Are you ready to start or advance your Project Management career? Book a call with a coach today
How Design Thinking is Streamlining Project Management
Introduction
Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and iteration. It was originally developed by designers to create innovative products and services, but it has since been applied to a wide range of fields, including project management. The reason for this is that design thinking is particularly well-suited for tackling complex and uncertain problems, which are common in project management.
One of the main principles of design thinking is empathy, which means understanding the users and their needs. This is important because it helps to identify the real problem that needs to be solved, rather than just addressing symptoms. By putting yourself in the users’ shoes, you can gain insights into their pain points, aspirations, and behaviors. This can lead to more meaningful and impactful solutions.
Another principle of design thinking is experimentation. This means trying out different ideas and testing them with users. This allows you to quickly identify which ideas are working and which are not, so that you can iterate and improve them. Experimentation also helps to create a culture of learning and innovation in your team, as it encourages people to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
The last principle is iteration, which means repeating the process of empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing until you achieve a satisfactory solution. This is important because it helps to refine and optimize the solution over time. Iteration also ensures that the solution is aligned with the users’ needs, as it allows you to incorporate feedback from them at every stage.
Understanding the Problem
One of the most crucial steps in design thinking is understanding the problem or need that you’re trying to solve. This might seem obvious, but it’s often overlooked in traditional project management, where the focus is often on delivering a solution as quickly as possible, rather than understanding the problem in depth. By taking the time to understand the problem, you can ensure that you’re addressing the right issue and that your solution is aligned with the users’ needs.
One of the best ways to understand the problem is to use empathetic research methods. These are methods that help you to understand the users’ perspectives, experiences, and behaviors. Some examples of empathetic research methods include:
- User interviews: This is where you talk to users one-on-one and ask them about their experiences, needs, and pain points. This can provide rich insights into the problem you’re trying to solve.
- Observation: This is where you watch users in their natural environment, without interfering. This can help you to understand their behaviors, habits, and context.
- Ethnography: This is a more comprehensive research method that involves immersing yourself in the users’ culture, community, or environment. This can help you to understand the problem from a holistic perspective.
- Surveys: Surveys can be used to gather quantitative data from a large number of users, they can provide a general understanding of the problem and help identify patterns.
Using these methods, you can gain a deep understanding of the problem and the users’ needs. This information can then be used to guide the development of the solution, so that it addresses the problem in the most effective way possible.
By understanding the problem in depth, you can also identify unmet needs that the users might have. Unmet needs are the needs that users have that are not currently being met by existing solutions. Identifying these needs can open up new opportunities for innovation and differentiation.
Application of Design Thinking by Google
One example of how design thinking helped Google identify unmet needs in a product is the development of Google Maps. When Google first started developing the product, they used design thinking principles, such as empathy and experimentation, to understand the users’ needs and generate creative solutions.
During the research phase, they conducted user interviews and observed people using existing map services. They found that users were often frustrated by the lack of accurate and up-to-date information, as well as the difficulty of finding the information they needed. This helped Google to identify an unmet need for a more comprehensive and user-friendly map service.
During the ideation phase, Google generated a large number of ideas for how to meet this need, such as adding real-time traffic information, a more intuitive interface, and the ability to search for specific locations.
Google then created several prototypes and tested them with users. They found that users were particularly impressed with the real-time traffic information and the ability to search for specific locations. Based on this feedback, they iterated and improved the product, and Google Maps was eventually launched as a comprehensive, user-friendly, and accurate mapping service.
In this example, Google used design thinking to identify an unmet need for a more comprehensive and user-friendly map service. By using empathy and experimentation, they were able to generate creative solutions that met the needs of the users. And by testing and iterating, they were able to improve the product and create a service that was well-received by users.
Understanding the problem or need is crucial for project management. Empathetic research methods help to gain a deep understanding of the problem and the users’ needs, which can guide the development of the solution and identify unmet needs that can open up new opportunities for innovation.
