Design Thinking

This is the structured thought process behind turning a thought into a product.

The steps that are involved in this are :

1. Emphathize
2. Define
3. Ideate
4. Ideate
5. Prototype
6. Test

Emphathize

1. Worst Possible Idea Method
2. Brainstorming

Worst Possible Idea

When design team members identify a rotten-looking or “preposterous” idea and deconstruct it to see what makes it tick as such, they can find powerful insights that may serve as foundations for good plans elsewhere.

The real power of Worst Possible Idea is what happens after we start to feel more at ease about offering our thoughts. Although you and your team are free to kick back and try for the most ludicrous-sounding notions, there is a method to the madness.

To practice Worst Possible Idea, as group members we should:

1. Come up with as many bad ideas as we can.
2. List all the properties of those terrible ideas.
3. List what makes the worst of these so very bad.
4. Search for the opposite of the worst attribute.
5. Consider substituting something else in for the worst attribute.
6. Mix and match various awful ideas to see what happens.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a group creativity technique by which efforts are made to find a conclusion for a specific problem by gathering a list of ideas spontaneously contributed by its members.

In other words, brainstorming is a situation where a group of people meet to generate new ideas and solutions around a specific domain of interest by removing inhibitions. People are able to think more freely and they suggest as many spontaneous new ideas as possible. All the ideas are noted down without criticism and after the brainstorming session the ideas are evaluated. The term was popularized by Alex Faickney Osborn in the 1953 book Applied Imagination.

Osborn claimed that two principles contribute to "ideative efficacy," these being:

1. Defer judgment,
2. Reach for quantity

Following these two principles were his four general rules of brainstorming, established with intention to:

1. reduce social inhibitions among group members,
2. stimulate idea generation,
3. increase overall creativity of the group.

Four rules

1. Go for quantity: This rule is a way of enhancing divergent production, aiming at facilitation of problem solution through the maxim quantity breeds quality. The assumption is that the greater the number of ideas generated the bigger the chance of producing a radical and effective solution.
2. Withhold criticism: In brainstorming, criticism of ideas generated should be put 'on hold'. Instead, participants should focus on extending or adding to ideas, reserving criticism for a later 'critical stage' of the process. By suspending judgment, participants will feel free to generate unusual ideas.
3. Welcome wild ideas: To get a good long list of suggestions, wild ideas are encouraged. They can be generated by looking from new perspectives and suspending assumptions. These new ways of thinking might give better solutions.
4. Combine and improve ideas: As suggested by the slogan "1+1=3". It is believed to stimulate the building of ideas by a process of association.[6]

Other variations

Nominal group technique

Participants are asked to write their ideas anonymously. Then the facilitator collects the ideas and the group votes on each idea. The vote can be as simple as a show of hands in favor of a given idea. This process is called distillation.

After distillation, the top-ranked ideas may be sent back to the group or to subgroups for further brainstorming. For example, one group may work on the color required in a product. Another group may work on the size, and so forth. Each group will come back to the whole group for ranking the listed ideas. Sometimes ideas that were previously dropped may be brought forward again once the group has re-evaluated the ideas.

It is important that the facilitator is trained in this process before attempting to facilitate this technique. The group should be primed and encouraged to embrace the process. Like all team efforts, it may take a few practice sessions to train the team in the method before tackling the important ideas.

Group passing technique

Each person in a circular group writes down one idea, and then passes the piece of paper to the next person, who adds some thoughts. This continues until everybody gets his or her original piece of paper back. By this time, it is likely that the group will have extensively elaborated on each idea.

The group may also create an "idea book" and post a distribution list or routing slip to the front of the book. On the first page is a description of the problem. The first person to receive the book lists his or her ideas and then routes the book to the next person on the distribution list. The second person can log new ideas or add to the ideas of the previous person. This continues until the distribution list is exhausted. A follow-up "read out" meeting is then held to discuss the ideas logged in the book. This technique takes longer, but it allows individuals time to think deeply about the problem.

Team idea mapping method

This method of brainstorming works by the method of association. It may improve collaboration and increase the quantity of ideas, and is designed so that all attendees participate and no ideas are rejected.

