Empathize

The first stage of the Design Thinking process is to gain an empathic understanding of the problem you are trying to solve. Through watching and interacting with the people experiencing the problem, you can achieve a deeper appreciation and understanding of the problem.

 

Define (the Problem)

Seek to define the problem as a problem statement in a human-centered manner. Problem statements are typically set up as:

[User] needs [Need] because [Insight]

Example: Teenagers need to eat nutritious food to thrive, be healthy and grow.

 

Ideate

During the third stage of the Design Thinking process, designers are ready to start generating ideas. One way to do this is to use ‘How might we?’ statements.

Example: How might we encourage teenagers to eat healthy?

 

Prototype

During this stage, the solution is developed on a small scale and deployed within a controlled experimental setting. The solution is then accepted, improved, or rejected.

 

Test

Designers or evaluators rigorously test the complete product or solution before it is ready to be launched.