15 Times Design Thinking Re-Imagined Our World!

Using Design as a strategy for Human-Centered Innovation is not new. It has been in practice for many decades now. While the notion of design as a "way of thinking" in the sciences can be traced back to Herbert A. Simon's 1969 book The Sciences of the Artificial, the actual term "Design Thinking" was adapted for business purposes by Stanford's David M. Kelley, who founded the design consultancy IDEO in 1991.

However, as you can see from the Google Trends graphic alongside, the term "Design Thinking" started gaining mainstream prominence only around 10 years (or so) ago, when people realised that organisations like Apple, P&G, Coca-Cola, Ford, Intuit etc. have been using it as a structured process to solve complex problems. And in doing so, they have been able to create products, services, spaces, systems & experiences - that not only have human meaning, but also differentiated business value. The study (shown below) done by DMI in 2013 (and then again in 2014 & 2015) has shown that "Design Driven" Organisations have outperformed their peers on S&P by a whopping 220+%! (DMI uses 6 parameters to qualify an organization as "Design Driven". Read more here)

Alright, back to the crux of this article. Ever since I have been practicing Design Thinking, I have been intrigued by some of the greatest innovations achieved using it. However, I have struggled to find a compilation of these innovations in a succinct manner (please see google results for design thinking case studies here). I have also looked at other sources that are freely available, but have not been able to get a good compilation (if anyone knows of some, please mention in the comments section!)

In this article, I have compiled fifteen of my favourite ones. These fifteen Design Driven innovations have not only changed the life of "humans" that they have touched; but have also created disproportionate business outcomes. The ideal way to leverage this article is not to memorize these cases and come across as a PhD Scholar on Design Thinking, but rather use them as inspiration in our day to day life - to solve complex problems. Hope you enjoy reading it - and I would encourage you to add more to this list (again, request you to leave behind in the comments section).

Disclaimer - This is a personally curated list of Design Thinking Case Studies - I strictly DO NOT MEAN to undermine the importance of innovations that don't feature here.

01 The Pirate Ship

Conflict – Doug Dietz, Innovation Architect and Chief Designer of GE Imaging Machines, was taken aback by the intimidating experience that kids had to go through while being scanned in traditional MRI Imaging machines. (~80% of the kids had to be forcefully sedated)

Design – Dietz created CT Pirate Island Adventure, wherein, the scanner was made to look like a pirate ship, and the room decorated with their favorite Adventure Series characters. Consequently, the entire MRI experience became like ‘playtime’ for kids.

Impact – Kids loved the new experience – and quite a few of them actually wanted to keep coming back! Parents were equally relieved. Sedation rate went down from 80% to 10% - so both hospitals and parents also benefited commercially. 

02 You'll be Floored

Conflict – In the late 1990s all major household hygiene brands were fighting to create a ‘more potent’ floor cleaning solution. After spending hours in the field, behavioral scientists at P&G realized that the floors actually themselves were not too dirty! Instead, consumers faced the challenge of spending hours in the process of cleaning (not just the floor, but the mop itself!) as well as mantaining the equipment in the best possible way.

Design – So was born Swiffer – it uses the ‘razor and blades’ business model where the consumer purchases the handle assembly at low price, and refills and pads over lifetime. Instead of spending hours cleaning both the floor and the mop (cloth), now they can simply change pads through an easy mechanism.

Impact – Significant reduction in cleaning time and post-cleaning maintenance, it was disruptive innovation at it’s best – and the brand has become a half-billion-dollar brand, spread over 15 countries.

03 Design for Trust

Conflict – None! There was definitely a room for improvement in hotel/accommodation industry – and one of the most important aspects holding it back was the lack of trust for hotels (be it pricing, quality, hospitality etc.). But no one ever imagined the solution that Airbnb could think of.

Design – Airbnb conceptualized a platform that would allow people to trust 'strangers' and rent their 'own' spaces to them (including living room, kitchen, and even their bed!). However, how could it Design for Trust? Joe Gebbia (Co-Founder Airbnb) revealed in his Ted Talk that back then, he bet his whole company on the belief that if they could get enough reviews on 'strangers' from another set of 'strangers' - it could break the mistrust barrier (graphic above a synopsis). They reframed the whole business problem and redesigned the platform to get more user generated reviews, and rest as we know is history! I have covered this in detail in my other article on Human-Centered Insights.

Impact – Airbnb has become the leader in its category (valued at over USD 40 Bn), but owns absolutely NO properties or assets. It has served 150 Mn guests and is present in over 65,000 cities.

04 Digital Music Revolution

Conflict – Actually there was no well-articulated conflict or business challenge in 2001. Sony had more than 50% of the market, people were big fan of Walkman and while transferring music was a tedious process, people still were not actively looking to have a new product / experience.

Design – Transferring music to a portable player in those pre-iPod days wasn’t a horrible process. But it actually took the iPod’s arrival to let us know just how bad things were. With the iPod, you could stick a CD into your Mac, and, 10 minutes later, it’d be on the device in your pocket—that was integration on a whole new level. And being able to automatically sync your music library by just hooking up the iPod? That was radical indeed!