Ideation
Once you have a good understanding of the problem and the users’ needs, it’s time to start generating ideas for solutions. This is where the fun begins! Ideation is the process of coming up with as many ideas as possible, without worrying about whether they’re good or bad. The goal is to generate a large number of ideas, so that you have a wide range of options to choose from.
There are several techniques that you can use to generate ideas, such as:
- Brainstorming: This is a group activity where you get together with your team and come up with ideas together. Brainstorming can be very effective, as it allows you to bounce ideas off each other and combine different perspectives.
- Mind mapping: This is a technique where you start with a central idea and then branch out to related ideas. Mind mapping can help you to organize your ideas and see connections between them.
- Sketching: This is a technique where you quickly draw out your ideas. Sketching can be very effective, as it allows you to visualize your ideas and communicate them to others.
It’s important to note that during the ideation stage, you shouldn’t evaluate the ideas too early. The reason for this is that the goal of ideation is to generate as many ideas as possible, without worrying about whether they’re good or bad. Evaluation can come later after you’ve narrowed down the options.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that the most unusual or seemingly impossible ideas are often the ones that can lead to breakthrough innovations. So, try to be open to all possibilities and not discard any idea too quickly.
Ideation is the process of coming up with as many ideas as possible to solve a problem or meet a need. There are several techniques that can be used to generate ideas, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and sketching. It’s important to not evaluate the ideas too early and try to generate a large number of ideas in order to have a wide range of options to choose from. Encourage the team to be open to unusual and seemingly impossible ideas, as they can lead to breakthrough innovations.
Application of Design Thinking
One example of how design thinking helped a startup generate creative solutions is the development of the mobile app “Headspace”. Headspace is a meditation and mindfulness app that helps users to reduce stress and improve their mental well-being.
When the company was first starting out, they used design thinking principles such as empathy and iteration, to understand the users’ needs and generate creative solutions.
During the research phase, they conducted user interviews and observed people’s behavior when it came to managing stress and mental well-being. They found that many people struggled to make time for meditation and mindfulness practices and often found it difficult to stick to a routine. This helped the startup to identify an unmet need for a more accessible and convenient way to practice meditation and mindfulness.
During the ideation phase, the startup generated a large number of ideas for how to meet this need, such as creating guided meditation sessions, a personalized progress tracking system, and a reminder function to keep users on track.
They then created a low-fidelity prototype and tested it with users. The feedback was positive, and the startup iterated on the prototype, creating a high-fidelity prototype that was more polished and user-friendly. The final product, the Headspace app, was launched as a comprehensive, accessible, and convenient way to practice meditation and mindfulness.
Prototyping
Once you have a good number of ideas, it’s time to start building prototypes. A prototype is a rough model of the solution that you can use to test and refine your ideas. Prototyping is an important step in the design thinking process because it allows you to see how your ideas will work in practice and get feedback from users.
There are two main types of prototypes: low-fidelity and high-fidelity.
- Low-fidelity prototypes are quick and simple models of the solution, usually made with inexpensive materials such as paper or cardboard. They are used to test the basic functionality of the solution and get early feedback from users. Low-fidelity prototypes are good for testing early-stage ideas, as they allow you to quickly iterate and make changes based on feedback.
- On the other hand, High-fidelity prototypes are more detailed and polished models of the solution, usually made with more sophisticated materials and technologies. They are used to test the final design and get feedback on the user experience. High-fidelity prototypes are good for testing later-stage ideas, as they allow you to get a realistic sense of how the solution will work in the real world.
It’s important to note that you don’t need to create high-fidelity prototypes for every idea, instead, you can focus on the most promising ideas and create high-fidelity prototypes for them.
Prototyping can also help to build a shared understanding among the team and stakeholders, as it allows you to visualize and communicate the solution in a tangible way.
