Staying ahead of the curve means continually innovating and adapting. Entrepreneurs and mobile app developers often face the challenge of creating solutions that not only solve real problems— but also deliver exceptional user experiences.
This is where design thinking comes into play.
This user-centred approach helps in creating innovative solutions that tackle complex problems by deeply understanding the user’s needs and problems.
This article seeks to unpack the five stages that underpin design thinking processes. It also illustrates how design thinking is particularly well-suited for tackling sophisticated ill-defined problems that require the exploration of multiple possible solutions. So, let’s get started, shall we?
What is design thinking?
Design thinking is a human-centred, iterative approach to problem-solving that focuses on understanding users, challenging assumptions— and consequently redefining problems to identify alternative strategies and solutions.
At its core, design thinking is about placing the user at the centre of the product design process. It encourages us to step into our users’ shoes, understand their pain points, and create solutions that truly address their needs.
Design thinking encourages an iterative, experimental process of prototyping and iterative testing, rather than a linear approach aimed at a single final design. It also involves cross-functional collaboration, bringing together disparate perspectives. This is in stark contrast to the more siloed, discipline-specific nature of traditional design.
Additionally, design thinking frames problems to be solved, rather than jumping straight to solutions. It embraces ambiguity, acknowledging that complex problems may not have a single obvious answer.
This structured approach has been adopted by leading companies worldwide —from tech giants to startups— to drive innovation and curate products that resonate with their target audience.
Why is design thinking important?
Design thinking is crucial because it prioritises the user at every stage of the development process. It’s a methodology that combines empathy, creativity, and rationality to address user needs and drive business success.
Here are some fundamental reasons why design thinking is important:
- User-centric approach: Design thinking aids in the development of goods and services that consumers genuinely desire and find enjoyable to use by concentrating on user demands and experiences.
- Innovation driver: The structured process encourages creative problem-solving and thinking outside the box. Thus, leading to innovative solutions.
- Risk reduction: Design thinking helps identify and address potential issues before significant resources are invested by testing ideas early and often.
- Improved ROI: Products and services developed through design thinking are more likely to succeed in the market, leading to better returns on investment.
- Cross-functional collaboration: Design thinking breaks down silos and encourages collaboration across different departments and disciplines.
In mobile app development, for example, design thinking can be the difference between an app that users love and one that gets lost in the sea of millions of apps available. It helps ensure that your app not only looks good but also provides real value to your users.
Five stages of design thinking
The design thinking process is usually depicted as a cyclical or iterative model, where the disparate stages inform and feed back into each other. These stages denote a user-centered, collaborative, and experimental approach to problem-solving.
Each stage plays a critical role in the development of a successful product, allowing designers to:
- Deeply understand the problem.
- Generate innovative solutions.
- Frequently refine their designs based on user feedback.
Let’s dive into each stage in detail.
Stage 1: Empathise
Empathy is the cornerstone of design thinking. In this stage, the goal is to understand the user’s needs, experiences, and emotions deeply, as this is crucial for creating solutions that genuinely address user problems.
Methods for building empathy include:
- User interviews: Conducting in-depth conversations with potential users to understand their perspectives, needs, and pain points.
- Observations: Watching users interact with existing solutions or navigate their daily routines can reveal insights that users themselves might not articulate.
- Empathy maps: A visual tool that helps categorise user insights into what the user says, thinks, does, and feels.
Consider this example of development of a health app aimed at improving patient adherence to medication schedules. The design team may conduct extensive user interviews and observations in clinics and ultimately discover that patients often forget to take their medication due to busy schedules and a lack of reminders.
By empathising with the patients, the team can identify the core problem to develop a solution tailored to their needs.
Stage 2: Define
In this stage, we synthesise the insights gathered during the empathise stage to clearly articulate the problem we’re trying to solve.
This stage is crucial because it sets the direction for the rest of the design process. A well-defined problem statement acts as a north star, guiding all subsequent decisions and ideas.
The key here is to frame the problem in a user-centric way. Instead of focusing on business goals like “increase app downloads by 50%,” we frame the problem from the user’s perspective. For example, “young professionals need a way to easily plan and shop for healthy meals because they struggle to balance their busy schedules with their desire to eat well.”
Tools used in this stage include:
- Personas: Fictional characters curated to represent different user types that might use your app.
- User stories: Brief, straightforward descriptions of a feature told from the viewpoint of the person who desires the new capability.
- Problem statements: Concise descriptions of the issue you’re trying to solve, focusing on the user’s needs and insights.
A well-defined problem statement provides a focused direction for ideation and ensures that the team remains aligned on the main objective.
For example, if the problem statement for the health app is “Patients need a way to remember to take their medication on time,” it provides a clear target for generating ideas in the next stage.
Stage 3: Ideate
In this stage, the aim is to generate a wide range of creative solutions. This stage encourages divergent thinking, where the focus is on exploring as many ideas as possible without immediate judgment or evaluation.
Ideation techniques often include:
- Brainstorming: A group activity where participants generate ideas freely, building on each other’s suggestions without criticism.
- Mind mapping: A visual tool that helps explore connections between different ideas and concepts.
- SCAMPER: A technique that prompts idea generation by asking questions about Substituting, Combining, Adapting, Modifying, Putting to another use, Eliminating, and Reversing aspects of the problem or existing solutions.
During a brainstorming session for the health app, the team may generate numerous ideas, such as reminder notifications, medication tracking features, and integration with wearable devices.
By encouraging diverse perspectives and leveraging the SCAMPER technique, the team can develop innovative solutions that address the core problem identified in the ‘define’ stage.
Stage 4: Prototype
Prototyping involves creating tangible representations of ideas to explore potential solutions. This stage allows teams to test and refine their ideas before investing significant resources in development.
Methods for prototyping include:
- Rapid prototyping: Quick and low-fidelity prototypes to explore different solutions.
- Sketching: More detailed visual representations of the app’s interface created using design software.
- Digital mockups: Click-through models of the app that simulate user interactions.
Continuing with the same example for the health app, the team may create several prototypes, ranging from simple paper sketches to interactive digital mockups. These prototypes can be tested with users to gather feedback on usability and functionality. Through iterative prototyping, the team can refine the app’s features, ensuring that the final product meet the users’ needs effectively.
Stage 5: Test
Testing is the stage where users evaluate prototypes. The goal is to gather feedback and identify any issues or areas for improvement, as user feedback is invaluable for refining solutions and ensuring they meet the intended goals.
Testing methods can include:
- Usability testing: Examining users as they interact with the prototype and complete specific tasks.
- A/B testing: Comparing and contrasting two versions of a design to see which performs better with users.
- User feedback sessions: Structured interviews where users provide feedback on their experience with the prototype.
The health app prototypes, for example, can be tested with a group of patients. Usability testing may reveal that users find the reminder notifications helpful but struggle with the medication tracking feature. Based on this feedback, the team may make adjustments to improve the tracking feature’s usability, ensuring that the final product is user-friendly and effective.
Conclusion
The five stages of design thinking— Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test— provide a powerful framework for creating innovative, user-centred solutions.
Remember, design thinking isn’t a linear process, and you may find yourself moving back and forth between stages as you gain new insights and refine your ideas. The key is to remain flexible, keep the user at the centre of your process, and be willing to iterate based on what you learn.
So, as you embark on your next mobile app development project, embrace the design thinking process. It might make you reevaluate your beliefs and step outside of your comfort zone, but the outcomes— in terms of user satisfaction, business success, and innovation— are well worth the effort.
Consult our experienced designers at Netizen eXperience and get complete assistance in navigating the design thinking process to create a real impact on both your company and your users.
