Presentation for Design for Business: Research conference, 12-13 May 2015, Melbourne, Victoria. Part of Melbourne International Design Week 2015. Paper abstract: Design thinking continues to be an emergent field as it pertains to business. In building design thinking capability in organizations the current focus is on design skills and tools, rather than mindset. This imbalance toward design process, methods and tools is also present within design thinking and design research literature. Mindset is little acknowledged. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and articulate the role of mindset within design thinking capability and practice. Mindset is the perspective that informs how a person approaches and interacts in the world (Nelson & Stolterman 2013). Where mindset is acknowledged as a critical underpinning for design thinking in the literature, it is usually presented as guiding principles for design doing. There is little insight into what the different mindsets are, how to develop or enact them, or how mindset impacts on practice. Mindset remains underexplored in discussions of design competency and maturity. By analysing qualitative data collected across three studies of a doctoral research project exploring the composition of design thinking in practice, two mindsets emerged. These were: design thinking as a way of work and design thinking as a way of life. Design thinking as a way of work is focused on the process of design thinking with the primary purpose of designing for outputs and innovation. Design thinking as a way of life is a holistic view of design thinking where the focus is on designing for transformation and creating positive change. These mindsets are scalable, applicable to an individual or organization. The two mindsets, when mapped against competencies in design knowledge, skills and tools, contribute a framework to explore maturity in design thinking. Understanding the maturity framework, and the role of mindset within it, has implications for how an individual and organization can build capability in design thinking and maximise outcomes in the environment in which they are designing.

1. 1
Exploring the role of mindset
in design thinking:
Implications for capability
development and practice
Zaana Howard, Melis Senova & Gavin Melles
Huddle | @wearehuddle & Swinburne | @swinburne

2. Design thinking is a
human centred and
creative approach for
solving complex and
strategic problems.

3. Mindset
Knowledge
set
Skill set Tool set
Adapted from Nelson & Stolterman (2012), The Design Way.
Design led professionals require
four competency sets.

4. Mindset
Knowledge
set
Skill set Tool set
Adapted from Nelson & Stolterman (2012), The Design Way.
Design thinking focuses on
knowledge, skill and tool sets.

5. Mindset is the
secret sauce.

6. Qualitative methodology
an expert interview study and
two organisational case studies.

7. Design thinking
as a way of work.
Design thinking
as a way of life.
Two key mindsets.

8. Design thinking
as a way of life.
Outcome oriented.
Focus on how to
‘be’ for positive
action.
Design thinking as
a way of life.

9. Design thinking
as a way of work.
Design thinking as
a way of work.
Process oriented.
Focus on tools for
results.

10. Mindsets are not
mutually exclusive.
A way of work is a
subset of a way of life.

11. Mindsets and
characteristics.
Human
centredness
and empathy
Visualisation
Creative
thinking
Collaboration
Prototyping
Curiosity
Optimism
Holistic
thinking

12. Mindset
in practice.
Process
Innovation
Commercial gain
Competitive advantage
Way of thinking
Complex problem solving
Positive change
Altruism
Design thinking
as a way of work.
Design thinking
as a way of life.

13. Design thinking
as a way of work.
Design thinking
as a way of life.
Design thinking
maturity matrix.
Design novice.
Design expert.

14. Design thinking
maturity matrix.
Stylist
Design led
professionals
Most
organisations
start here
Social
entrepreneurs
X
X
X
X

15. Mindset
in practice.
Design thinking
as a way of work.
Design thinking
as a way of life.
Time
Experience

16. Mindset
Knowledge
set
Skill set Tool set
Adapted from Nelson & Stolterman (2012), The Design Way.
Growing to maturity requires
all four competency sets.

17. Thank you.
zaana@wearehuddle.com
zaanahoward.com
@zaana