Prototyping is an important step in the design thinking process as it allows you to test and refine your ideas. There are two main types of prototypes: low-fidelity and high-fidelity. Low-fidelity prototypes are quick and simple models of the solution, while high-fidelity prototypes are more detailed and polished models. It’s important to not create high-fidelity prototypes for every idea, instead, focus on the most promising ideas. Prototyping can also help to build a shared understanding among the team and stakeholders, as it allows you to visualize and communicate the solution in a tangible way.
Application of Design Thinking
Microsoft is known for using design thinking principles in the development of its products. They use a user-centered design approach which puts the users at the center of the design process, and design thinking principles such as empathy, experimentation, and iteration to create effective prototypes.
One example of how Microsoft uses design thinking to create effective prototypes is in the development of the Surface tablet. The Surface team used design thinking to understand the needs of their target users, which were primarily professionals who needed a device that could function both as a tablet and a laptop.
During the research phase, the team conducted user interviews, observed people using existing tablets and laptops, and did ethnography to understand the context and needs of their users. This helped them to identify an unmet need for a device that was both a tablet and a laptop in one, and that could adapt to different contexts of use.
During the ideation phase, the team generated a large number of ideas for how to meet this need, such as creating a detachable keyboard and a stand. They then created several low-fidelity prototypes and tested them with users. Based on the feedback, the team iterated and improved the prototypes, creating a high-fidelity prototype that was more polished and user-friendly.
The Surface tablet was launched as a device that met the unmet need of users by being both a tablet and a laptop in one, and that could adapt to different contexts of use.
This example shows how Microsoft used design thinking to understand the needs of their users, generate creative solutions, and create effective prototypes by testing them with users and iterating based on feedback. This approach helped Microsoft to launch a product that met the unmet needs of its target users, and that was well-received
Testing and Iteration
Once you have built your prototypes, it’s time to test them with users and get feedback. Testing your prototypes with users is crucial because it allows you to see how the solution will work in the real world and identify any issues that need to be addressed. This feedback can then be used to iterate and improve the solution.
There are several methods that you can use to test your prototypes with users, such as:
- Usability testing: This is where you observe users as they interact with the prototype and ask them for feedback. Usability testing can help you to identify issues with the design, such as navigation, layout, or functionality.
- User interviews: This is where you talk to users about their experiences with the prototype and ask them for feedback. User interviews can provide more in-depth insights into the users’ needs and preferences.
- A/B testing: This is where you test two versions of the prototype with different groups of users and compare the results. A/B testing can help you to identify which version of the prototype is more effective.
It’s important to note that testing should be done in small batches and iteratively, this way you can quickly identify and address the issues, and continue to improve the solution.
Testing your prototypes with users is crucial because it allows you to see how the solution will work in the real world and identify any issues that need to be addressed. There are several methods that you can use to test your prototypes with users such as usability testing, user interviews, and A/B testing. It’s important to test in small batches and iterate, this way you can quickly identify and address the issues, and continue to improve the solution.
Conclusion
In conclusion, design thinking is a problem-solving approach that can help project managers to tackle complex and uncertain problems in a more effective way. By using the design thinking principles of empathy, experimentation, and iteration, you can understand the users’ needs, generate creative solutions, and improve the final product.
The article discussed the importance of understanding the problem or need before starting a project, and how to use empathetic research methods to understand the users and their needs. It also explained the ideation techniques such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and sketching, and the importance of generating a large number of ideas and not evaluating them too early. It also discussed the importance of creating prototypes to test and refine ideas, and different types of prototypes such as low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes. It also discussed the importance of testing prototypes with users and iterating based on feedback, and different methods for testing prototypes such as usability testing and user interviews.
It’s important to note that design thinking is not a one-time process, it’s an ongoing cycle that should be continuously applied during the project management process. It’s crucial to keep an open mind and be willing to experiment and iterate.
To apply design thinking in your project management practice, it’s recommended to start small and gradually build on your skills and knowledge. There are many resources available online, such as articles, tutorials, and courses that can help you to learn more about design thinking and how to apply it in your work.