"Design Thinking" to Solve Tech Issues

The management team in the Automated Trial Court Services Unit spent much of April 16, 2024 at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick for a day of “design thinking.”

Design thinking is defined as “a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems, and create innovative solutions to protype and test.

The facilitator, who was outside the team, was told in advance of the problem the group was trying to solve and planned exercises to take the team through the design thinking process.

On the day of the event, the managers were briefed on the problem, a recognizable one that everyone was experiencing, and split into groups to work through the various steps and stages.

A series of questions were posed to the group, and responses to those questions were added to Post-it notes.

The responses and notes were then attached to the questions hung around the room as the facilitator read them aloud. The process was repeated until the scope and cause of the problem and people affected and possible solutions identified.

After the session, the facilitator compiled the information and identified a result that will be shared with the team and implemented.

While the purpose of the design thinking session was to walk away with a solution to an issue, it also resulted in a better understanding of team dynamics, shared creativity, and team building.