MINI TOOLKIT

DESIGN
THINKING
Businesses are not
and will never be
the same again...

“In 2020, more than 75% of

the 500 biggest companies,
according to the S&P 500,
will be companies that we
have never heard of.”
Creative Destruction: Why Companies That Are Built to Last Underperform
the Market by Richard Foster and Sarah Kaplan.
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION 3

IN the present economic model, the methods we

have learned, re-learned and reinvented are not capable
of dealing with the global competitiveness in which we are
“We need new choices - new products that can balance the
needs of individuals and the needs of society as a whole. New
ideas that deal with the global challenges of health, poverty and
immersed. Today, we need to think locally and act globally, education; new strategies that result in meaningful differences
but at the same time, we need to mass-produce to reduce and a sense of purpose that include all the stakeholders (…)
cost, to differentiate ourselves from the competition and also we need an approach to innovation that is powerful, efficient
customise when required. We never know what the client wants. and widely accessible, that can be integrated in all aspects of
We deliver products and services today that might be totally business and society and that individuals and teams may use
obsolete tomorrow. We can compare the competition between to generate innovative ideas that can be implemented and, so,
companies to a bloody endless world war, where some win and make a difference.”
others lose. Too often we create products to fulfil the need of a TIM BROWN IN DESIGN THINKING
certain customer niche, without taking into account their social
and environmental impact, or thinking about what that may Design Thinking offers such an approach!
bring to the future of the company. We simply deliver!

When we visit a retail shop, more specifically the LCD TV,

plasma screen and LED department, we can clearly notice
the similarity of all the products. The differences between the
brands and products are almost indistinguishable.
What is really worrying in this case is that the model has
been the same for years. All televisions are the same and
the decisive factor will be made based on the price and the
recommendations given by friends or the shop assistant. Is
that the best way we have to make decisions? Do companies
really want their products or services to be chosen solely
based on price?

We know that the models and methods used in our businesses

and companies are no longer relevant for the solution of
problems, and that it is also generating piles of waste and
rubbish around the planet. Can we think of a new approach
that really contributes to a massive change of how people and
companies think to solve problems?
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION

Why Design?

In order to achieve a different

future we need a behavioural
change and that’s why the
most important design today
is the invisible one, the kind
thatdeals with beliefs, customs,
values and systems.
Inspired by Steven Heller’ texts on: http://commonwise.com/
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION 5

D esign does not necessarily mean beauty (yes, it may

include it). In Brazil, common sense refers to design as an
adjective related to beauty, whereas design is, in fact, a VERB,
Services
Experiences
Graph Industrial Interaction
related to the planning of solutions; a process in which we start Interfaces
by developing an understanding of the problem, and end by Information
generating the solution of a challenge.

Throughout the years Design has widened its scope

of application. Recently, design is being used to solve problems that are
more complex and inter-connected.
It started out as a way to help people to communicate
with each other.
Businesses
Organisations
Signs Graph Industrial Interaction Systems
Education
Symbols
Images Graph Government

Imprints

Reference: Buchanan’s Order of Design

Later it expanded into helping people improve objects.
“Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed
at changing existing situations into preferred ones.”
HEBERT SIMON

Products Graph Industrial When we are designing something, we are intentionally

transforming contexts. A transformation of this kind is always
directly connected to people.

If you want to transform and innovate the context you are in,
Later it expanded further in order to include solving creating new possibilities for the future, you are definitely a
issues of how to use less tangible services. designer. A designer is not only a professional graduated in
Design. Professional training contributes a lot, but all of us can
become agents of change in our own contexts. INCLUDING YOU!
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION

What is
Design
Thinking?

“Design Thinking is not an

experiment; it empowers and
encourages us to experiment.”
Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation, Idris Mootee
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION 7