Impact – Interestingly when Steve Jobs had launched the first iPod, the technology industry had laughed calling it an overrated device that was unlikely to catch on. After several generations and numerous upgrades to its design and musical storage capabilities, the iPod rapidly became the world's most popular and successful MP3 player.

05 Embrace

Conflict – To design a low—cost infant incubator used in hospitals in the developing world where each year, 1 Mn premature babies perish, often within 24 hours of birth. The biggest cause of their death was Hypothermia.

Design – After conducting design research, the team realized that many of the hospital’s incubators were going unused because the babies who needed them were born in villages 30 miles away. No matter how well designed the incubator, life-and-death battles were being fought in the mother’s home. The solution was a tiny sleeping bag, containing a paraffin-based pouch that, once warmed in a heater, can maintain temperature for 4 hours. The best part was that this can be used at home, during commute - and literally anywhere!

Impact – The Embrace Infant Warmer, was an easy-to-use medical device that cost 99 percent less than a traditional baby incubator. It has the potential to save millions of newborns in developing countries. (already saved more than thousands)

06 The Little White Box

Conflict – Prior to Wii's release, the video game industry’s core demographic were hardcore gamers, predominantly young males. To appeal to them, the existing innovation efforts were centred around better visual/graphics/audio.

Design – In 2005, Nintendo created Wii, a motion gaming system that allows players to interact with the system through body movements. The console was an instant hit, suddenly gaming experience became more appealing to the entire family and not just the young male (hardcore gamer). Doing away with using high-end graphics meant that Nintendo could also price the console lower than Xbox & PS3.

Impact – The ‘Little White Box’ is Nintendo’s most successful home console to date. Having sold over 100 million units worldwide, it’s also one of the best-selling video game systems ever, taking the 5th position. It’s also one of the fastest-selling systems ever, and for a period of time, was one of the most recognized Brand in the world.

07 If you can dream it, you can do it

Conflict – None whatsoever! The ONLY conflict that existed was in Walt Disney’s mind to create an experience that guests can not get anywhere and can never forget…

Design – Walt Disney created Disney Park with the goal of making special moments. The key to the experience is attention to detail, a focus on immersion and the desire to constantly and incrementally improve details and elements of the experience - making sure the sound effects on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride were loud enough to rattle the riders; making sure that the Tiki Birds were able to have dozens of different gestures, not just ten. Besides, Disney innovated both filmmaking and resort experiences, creating the multi-plane camera for film and a complex series of animatronic robots for his parks.

Impact – Disney’s theme parks continue their dominance, bringing in over 140 million visitors annually. The top 11 theme parks rake in roughly $50 billion of revenue and $10 billion of annual operating profit.

08 Love is in the AIR

Conflict – The 80’s was a mixed bag for Nike. Mark Parker described the time as "frantic" with Reebok rising in a big way in the Performing Shoes category. Nike wasn’t known too much for R&D and was fairly confused as to what direction to take in terms of product development without hinging on just runners shoes.

Design – After "empathizing" with consumers, Parker understood that a product that could give a revolutionary performance as well as stand for street style would bring in best of both worlds – runners and sneaker enthusiasts. Working under Spartan conditions, Parker pulled off a miracle — a technology called Visible Air. The concept was simple on paper: Take the cushioning element embedded in Nike's existing Air series and cut a window in the sole so that people could actually understand the effect. After series of prototyping, the product was launched and became an instant hit. Until now, Air is the most successful line of products.

Impact – The Air Max line’s combination of a striking, visible Nike Air unit and forward-thinking design cues helped it earn a permanent spot in the locker room and on the runway, and it’s this same dual-purpose appeal that’s allowed it to remain relevant for decades. Nike regained the lost ground and till date has retained it’s No. 1 position thanks to Air Max and subsequent launches in this line.

09 The 47th Mover Advantage

Conflict – Complex spreadsheet based solutions to track personal finances – making most of the people loathe or leave the process half way! Existing solutions focused on "getting the job done" rather cherishing the financial planning process - something that has very deep implications was a raring need in every household.

Design –When Intuit launched its software to help people track their finances, there were already 46 similar products. Jokingly they said they had the “47th mover advantage”. The original version offered only one-third the features, but with a great design. Instead of looking like a spreadsheet, it displayed the familiar images of a check register and an individual check. Because the design made using the product so intuitive, It immediately became the market leader in personal finance software. It has held that position for three decades.

Impact – Intuit has taught software companies that good design is not restricted to only "sassy" industries. One can use empathy to create a well-designed software solving both human and business goals. With programs like "Design 4 Delight", Intuit is a case study on how to scale Design Thinking in an organization.

10 Keep The Change

Conflict – Without any major breakthrough in past few decades, the banks in the early 2000s faced a critical problem - how to get consumer segments (particularly boomer-age women) to open new checking and savings accounts.

