Why Does Design Thinking Not Work? It’s an interesting question. Many people think that Design Thinking is the answer to everything. Is it true? Let’s look at an example situation. For example, we want a new product, a new service that is more advanced or better than our competitors.
But why do Design Thinking yield the opposite results? Or does Design Thinking not work? Or does it not meet the requirements? If so, are there any new tools that can help us?
This is the perspective of many people who think that using Design Thinking in organizations is ineffective.
This symptom, “Even if you find new tools to use, you may not get the desired results.” The real problem is not with Design Thinking or other tools, but with the user’s attitude. The misconception that using Design Thinking in an organization will allow it to think, produce, innovate or produce outstanding products.
That is the wrong idea, the wrong expectation that using Design Thinking in an organization will lead the organization to win over competitors or change. That is also a wrong idea.
“Because thinking like that is like starting off on the wrong path from the very beginning.”
Whether it is Design Thinking or any other tools, it cannot guarantee success for anyone or any organization. And it is out of date to think and develop products in the old way that only focuses on reducing costs or emphasizing high volumes because doing it this way may become increasingly difficult (Salawan is getting shorter and shorter).
“Consumers are changing, their behaviors are changing rapidly, and they are becoming increasingly difficult to understand.”
From Generalized to more Personalized. If we are too hasty and rush to introduce new products or services, it is easy to make mistakes because we may easily misinterpret or interpret the needs of today’s consumers. This can result in products or services not being accepted or not being sold. Therefore, what doesn’t work is not because of Design Thinking, but because we don’t give time or importance to truly understanding customers.
“The golden hour, the time to find the most precious treasure, is Empathize.”
Many students often ask me which step is the most important in the Design Thinking process? I answer without hesitation, it is “Empathize” because it is the starting point of the whole process. If we Empathize wrongly, our lives can change. Everything we have done can be thrown away. Empathize is a step that requires giving time and giving the most importance to Users (Experts and Extreme Users). We must understand them as if we were them (if we can possess them, it will be easier and faster to understand).
How much do you need to understand them?
Let’s say that we are in the same situation. If we were them, what would we think? How would we feel? If we really understand them, we will know what the real pain is. This makes it easier to set POV – Point of View and other subsequent steps or even Ideate. It is easier to get good solutions that hit the target. On the other hand, many organizations give too little time to Empathize (don’t know where the rush is).
In the end, we wasted time, threw away many things, and the results were not appealing to users. What’s worse, we misidentified the Expert and Extreme Users target groups from the beginning, causing us to go off track and never come back. LOL
“Design Thinking is like research that is centered around users, not around ourselves.” We don’t have to set any criteria from the beginning about what products or services to make. It’s better to let our users reveal their true needs to us. So don’t fall for the tricks, the tools, or our own thinking until we go round in circles. We have to stop going round in circles, stop being confused, and stop expecting in the beginning. Instead, we should seriously and sincerely empathize with our users. Because I always believe that good problem solving is solving problems at the right point, which comes from the methods we get from our users.
Design Thinking is not not working? But the people who use Design Thinking are not working? Or not? This is probably more correct (don’t blame the tools, blame the people who use them, who don’t know how to use them or use them incorrectly).
So before using any tool, check your mindset first. Do you understand it and have you tried it yourself?
The right mindset + the right tools = good results
You can read more articles at:
Design Thinking and its application in problem solving
9 Ways to Build and Develop a Growth Mindset for Working People
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