What are the best practices for R&D design thinking workshops?

The easy way to gain a better understanding of what your problem statement might revolve around comes from a classic tactic, the Gemba Walk. Allow yourself to go through the process of that the current team is doing from start to finish. Another great tactic to ensure you get a great problem statement is have the requisite variety of team members, which is a diverse group of team members to ensure coverage from all aspects of the problem.

How can a R&D team generate truly innovative solutions? On the one hand, several people can offer several points of view; one can improve on the others' solutions. On the other hand, the first answer may affect others, who may then align more or less with that line of thought; as more join in the process, the line of thought becomes more and more narrow. If the discussion is time-limited, this also may reduce the quality of the responses. I, for one, can define a problem, then a solution will appear later, while I am driving, taking a shower, etc. - not on command.

Empathy First! This should always be the rally cry of the group. Capturing key ideas, concepts, quotes, or facts that are humanizing the people you are creating a solution for. These little quotes or post it notes will let you keep the user in mind at every step.

High tech prototypes like clickable Figma files is not always needed for the testing phase. Using a white board, sticky notes, and even paper are some times just as valuable. The key here is to be quick, change on a dime, and track the users actions and behaviors as they go through the experience.

At this point you should have a slew of new findings from the previous phases, if not you should start again. This phase gives you the ability to understand, learn, and change where the system or program is going.

Often, what the user really needs is not what he says. A good starting point is a patent search- what patent applications were rejected. A rejected, abandoned patent application may have disastrous results: * It may cause a project or startup to fail. * The user disclosed his trade secrets to competitors and the public at large- at his expense! * A competitor may like the invention, improve it, and get a patent themselves! * The domino effect- this may endanger related patents in other countries. Abandoned patent applications, with a definition of competition, better describe the user's real problem to be solved and the competition. You need a patent attorney to understand the patents and the process- the solid facts of the case.