D esign Thinking is a mindset that encompasses a

pluralist systemic thinking that aims at building a better future.
It is not a magic toolbox of solutions to problems; it does not
collaborate with others. When an individual thinks of a problem,
this problem is addressed by one individual perspective. But if
we multiply the number of people involved in the solution of
follow a linear thinking model and cannot be over simplified, at this problem, we also multiply the perspectives and we may
the risk of losing its value. get closer to a clearer understanding of what this problem
really is about. This diversity of perspectives, coupled with a
“Design Thinking is the balance between business and art, multidisciplinary approach, allows us to identify opportunities
structure and chaos, intuition and logic, playfulness and and solutions, that would not otherwise be conceived, had it
formality, control and empowerment.” (Concept extracted from
Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation, Idris Mootee).
THE FOUR MAIN CHANGES PROPOSED BY
In practice, Design Thinking is a human-centred DESIGN THINKING, AT THE LEVEL OF THINKING:
approach that accelerates innovation and brings about
solutions for complex problems.
1. Decisions are human-centred
By bringing down the barriers of hierarchy and of the exclusive
Cartesian thinking model, Design Thinking, offers opportunities 2. Question the questions
for ideas to emerge without preconceptions, forcing our brains
to move out of its comfort zone and start foreseeing desirable
3. Build in order to think
futures.
4. Iterate
In times such as these, it has become imperative that we are
prepared to conceive new possibilities of choice and outcomes
that are capable of responding to the complex challenges of
the world today. Thinking and acting in the same ways we have
been doing in the past 100 years will not takes us to a new
future. Design Thinking proposes a new way of thinking based
on 3 main values: empathy, collaboration and experimentation.

However, Design Thinking’s major differential is the fact that it is

human-centred. We all have the ability to use our knowledge to
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION

Values
of Design
Thinking
“Empathy is about putting yourself in
someone else’s shoes. But it goes
further than that. It is about allowing
the new perspective gained from this
insight to have a permanent internal
impact on you. Only then will you
‘learn from the other person’.”
Renato Nabuco - former student from School of Design Thinking 2013
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION 9

EMPATHY
Empathy means to put yourself in someone
else’s shoes, let go of preconceptions and
understand the context and actions of another,
welcoming, assimilating and accommodating
another person’s perspectives.

COLLABORATION
Collaboration means to think together,
co-create in multidisciplinary teams, so that
our reasoning and understanding can expand
exponentially.

EXPERIMENTATION
Experimentation means moving out from the
field of ideas and speech, in order to build and
test solutions, so that problems can be avoided
in the phase of implementation.
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION

Approach
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION 11

D esign Thinking is a mindset of flexible and interactive nature, which means that any error or
mistake is seen as an integral and invaluable part of the process.

There are alternate moments of divergence and convergence of thinking process, based on the
innovation process known as the Double Diamond, mapped by the Design Council UK in 2005.

According to this approach, the moment to generate solutions starts only after a deep understanding
of the context and a re-signification of the challenge have been established and are seen as steps
in the process.
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | INTRODUCTION

UNDERSTANDING
Divergent Thinking Moment.
It is important to have a 360º view of the challenge - what we affectionately call ununderstanding.
This is the time of laying all the assumptions and hypothesis on the table and to let go of them.
This is the moment of opening up for the discovery phase (understanding) and the preparation of
the field research. It is vital to collect all the existing and available data.

The phase of understanding is a very important moment for the team, as this is the time for
levelling the knowledge base and for creating the team’s social code that will greatly facilitate
collaboration.

TOOLS
- Desk Research
- Deconstruction and holistic understanding of the challenge
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | UNDERSTANDING 13

Deconstructing the Challenge

What is it? Break the statement/question presented as challenge in smaller sentences or isolated words to
explore meanings and meaningfulness. Observe how the parts interact to understand the whole and vice-versa.

What is it for? As you isolate sentences and words, it is easier to explore them without having to limit
yourself to the challenge, thus increasing the amplitude of your perspective on the challenge presented.

How? Write the challenge on a piece of paper that is big enough so that everybody can read and pin it on the wall.
Highlight the words or short phrases that will be exploited separately. Write them in separate pieces of paper and
pin them on the wall. Discuss the definition and meaning of each of them in your team. Write key words during the
discussion in sticky notes and fix them next to the fields of each word.

HOW MIGHT WE IMPROVE

MOBILE PHONE USE
WHEN DRIVING?
mobile phone driver car
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | OBSERVATION

Research and Observation

Time for convergence of perspective and empathy.
Time to set out and start the field research, talk, observe, try and move out of the comfort zone.
Every service, product or platform is designed for people. That’s why our research is based on
them. We are interested in the human factor, therefore, we must look into all the aspects of the
human being: physical, cultural, sociological and psychological.

What tools can we use?