The process begins with a well-defined topic. Each participant brainstorms individually, then all the ideas are merged onto one large idea map. During this consolidation phase, participants may discover a common understanding of the issues as they share the meanings behind their ideas. During this sharing, new ideas may arise by the association, and they are added to the map as well. Once all the ideas are captured, the group can prioritize and/or take action.[7]

Directed brainstorming

Directed brainstorming is a variation of electronic brainstorming (described below). It can be done manually or with computers. Directed brainstorming works when the solution space (that is, the set of criteria for evaluating a good idea) is known prior to the session. If known, those criteria can be used to constrain the ideation process intentionally.

In directed brainstorming, each participant is given one sheet of paper (or electronic form) and told the brainstorming question. They are asked to produce one response and stop, then all of the papers (or forms) are randomly swapped among the participants. The participants are asked to look at the idea they received and to create a new idea that improves on that idea based on the initial criteria. The forms are then swapped again and respondents are asked to improve upon the ideas, and the process is repeated for three or more rounds.

In the laboratory, directed brainstorming has been found to almost triple the productivity of groups over electronic brainstorming.[8]

Guided brainstorming

A guided brainstorming session is time set aside to brainstorm either individually or as a collective group about a particular subject under the constraints of perspective and time. This type of brainstorming removes all cause for conflict and constrains conversations while stimulating critical and creative thinking in an engaging, balanced environment.

Participants are asked to adopt different mindsets for pre-defined period of time while contributing their ideas to a central mind map drawn by a pre-appointed scribe. Having examined a multi-perspective point of view, participants seemingly see the simple solutions that collectively create greater growth. Action is assigned individually.

Following a guided brainstorming session participants emerge with ideas ranked for further brainstorming, research and questions remaining unanswered and a prioritized, assigned, actionable list that leaves everyone with a clear understanding of what needs to happen next and the ability to visualize the combined future focus and greater goals of the group nicely.

Individual brainstorming

Individual brainstorming is the use of brainstorming in solitary situations. It typically includes such techniques as free writing, free speaking, word association, and drawing a mind map, which is a visual note taking technique in which people diagram their thoughts. Individual brainstorming is a useful method in creative writing and has been shown to be superior to traditional group brainstorming.

Question brainstorming

This process involves brainstorming the questions, rather than trying to come up with immediate answers and short term solutions. Theoretically, this technique should not inhibit participation as there is no need to provide solutions. The answers to the questions form the framework for constructing future action plans. Once the list of questions is set, it may be necessary to prioritize them to reach to the best solution in an orderly way.[11]

"Questorming" is another term for this mode of inquiry.[12]

Design Thinking Leader

How to make right environment for innovation?

1. Being ready to accept risk
2. Being able to work with half baked ideas
3. Being ready to bend rules to provide space and freedom
4. Personal Passion development

Building the Team

A good leader must know the type of skills required to complete a team.

Often the team is so busy focusing on the needs and wants of the users, the problem and finding the solution that they forget the most important part of the team. i.e., knowing the team members and knowing the needs of each team member and their expectations from the team.

Team Leap Activity

Team Leap Activity

1. Team leap is a team activity to build the team trust and empathy.
2. The length of team leap activity is about an hour. It is an activity where you focus on individual goals, working styles, pet peeves, etc.
3. This activity is generally conducted during the beginning of the project when a new initiative starts in an already existing team when new members are added to a team to discuss the project objectives and know the working styles within a team.
4. This helps in setting up norms in the workplace that the team is comfortable with.

The Common Goal

1. There are different types of people in a team with different skills working on the different aspects of the problem.
2. It is the Team Leader who has to set a common goal that every individual in the group should focus on.
3. This helps in keeping track of the bigger picture and not deviating away from it.
4. The team should agree on the problem statement and the reasons for solving the problem. This sets the stage for a successful design thinking collaboration.
5. Mission Countdown is a technique of aligning the team in which rather than discussing the long documents the team meets up and summarizes the problem statement in four words, what, why, how and for whom.
6. The team then builds a critical statement that works as a guide in every step of problem-solving, and every team member must remember this statement.