#3 Design Thinking Micro Course
part 3 of 6 (5 min read)
Ideation and prototyping model
In part 2 you explored the need to define and research a problem. As Global Leader Simon Spencer usefully explains here, sometimes its best not to get bogged down in what he calls ‘theory’. You need to start making it happen, and adjust as you go if what you’re doing isn’t working. So in this chapter we’ll start putting this design-thinking thing into practice. We’ll begin by exploring how to first systematically expand your ideas (ideation) and then refine them (prototyping).
Design thinking…is a much broader way of looking at problems, looking at what's the motivation of the customer; what is the job that they're attempting to actually fulfil? And then from that… rapidly prototyped. Make it real. Don't spend too much time in pure theory. "
Mr Simon Spencer - Founder, Edgelabs
Ducere Global Leader
Ideation
So you have your problem. Check. You have a really positive, results-orientated mindset and culture. Check. The next phase is to start to develop some ideas. Now instead of pursuing one ‘awesome idea’ that you think is fool proof and a sure thing, we want to approach this a little differently. Instead you need brainstorm, or ideate. Develop your thinking in a really systematic way. Try to generate as many ideas as possible that could become a your solution. This process is augmented by copiously logging such ideas in a manner without judgement or limitation. Think about just writing down words or ideas that come to your head. Or ideas that are so far fetched that they have no chance of ever being feasible. It doesn’t matter what the ideas are- what’s important is the process. It’s about stepping away from the obvious and from conventional wisdom, and challenging your own assumptions. It’s about developing a broad range of ideas and possibilities.
Prototyping
When you have a list of crazy/brilliant ideas, its time to refine them; to prototype them. This is a really important stage in the design thinking process because it allows you to really start developing and moulding a smaller number of innovations.
Get started by taking your list of possibilities and exploring where these ideas relate to each other. Do some stand out? Are some similar to others? When you have a more refined list, its useful to approach your key stakeholders. Ask them whether this design or innovation works. Talk to suppliers, customers, employees. Even talk to the finance department! You may be exposed to insight that has previously been hidden from you, or which you’ve ignored because of your own personal biases.
Then, as the title suggests, you can start building or creating an initial prototype version of the product or offering. Test it out. Do a mock-up model of your new bottle design, or create a beta-version of your new App. Examining the ‘look and feel’ allows you to interact and experience the innovation, and develop further understanding of the problems and the solution.
Convergent vs Divergent Thinking
The key skill that will tested throughout this ideation-prototype process is your ability to think in a both divergent and convergent manner. In fact this is a key characteristic of design thinking itself. As you explored in the ideation phase, thinking laterally and disregarding assumptions and limitations in known as divergent thinking. The goal of divergent thinking is to produce as many possible solutions as possible to a given problem. On the other hand you will learn when prototyping an idea, convergent thinking is all about coming up with the single best solution to a given problem. In essence, convergent thinking presumes that there is one single best solution to a problem, in the same manner of a standardised test. Combining these two thinking modes may appear challenging, but as you will learn throughout this MicroCourse, it’s what sets design thinking apart.
