Facing uncertainties with Design Thinking
I started reading about design thinking a few weeks earlier, primarily out of interest. It seemed one of those topics which would be indispensable in the years to come but seemed pretty abstract. So I dived deeper and was amazed by the thought process that was followed throughout the subject matter. In a way, most of it still remains abstract to me because design thinking is something which requires continuous practice and mental exercises, to align the mind towards a specific direction of thought. Such exercises are best replicated through different kinds of projects. Although I've not been involved with one, I've done some thinking independently and have decided to pen down my views on the subject matters for readers who wish to have an initial understanding of this topic.
Most of us are accustomed to working in a stable environment - where our roles and responsibilities are strictly defined and the extent of uncertainties are reasonably limited. We are habituated with reducing our risks and making informed choices based on a set of data. This has led us to get used to a certain subconscious thought process which, by the way, is very necessary for a firm to grow and remain profitable in stable times. But once in a rare blue moon, we are faced with random uncertainties with very limited information in our hands. In the face of uncertainty, it's difficult for traditional thinkers to turn around a struggling scenario because of their habit of risk aversion and analyzing data at every step. In rare situations, there is an unforeseen call for innovation which requires a fundamental shift of thought from the traditional lines. People often confuse innovation with novelty, but the truth remains that innovation is about adding value rather than producing something new. And to add value and keep the business afloat, a survivor needs to search for solutions from different angles - looking at the problem from diverse perspectives. This is where having a broad repertoire helps.
Design thinking is about tackling the uncertainties in front of us. It's about taking small, incremental steps with small bets, which ensures that the payoffs might be low - but so are the risks. The primary focus of the approach is to gradually stop relying on secondary data and put the stakeholders in the spotlight (that's right - stakeholders, not just the customers!). It starts with a more hands-on approach toward all segments of stakeholders through experimentation, interviews, and ethnographic research. It involves stepping out of the comfort zone and going in-depth to understand the unarticulated needs because more often, they are the primary sources of innovation.
A project that requires the concept of design thinking can be divided into four major steps -
Identifying the problem - this is the most critical part of the project, because if the exact problem is stated even slightly wrong then we'll be going through an entirely different line of thought for the rest of the project and won't be realizing it before our solution results in a massive loss. A proper understanding of the current scenario through ethnographic studies helps. Interviews only reveal what the stakeholders tell us, but more often, the problem lies much deeper, and it's up to the studying team to dive deeper and observe the actions of the stakeholders which reveal any possible unidentified needs. These needs construct the roots of the problem at hand.
Establishing design criteria and coming up with a list of possible solutions - This requires focusing on the vast extent of possibilities rather than the constraints. When the data collection is done, it's time to look for patterns. Studying the data for patterns often reveals important distinctions in clusters, which we can leverage to form personas in order to test our potential solutions. Ideally, our solution should serve all of the personas we target in our list. Once the studies are done, it's time to come up with hypotheses, and at the same time brainstorm and write down all possible ideas that come to our mind. It's important not to discard any idea - even the most absurd looking ideas might come handy, 20 years down the line!
Finding out what's feasible - Now that we have a list of ideas to implement, it's time to get to the 'wow zone' - a zone of ideas which is essentially an overlap of three scenarios - customers like them, we can make it feasible for them (by ourselves or through collaboration), and the economics of our business can sustain those ideas and convert them into profitable ventures. In this phase, prototypes are built for ideas that pass the latter two filters. Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) are made ready to be rolled out. And a stage is decided for the final step of our journey - the experimentation.
Finding out what works - The best way to ascertain our hypotheses is by conducting learning launches - which are essentially small experiments that test the ideas in the marketplace. This is crucial in ensuring that we don't suffer from confirmation bias - a critical error that often pops up in the absence of diverse inputs and constructive criticism. So, along with customer feed, it's important to direct multi-functional teams with a skeptic to question the ideas constantly, unless and until the customer feedback is positive. The learning launches have to be iterative so that our ideas at every step are filtered through the customers' expectations until we reach a scenario where we have an idea of a holistic product.
With basic customer requirements being addressed by a zillion products and services, the 21st-century world is spoilt for choices. At this point, needs start getting complex in nature and it becomes more important to identify them to the best possible extent and receive proper feedback on our solutions. The concept of design thinking gradually becomes clearer with participation in diverse projects. Looking forward to knowing your viewpoints!