Design Thinking For The Rest of Us

While design thinking has been associated with technology firms and start-ups, it is powerfully attractive to managers and leaders at established organizations such as retailers, banks, or government departments that are not necessarily based on technology yet are in the midst of change. It is a simple and enjoyable process, directly applicable to the problem or opportunity at hand. It allows people to start quickly and get tangible results, and reduces the stress that managers in established companies may harbour about the process of innovation — that it’s something for marketing or tech departments. And it works equally well for incremental or radical innovation.

In this paper, Salman Mufti, associate professor at Smith School of Business and expert in decision making, reviews the four processes of design thinking, provides examples of each process in action, and addresses the typical concerns some have about participating in design thinking exercises.