In the creative process, many of us strive to present ideas that are innovative, unique, and stand out from the rest. While there’s nothing wrong with this, it’s important to prioritize certain aspects, especially when our creations are intended for others.
The key word here is people. We need to present ideas that are oriented towards the people themselves, such as our clients. But how do we present ideas that directly align with our clients’ wishes and that they will definitely appreciate?
This is where Design Thinking comes in. Design Thinking is a problem-solving method that helps us generate ideas using a solution-based approach. The entire process of Design Thinking enables us to understand our clients’ needs and desires, define the problems they face, and address these issues with solution-oriented ideas derived from various insights about our clients. There are five stages in Design Thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test.
Selaksans also had the opportunity to learn about the Design Thinking process from Labtekindie through the Wallet Project. Working in pairs, we were challenged to create a wallet for our partner in the form of a prototype. Naturally, the wallet needed to be visually appealing and practical for everyday use. These are the steps of Design Thinking that we followed to create wallets that pleased our colleagues.
- Sketch Your Dream Wallet. We are invited to sketch our ideal wallet. The form and function of the wallet are the primary aspects to be captured at this initial stage.
- Interviews. We aim to understand our colleagues’ wants and needs. Although you might feel clueless, you can start by asking general and random questions during the initial interview, such as preferred wallet brands, colors, shapes, where they keep their wallet, and the items stored inside. The broader your questions, the more insights you will gain about your colleagues.
- Dig Deeper. After gathering initial facts about how our colleagues use their wallets, the next step is to delve deeper into the interesting details. We can ask further questions about responses that need more explanation. At this stage, use the question “Why” frequently.
- Capture Findings. There are two main things to define– Needs, or what they are trying to accomplish, and Insights, which are new learnings about your partner’s feelings and worldview that you can leverage in your design.
- Define Problem Statement. We have to create two sentences using the following formula: “(Name) needs a way to (user’s need). Unexpectedly, in his/her world, (insight).”
- Sketch. Return to sketching, we have to draw 3-5 features that can fulfill your partner’s dream wallet needs.
- Share Your Solutions & Capture Feedback. Share your initial ideas with your partner and write down all their responses, both statements and questions. This is the time for your partner to respond, so do not reply or provide further explanations.
- Reflect & Generate New Solutions. Before turning the ideal wallet idea into a tangible product, revisit the final sketch of the wallet. At this stage, you can add details such as color, size, or material, and include additional text to explain features that are difficult to depict.
- Prototyping. Get your scissors, paper, glue, or any materials you have and start to create a prototype of your partner’s dream wallet. Remember, this is a prototype or rough draft of your product. It doesn’t need to be perfect; just be creative so your partner has a clear idea of the wallet they will use.
- Tell & ‘Sell’ Your Product. With the prototype in hand, it’s time to present and ‘sell’ your idea to your partner using engaging and descriptive ‘sales language’.
In our daily work as Selaksans, Design Thinking is super helpful for dealing with complex client briefs. It makes us better at helping clients come up with innovative ideas while still considering the bigger picture of creating solutions that are impactful and beneficial for many people.
