Did you know that Design Thinking is a great ally in the evolution of companies? Indeed, this methodology that turns problems into innovative solutions is extremely useful for focusing on the needs of the consumer and approaching an issue from very different points of view.
The phases of Design Thinking consist of empathising with the customer, defining their needs and proposing solutions focused on people. And therein lies the key to the success of this methodology that started out being applied only in design.
Advantages of using Design Thinking in companies
The customer at the centre
Taking into account the criteria of potential customers is fundamental so that the product or service does not fail once it is on the market.
By placing the customer at the centre of the value chain we are ensuring a very important part of the product’s success.
Open to different points of view
Teamwork is fundamental, precisely because this methodology is enriched with different approaches. Ideally, Design Thinking for companies should work with a multidisciplinary team from different departments.
From problems to opportunities
One of the great virtues of this process is that it deals with something that a priori is a barrier in the market and turns it into an opportunity, after an exhaustive study of the users, the environment and the context.
It reduces uncertainty
After the Design Thinking process, in which the risks have been exhaustively evaluated, the uncertainty about the market acceptance of the product or service is considerably reduced.
Companies using Design Thinking
Nowadays, there are many companies that benefit from this alternative methodology aimed at finding customer-centric solutions. Let’s take a look at some of the best known examples of how Design Thinking has helped several companies to turn their problems into opportunities to grow in the market.
As you will see, Design Thinking is not only used to create innovative ideas, but also to improve processes, products or services that are already in place through innovation.
Airbnb
According to Digital Surgeons, in 2009 the revenues of the then newly created vacation rental platform were minimal. In an analysis, the team realised that the photos of the available flats were very poor, so they flew to New York to take some new high-quality images. By putting themselves in the users’ shoes, they were able to double their revenue and move forward.
PillPack
Another example featured in this IdeoU article is that of PillPack, a startup that developed a business idea through Design Thinking based on home delivery of its customers’ prescription medicines in easy-to-open containers labelled by date and time. In this way, by detecting a problem of their target audience, they found a business opportunity.
Burberry
This well-known London luxury brand used Design Thiking to boost sales at a time when it was growing at only 2% a year. After an analysis, they focused on the goal of connecting with the luxury users of the future, the millennials, something they achieved by creating specific campaigns for them and with a strong digital presence.
Examples of Design Thinking for companies in the industrial sector
In the following, we explore some of our success stories to discover how Design Thinking is also integrated into industrial processes.
Flavoured waters from a multidisciplinary point of view
The challenge faced by the Infinitia team was to find out what was the need of users interested in healthy flavoured waters, then identify and design the concept, give it a solution and validate that it was possible from a technological and nutritional point of view.
This work involved a multidisciplinary team from the departments of Forensic Engineering, Materials Innovation and Strategic Design and Prototyping. A project that demonstrates the importance of teamwork in Design Thinking, as this is the only way to achieve the different points of view necessary to unlock the problem. Discover how Infinitia professionals work from our product development and prototyping area.
Design Thinking to detect new opportunities in the beverage sector
On this occasion, the challenge presented was to identify a new opportunity in the beverage sector for the launch of a new type of product through Design Thinking. To do so, a market study was carried out, ethnographic techniques were used to identify users and understand the context of the sector and, finally, co-creation sessions were held to find the best solution.
Would you like us to help you find a solution in a Design Thinking process? Trust our multidisciplinary team. Shall we talk?