Design Thinking - Remaining on track while going in depth

Design Thinking comes handy while solving a complex problem, especially a societal problem. While going from stakeholder to their empathy map, to ideas to prototype and solution, discipline is what matters the most. It's like entering a tunnel, in the search of light and easy to get distracted by the details of the tunnel. Discipline matters a lot during such explore journey. During such journey, fundamental principles comes very handy. They are the tools which has to be used very often. If we miss to apply the right tool, at right time, we may still end up with a solution, but it may not be productive or useful to the end stakeholder, for whom (or with whom) we started the journey. Sharing my experience.

Major stages of Design Thinking.

• Empathy
• Define
• Ideate
• Prototype
• Testing

Every stage has different types of activities and different tools to help us cover the journey through each stage. Some of the important guidelines, which can help us remain on track and end with successful solution.

1. Interview is crucial. Must highlight how the stakeholders recruited. Asking open ended questions are crucial. Some light should be put on this during the presentation.
2. There could be many stakeholders, but who are Primary Stakeholder(s)?  Empathy Map of Primary stakeholder must be retained and displayed. If the participants are mixing the stakeholder maps, then they should explicitly highlight the Empathy Map points of the primary stakeholders.
3. Conflicting pains and gains. Are you mixing Empathy maps of different stakeholders to generate the empathy map? Stakeholder pains and gains may conflict. For example, in a claim submission system, we may need to upload details and evidence for each line item claim records separately with the bills. It's cumbersome process for person raising claim, but then for the auditors it's easy to map the proof of expenses and the claim. So, must highlight such conflicting points and should track till end of the solution validation phase.
4. HMW (How Might We) statement should specifically be traced till which pain and gain it is addressing, so that the link does not break and you remains continuously focused on your prime objective.
5. Highlight the options generated during ideation phase and give at least some reason on why you chose an option for prototype. This will help in the future, when you want to have incremental innovation and know what could be done next.
6. If your prototype does not cover all the pain and gains or does not cover complete HMW, you must highlight "What are you planning to cover through your prototype?", so that there is clarity. Rest may be done in iterative way in Agile methodology.
7. In the solution focus on how have you achieved HMW. Also highlight features addressing pains and gains, their functional value; elegance and ease-of-use, aesthetics. Establishing clear emotional engagement aspects, uniqueness, originality of Solution and then potential outcomes also helps describe the solution and gain user acceptance.
8. Testing of the prototype with the End stakeholder or user or the primary stakeholder is key and during must validate and highlight - (a) feedback score across HMW met or not met or get star ratings like 3-stars, 5 stars,  (b) measurement on the impact on User Experience, (c) Overall Innovation impact is primarily due to Design (and NOT due to Technology alone).
9. If it's about Digital and data driven solution?, then what is being done to address Data privacy, confidentiality, and Tech Ethics? This is crucial.
10. What is the Go-to Market Strategy or scale up plan? Do include this.

These are practitioner's guideline to help use DT to solve real world problems.

Note:

These are my personal experiences.