because that’s the nature of the beast called
‘Business’.
Why?
Because when challenged to solve an issue, the
correct path is often backwards into a study about
the problem itself. And managers don’t like this.
27. LEGO
After sending out Ethnographers, they realized that
this generation was interested in achieving high
level mastery in specific skills.
LEGO redefined the problem.
They re-engineered smaller pieces, and more
intricate building instructions. LEGO became a
master skill. It became about craftsmanship.
47. Learn from people
Find patterns
Design principles
Make Tangible
Iterate relentlessly
Empathize
Define the problem
Ideate
Build a prototype
Test
Iterate
Observation
Idea generation
Prototyping
Testing
1 2 3
48. –Eric Eriksson
“If you look at your Product Designer as
someone that makes your solution look
presentable, look again. A product designer
helps you identify, investigate, and validate
the problem, and ultimately craft, design, test
and ship the solution.”
50. Ex. 1: Relationships
Empathize by putting yourself in the other’s shoes.
Define the problem by being aware, mindful, and honest.
Ideate and examine yourself. Explore the possible ways
in which you can improve things.
Build a prototype by implementing ways in which the
solutions can be achieved.
Test IRL. Be the change you want to see in others.
51. Ex. 2: Traffic
Empathize with the other drivers who need to use these
roads.
Observe the frequency of traffic at particular times to find
patterns.
Ideate solutions such as working from home, or working
different hours to avoid the rush.
Implement communication practices that allow the solutions.
Test IRL.
53. The Past
1969 - Design as a way of thinking has been around
since it was introduced in Herbert Simon’s book
The Sciences of the Artificial.
1987 - It found the expression “Design Thinking” in
Peter Rowe’s book Design Thinking.
1991 - David Kelley at IDEO adopted the practice for
business purposes.
58. Empathy
RESOURCES
• Empathy Quotient Test ( https://psychology-tools.com/
empathy-quotient )
• Well Designed: How to Use Empathy to Create
Products People Love by Jon Kolko
( greatproductsbydesign.com )
• Ford Mustang Report ( sloanreview.mit.edu/article/stories-that-
deliver-business-insights )
59. Define the Problem
RESOURCES
• The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
• LEGO’s problem ( https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lego-
engineered-remarkable-turnaround-its-business-howd-lindstrom )
60. Ideation
RESOURCES
• UX Tools ( uxdesign.cc/ux-tools )
• Notebooks ( thedotgrid.com )
• Post-it Notes are great for Card Sorting Methods
during IA research.
62. Testing
RESOURCES
• User testing websites ( usertesting.com, opentest.co,
usabilityhub.com, userzoom.com, validately.com, userinterviews.co )
• Integrated software ( getjaco.com, userbrain.net, peekin.io )
• Buy people coffee for a few minutes of their time
• Learn more about User Research (Jeff Sauro’s books)