
Defining the problem and problem statement must be done in a human-centered manner.įor example, you should not define the problem as your own wish or need of the company: “We need to increase our food-product market share among young teenage girls by 5%.” You’ll analyze your observations to define the core problems you and your team have identified up to this point. In the Define stage, you will organize the information you have gathered during the Empathize stage. Stage 2: Define-State Your Users' Needs and Problemsĭefine: the second phase of design thinking, where you define the problem statement in a human-centered manner. The main aim of the Empathize stage is to develop the best possible understanding of your users, their needs and the problems that underlie the development of the product or service you want to create. Empathy is crucial to problem solving and a human-centered design process as it allows design thinkers to set aside their own assumptions about the world and gain real insight into users and their needs.ĭepending on time constraints, you will gather a substantial amount of information to use during the next stage. You may also want to immerse yourself in your users’ physical environment to gain a deeper, personal understanding of the issues involved-as well as their experiences and motivations. Consult experts to find out more about the area of concern and conduct observations to engage and empathize with your users. You want to gain an empathic understanding of the problem you are trying to solve. The first stage of the design thinking process focuses on user-centric research. © Teo Yu Siang and the Interaction Design Foundation, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

What are the 5 Stages of the Design Thinking Process Stage 1: Empathize-Research Your Users' NeedsĮmpathize: the first phase of design thinking, where you gain real insight into users and their needs. Let’s dive into each stage of the design thinking process. Ideate: challenge assumptions and create ideas.

The five stages of design thinking, according to the d.school, are:ĭefine: state your users' needs and problems. We focus on the five-stage design thinking model proposed by the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (the d.school) because they are world-renowned for the way they teach and apply design thinking.

Learning about the five stages of design thinking will empower you and allow you to apply the methodology to your work and solve complex problems that occur in our companies, our countries, and across the world.ĭesign thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that can have anywhere from three to seven phases, depending on whom you talk to. It’s extremely useful when used to tackle complex problems that are ill-defined or unknown-because it serves to understand the human needs involved, reframe the problem in human-centric ways, create numerous ideas in brainstorming sessions and adopt a hands-on approach to prototyping and testing. Design thinking is a methodology which provides a solution-based approach to solving problems.
