Top Ten Traits of a Successful Design Thinker

In my article "HOW TO DESIGN A BETTER WORLD" I introduced a new design thinking model that is authentic, holistic, cyclic, iterative, and concentric, as shown in below Figure.

The following personal skills are essential for applying this model effectively and for becoming a successful design thinker:

1.  Personal disruptive innovator. Apply the introduced personal disruptive innovation model to explore and (re)design your life, disrupt yourself, disrupt the normal course of your life, unleash the creative potential within you, create new personal opportunities, disrupt your existing target market, and make a significant social impact. Check how. Development of your personal innovation strategy is also part of this trait. How.
2. Holistic thinker. Be curious, optimistic, and look at the bigger context for the customer. How.
3. Knowledge. Staying up-to-date on the latest topics in design thinking will allow you to serve your customers more effectively. Continuing education and professional development are important to stay at the forefront of the design thinking field. Start with self-knowledge. How.
4. Entrepreneurial. To succeed as design thinker requires a high degree of self- motivation, drive, smart decision making, and being entrepreneurial. how.
5. Personal integrity. Your professional reputation and personal integrity are crucial to a long and successful career as design thinking professional. Aligning your personal ambition with your behavior and actions is one way to show you practice high ethical standards. Check how. Also pledge to the strict design thinking code of ethics, as launched in this article.
6. Collaborate across boundaries. Collaborate with people from various backgrounds and respects their viewpoints; diversity stimulates innovation.
7. Engaging personality. It is important to show your real personality, with the great attitude, honesty, confidence in your abilities, and a sense of fulfillment by serving others. how.
8. Empathy. Focus on human values and needs. Have empathy for the customers, solicit user feedback, and use it in your design. By implementing and cultivating the personal disruptive innovation model routinely you will become empathic. Knowing your target consumers on a personal level and hearing their stories is a great way to build empathy. how.
9. Embrace experimentation. Make experimentation an integral part of the design process and communicate through meaningful artifacts. how.
10. Build a network of connections. Successful design thinkers have a vast network of contacts within the market, and all the other players in the design industry. how.

Read also my articles "Does It Mean to be an Empathic and Disruptive Design Thinker" and "How Mindful Meditation Boosts Creativity, Innovation, and Imagination"

Read also "Measuring and Creating a Sustainable Circular Innovation Culture of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging". 

Dr. Hubert Rampersad is a Global Innovation Evangelist, Disruptive Futurist, Global Crusader for Sustainable Innovation, and Warrior Against Racism. He is author of “Authentic and Holistic Design Thinking for Personal, Corporate, and Social Innovation” and also author of 25 other books on innovation, management, and entrepreneurial leadership, published in many languages. One of his books, Total Performance Scorecard, published in 20 languages was foreworded by Harvard Business School Innovation professor Dorothy Leanard.  He has been featured on BusinessWeek and Bloomberg.

?Center of Excellence in Design Thinking

Miami, Florida, USA | [email protected] | Phone: +13053992116 | https://bit.ly/2CQLIfS  

Further readings:

• An Authentic and Holistic Design Thinking Model that Inspires Imagination, Creativity and Innovation
• The Future of Family Businesses In The New Normal
• Exclusive Master Class: Authentic and Holistic Design Thinking
• Master Class: Personal Disruptive Innovation & Authentic Personal Branding for Design Thinkers
• Reimagining Innovation & Rethinking Design
• What Does It Mean to be an Empathic and Disruptive Design Thinker 
• Spirituality in Design Thinking
• Authentic Personal Branding for Design Thinkers 
• How to Develop Personal Integrity 
• Personal Disruptive Innovation 
• How to Develop Employee Alignment and Engagement 
• Design Thinking Code of Ethics
• Personal Innovation Strategy