Design Thinking

Sarah (the Facilitator): Hi team! Welcome to this training session on design thinking for project management. I know you're all busy, so Ill keep this brief and informative.

Maya (Team Member1): Is this going to be another one of those boring training sessions?

Sarah: Absolutely not! This is going to be fun and engaging. Well have some laughs, share some real-life examples, and learn some valuable skills.

Mahmood (Team Member 2): Okay, Im intrigued. What exactly is design thinking?

Sarah: Great question! Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that focuses on understanding the needs of the user. Its about empathy, creativity, and iteration.

Ron (Team Member 3): Sounds interesting. How can we apply this to our projects at the bank?

Sarah: In many ways! For example, when designing a new product or service, we can use design thinking to understand the needs of our customers. This will help us create something that they truly want and need.

Amit (Team Member 4): Can you give us a real-life example?

Sarah: Sure. Remember when we launched that new mobile banking app a few years ago? It was a disaster because we didnt consider the needs of our users. They found it confusing and difficult to use. If we had used design thinking, we could have avoided that.

Amit: So, how do we go about using design thinking?

Sarah: There are five steps involved: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

Ron: Can you explain each step in more detail?

Sarah: Of course. Lets start with empathize. This means putting yourself in the shoes of your users and understanding their needs. You can do this by conducting interviews, observing them in their natural environment, and creating empathy maps.

Maya: What about define?

Sarah: Define means clearly articulating the problem you're trying to solve. This is important because it helps to keep everyone on the same page.

Mahmood: And ideate?

Sarah: Ideate is all about generating ideas. This is where you can get creative and brainstorm solutions.

Ron: What about prototype?

Sarah: Prototype means creating a tangible representation of your solution. This could be a physical model, a digital mockup, or even a role-playing exercise.

Maya: And finally, test?

Sarah: Test means getting feedback on your prototype from your users. This will help you identify any areas that need improvement.

Amit: This all sounds great, but Im not sure how well find the time to do all of this.

Sarah: I understand. Its important to plan for design thinking activities and integrate them into your project timeline.

Ron: Are there any tools that can help us with design thinking?

Sarah: Yes, there are many tools available. Some of my favorites include empathy maps, mind maps, and prototyping software.

Maya: Can you give us some examples of how other companies have used design thinking successfully?

Sarah: Sure. IDEO, IBM, and Airbnb are all great examples. IDEO used design thinking to develop a new type of medical device. IBM used it to improve their customer service. And Airbnb used it to redesign their website.

Amit: This has been a very informative session. I'm excited to start using design thinking in my projects.

Sarah: That's great to hear! Remember, design thinking is all about putting the user first. If you do that, you'll be well on your way to success. I hope this training session has been helpful. Please let me know if you have any questions. But are are the key takeaways for you all

(a) Design thinking is a human-centered problem-solving approach that can be used to improve project outcomes.

(b) There are five steps involved in design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.

(c) Design thinking can be used to solve a variety of problems, from designing new products to improving customer service.

(d) There are many tools available to help you with design thinking. Many companies have used design thinking successfully to achieve their goals.

Ok that's it, now who is up for some Turkish coffee?