Design  – Bank of America hired a design research firm that observed a dozen families and interviewed people on the streets. Critical insight formed was that people round up their checkbook entries and financial transactions as it was more convenient. And so was born their product “Keep The Change”. Every time one buys something with a BofA Visa debit card, the bank rounds up the purchase to the nearest dollar & transfers the difference from your checking into the savings account. 

Impact – Keep The Change brought out a radically different shift in mindset that broke the paradigm. It was rated very high on uniqueness and real ‘human’ value. Within the first year of launch, 2.5 million customers signed up for Keep the Change. Over 700,000 opened new checking accounts and 1 million signed on for new savings accounts.

11 Create more, with just a Beverage

Conflict – The F&B industry was struggling with dropping sales and poor margins, particularly around the crisis of 2007.

Design – Starbucks interviewed hundreds of coffee drinkers, seeking what it was that they wanted from a coffee shop. The overwhelming consensus actually had nothing to do with coffee; what consumers sought was a place of relaxation, a place of belonging. They sought an atmosphere. The round tables in a Starbucks store were strategically created in an effort to protect self-esteem for those coffee-drinkers flying solo. After all, there are no "empty" seats at a round table. Service counters are built out of natural materials like warm woods and stone, rather than plastics and metals, to create a homier atmosphere.

Impact – Starbucks has created an experience that has changed the F&B industry. It is what makes us spend $4 for a cup of coffee!

12 Life is a Collection of Experiences

Conflict – For the longest time known the hospitality industry had been engaging in a cut-throat competition of building low-cost business models that can give a price advantage to the consumers. Price has been a strong driver of selection and booking but can a better experience drive premium prices from ordinary consumers?

Design – Starwood has used design thinking as a strategy to reimagine the stay experience. One of the biggest problems they solved was designing the front-desk with empathy that can take the pain out of the hotel check-in process. They spent two years developing a new system that radically speeds up check-in at its properties, while assigning a room once required 143 key strokes on a terminal fixed behind the check-in counter, guests can now be on their way with three strokes on a tablet.

Other concepts created included redesigned guest rooms, leverage social data for creating personalized experience, smart fridge etc. Recently, they have also launched Starwood’s Starlab – an innovation space to use creativity and design to build next generation experiences for travelers.

Impact – Starwood has consistently won all the accolades on customer experience and loyalty. They have raised the bar time and again when it comes to using empathy as a strategy for innovation. Their revenues exceed USD 6 Bn and have one of the highest active subscribers of the loyalty program

13 See What's Next

Conflict – Compounded by internet boom the movie industry, that heavily relied on theaters & movie halls, started facing heat. Internet provided users with content that they wanted to consume with the added privilege of conveniently consuming it out of their living room. However, companies were struggling to leverage this trend to their benefit both 1) In a structured manner 2) with a proper business model around it

Design – Netflix began as web-based catalog service that rented older movies in DVD format by mail. It evolved soon, and currently, Netflix provides on-demand internet streaming video. It is not just a technology company anymore, but has exclusive content and spends over 6 Bn USD a year on content (versus 1 Bn USD on technology) Powered by analytics led personalization, Netflix has always been ahead of curve in understanding human needs and designing for them. Recently they designed ‘Netflix Socks’ – socks that you wear that ‘pause’ streaming as soon as the person sleeps and ‘Commitment Rings’ – that only allows streaming of episode when both partners are wearing their rings and are nearby.

Impact – Netflix took on Blockbuster head-on and forced it out of business. Currently, Netflix serves ~ 100 Mn consumers in 130+ countries and is valued at ~ USD 60 Bn.

14 FreeStyle Machine

Conflict – Rising awareness of the harmful effects of carbonated drinks, plus stiff competition from new entrants in the beverage space (organic drinks, customized drinks, low-calorie drinks etc.). Also, the (unarticulated) need of reimagining the beverage ‘drinking experience’

Design – Freestyle Machine – a touch-screen soda fountain that allows users to select from mixtures of flavors of Coca-Cola branded products which are then individually dispensed. While other beverage dispensers offer between 6-8 drink choices, Freestyle is equipped with an easy-to-use touchscreen that allows users to dispense and mix more than 100 individual drinks, including some, like Diet Raspberry Coke, that aren't available anywhere else.

Impact – Consumers are revved up over Freestyle’s ease of use, engaging digital display and the enormous selection of beverage brands. And the fact that it’s just plain fun makes it even more appealing. It isn’t only a blast, it’s good for business too. The ultimate drink experience has boosted sales and increased guest traffic for the restaurants that boast the machines.

15 Manual To Heart

Conflict – The industry had many opportunities right from improving customer experience, to retail store design to managing the supply chain and delivery

Design – IKEA initiated “Democratic Design.” This design strategy is based on a number of factors at the intersection of delivering a product that meets consumer expectations of quality and functionality at a low price on one side and the sustainability strategy on another. 

Impact - IKEA pioneered many ideas such as distributed suppliers, just-in-time inventory, self pick-up and self-assembly. They redefined their sector and deeply influenced other sectors through their innovative drive and design to constraints discipline.