What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a process of solving problems differently, and more effectively than traditionally done. It encourages people to think outside the box and come up with solutions to problems in different ways.

It can apply to a vast majority of subjects and fields, as it enables practitioners to approach and solve problems in new ways.

Scientific reasoning & pedagogy

Design Thinking is an approach that is better understood when practiced rather than taught. The process behind it is to try things in a given situation differently, and not immediately resort to the conventional science or approach to the problem. In doing so, one is trained to think differently and look at every assignment/challenge afresh. This drives creative thinking and problem solving.

What are the skills developed with Design Thinking

Being a skill that involves constant innovative thinking, many people who study and practice design thinking are known to improve their creativity. Brainstorming, and team work are other skills that are developed as one in teams. This helps students to collaborate, co-create, solve together and in the process, articulate their thoughts well, so that all peers/ team members are on the same page.

What careers match these skills

The fantastic thing about Design Thinking is that it's a skill that can be used in almost any path and profession. Being a way of thinking, it can give a disproportionate advantage to someone in the fields of design and innovation. Pursuing a career path that would lead to roles like a strategist, or a product designer would be an appropriate course of action. Similar roles that need innovation and creativity would also be great choices.

Other skills that complement Design Thinking

Design Thinking in its very nature isn’t a straightforward process, it’s non-linear and requires acute analysis for each situation. On the other hand, it often involves working with peers in a team. As a result, the skills that would be useful in helping one with the Design Thinking process would be analytical and communication skills.

How Design Thinking helps in life

A person with a good grasp of design thinking, and enough experience in using the principles, can view the entire world differently. Those who get used to the process, have been known to change their outlook on life, as everything is viewed as a puzzle that can be solved, every action is critically thought of before mindlessly being repeated. Design thinking greatly improves one’s creativity and teaches students to channel their imagination.

Notable people with these skills

Steve Jobs, was known to have an outside-the-box approach to many of his products, which paved the way for computing as we know it. Most computer manufacturers were focused on competing, and doing things slightly better than the competition, on the other hand, Steve Jobs focused on doing things differently from the competition. Most of his products were a result of him solving problems that he faced himself, and wanting to right certain wrongs, and he got there by thinking about how a problem could be solved to eliminate it.