Experience design (or “user experience design”) aims to improve the usability and accessibility of the digital or physical product and thereby create a pleasant and effective experience while using the product and hence a satisfied user. This requires more than just focusing on the aesthetics or the layout of the application design. A successful experience […]
7 Steps to Create a Successful Journey Map
‘Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes’ is a commonly used idiom. For a designer, however, it is an essential step in concept creation, research, and design. In order to guide any design process, the following vital question should be answered by designers; “Who is the target user, and how will he/she use the product?” Whether […]
How to Conduct a Successful UX Research for Your Design Project
Lacking a clear understanding of the project target audience can prevent a design team from developing a product that fulfills the end user’s needs and expectations. Before starting a project, many questions come to mind including “What is the target market segment?”, “What are the user problems that we can address?” and “How we can […]
Design Thinking Case Study: Innovation at Apple
Apple is one of the leading companies that is renowned for its unique products and brand. A short talk with an Apple user reveals there is an emotional relation between consumers and Apple products, including every “i” product created in the past two decades. Why are Apple products different from their competitors’ products? How does […]
Design Thinking in Schools: Building a Generation of Innovators
Observing today’s world can tell us much about tomorrow and what human beings need to meet future challenges. Along with the increasing challenges that we face everyday from economical challenges and climate change to extremism and the increasing language of hate between nations, we should raise a generation that is able to meet these challenges […]
IBM Design Thinking Model: A Shift Toward Big Enterprises
Along with increasing market competency, companies are moving toward greater adoption of design thinking techniques as tools to put their consumers in the heart of the development process. The goal is to build a consumer-driven culture inside the organization. IBM is one of the leading companies moving in this direction. Last year alone, the company […]
The Six Systems Thinking Steps to Solve Complex Problems
A quick overview of common problem solving techniques indicates that most of these methods focus on the problem rather than the whole eco-system where the problem exists. Along with the challenges of global economy, problems turn out to be more complicated and sometimes awakening problems. Climate change, traffic problems, and organizational problems that have developed […]
What Kills Design Thinking?
Design thinking is one of the many beneficial tools that help individuals and companies to find new ideas through changing the way they think in different situations, including discovering ideas or solving problems. So, why do companies who adopt design thinking methods still face possible failure? Why aren't they able to innovate even after using […]
6 Steps for Effective Critical Thinking
On a daily basis, we face problems and situations that should be evaluated and solved, and we are challenged to understand different perspectives to think about these situations. Most of us are building our cognitive thinking based on previous similar situations or experiences. However, this may not guarantee a better solution for a problem, as […]
The Decision-Making Process Designers Should Use Daily
“How do I make a proper decision?” It seems to be an easy question to answer, especially by a professional, skillful designer. However, the decision-making process can turn to be complicated during times or crisis or when there is uncertainty about the right direction to follow. Many designers spontaneously depend on their previous experience or […]
CATWOE: Building a Problem-Solving Checklist
Problem solving is the main target of design thinking methods, and the previously discussed design thinking methods that are used in solving problems tend to work through a number of steps in order to reach a final solution for the problem. However, in particular situations, solving the problem isn’t the main target of meetings or […]
If You Believe that Design Thinking is a Waste of Time, You’re Doing It Wrong
Design thinking tools and methods tend to explore innovative ideas and creative solutions for organization problems by shifting the way we think from ordinary methods to new techniques that explore undiscovered creative potentials. Implementing design thinking as part of the strategic planning of the organization is known to achieve success; companies such as IKEA, Lego, […]
Applying Design Thinking in Education to Fight Extremism
Last week, we woke up to the terrible attacks in Paris, and the world is still mourning the more than 150 killed in the incident. A couple of days before, a similar terrorism attack took place in Lebanon, with more than 45 killed. In the last few years, increasing acts of hate crimes and terrorism […]
Why Design Thinking Can Contribute to a Growing Business
Design thinking is defined by Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, as “a discipline that uses the designer’s sensibility and methods to match people’s needs with what is technologically feasible and what a viable business strategy can convert into customer value and market opportunity.” Design thinking aims to achieve innovation and solve problems while putting the […]
Common Types of Mind Maps and How to Use Them
Mind maps are widely used by both designers and non-designers as a method for brainstorming in the early stages of projects in order to explore ideas or solve project problems. In a previous article, we explored the concept of mind maps and how to use them by starting with a core idea and expanding it […]
How Designers Can Use Rolestorming to Understand Consumers
Brainstorming techniques are used to achieve different goals, including finding creative ideas, solving problems, and understanding the target consumer during the ideation phase of the design process. However, brainstorming team members are affected by their own voices and personalities, which may affect their ideas that should reflect the consumer characteristics and needs instead. This can […]
Building a Solid User-Centered Design Process
Many companies claim they are designing with the end user in mind; yet too many products fail to achieve this goal. This occurs because of a variety of factors, like needing to adapt to different targets or using tools that do not achieve the target’s needs. The user-centered design process ensures that the user is […]
Vroom-Yetton-Jago: Deciding How to Decide
Design managers and art directors face critical times when they need to make strategic decisions that will not only affect the design process but also the entire production stage and subsequently the success of the product. While it is impossible to element the risk involved in decision-making, managers reduce this risk to a minimal level […]
Brainstorming Multiple Ideas Using Charette Procedure
Two main barriers arise when there are 15 people or more present in a brainstorming session when attempting to discuss multiple ideas or problems in the same time. Most brainstorming tools and methods focus on a small group of people discussing one single problem, focus the thinking process for all attendees in one particular direction. […]
Five Steps to Achieve a Reliable Decision-Making Process
Decision making has never been an easy process for designers. A designer’s daily work involves taking many decisions that can affect the whole project starting from communicating with the client needs and requirements, choosing the materials and design specification for the production process, and getting feedback and evaluation concerning the final product. Wrong decisions taken […]