- Data triangulation
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | OBSERVATION 15

DATA TRIANGULATION
In the Design Thinking approach, it is important that the research maps out insights,
generates in-depth understanding about the challenge and accesses the real needs of
people and all the actors involved in the system. For this reason, this must be a holistic
research and it must have an empathic perspective.

In order to have a good understanding of the problem, ideally, techniques in the three
axes of the triangle should be used.

INTERVIEWS
What people say they do...

PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH

Do what people do... Observe what people do...
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | POINT OF VIEW

POINT OF VIEW
The Moment of Convergent Thinking
Defining the point of view is probably one the most challenging moments in the whole project.
After generating a considerable amount of data and insights, it is time to re-word the challenge
in the light of the new understandings and findings brought by the group research. This is the
moment of organising and navigating through the complexity that has been generated. The need
for closure and convergence in this moment is directly proportional to the level of divergence and
amplitude generated in the previous phases. The bigger and the longer the project is, the greater
the need to converge.

WHAT TOOLS TO USE?

- Empathy Map or persona
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | POINT OF VIEW 17

EMPATHY MAP OR PERSONA

What is it? Definition of a specific user based on the research findings, so as to allow for the solution to be
designed for a “someone”.
The persona is often a fiction character, but it should not be invented, with no base on the research. It should be built
based on the sum of all research data gathered and the decisions made in the course of the project.

What is it for? The empathy maps or personas are used to understand the users’ objectives, needs, desires
and limitations. The data that was once abstract gain a face and become a person with whom it is easier to relate.
Your persona might be described as:
Name and image | Socio-demographic profile (such as age and educational background)
Needs, desires and tasks | Objectives and aspirations

How? By filling in the Empathy Map

What does she

THINK AND FEEL?
what really counts
major preocupations
worries & aspirations

What does she What does she

HEAR? SEE?
what friends say environment
what boss says friend
what influencers say what the market offers

What does she

SAY AND DO?
attitude in public
appearance
behavior toward others

PAIN GAIN
fears “wants” and needs
frustrations measures of success
obstacles obstacles

Reference: Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Business Model Generation (Amsterdam: OSF, 2009)
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | IDEATION

IDEATION
The moment when solutions come to life!
In the stage of ideation solutions for the problems and dilemmas from the previous stage are built.
It is important to have a clear understanding of what we are trying to solve, because the ideation phase
allows for several different creative paths.

This is a creativity-based stage that entails the generation of new, useful and surprising ideas,
weighing two thinking processes: the divergent thinking process, which is the human capacity to find
an infinite number of ideas from a single stimulus, with the convergent thinking process, responsible
for the logical, analytical and detailed work.
Try to amplify this activity by offering a comfortable but exciting environment to encourage people to
explore ideas free from judgmental thoughts. Try to create an atmosphere where the team members
can mix elements found in the research and their own repertoire to generate meaningful solutions for
the challenge.

WHAT TO USE?
- Brainstorming
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | IDEATION 19

RULES FOR BRAINSTORMING

1. DEFER JUDGMENT
2. ENCOURAGE WILD IDEAS
3. BUILD ON THE IDEAS OF OTHERS
4. STAY FOCUSED ON THE TOPIC
5. ONE CONVERSATION AT A TIME
6. BE VISUAL
7. GO FOR QUANTITY
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | PROTOTYPING

PROTOTYPING
“Prototypes are more valuable as a means of
communication and interaction among people
than as a means to validate or prove a concept.”
Michael Schrage
The prototyping phase is a moment of DIVERGENCE, of generating yet more ideas, of amplifying your
understanding, of expanding…

Prototypes are powerful means of communication that force us to think realistically about a way through
which people will interact with a concept that we are trying to design. It is the moment to remove ideas
from the paper and bring them alive.

The prototype is capable of provoking an emotional reaction in someone even before the solution exists.

WHAT TOOLS TO USE

- Prototypes of paper and interfaces
- Storyboards
- Models
- Enacting of a Prototype
- Service Prototype
- Constructive Interaction
 SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | PROTOTYPING 21

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!

1. WHY ARE WE PROTOTYPING THIS?

2. WHAT DO WE WANT TO KNOW?

3. WHAT DO WE WANT TO TEST?

4. WHAT DO WE WANT TO DISCOVER?

5. PROTOTYPES ARE QUICK, DIRTY AND CHEAP.

PROTOTYPING IS MORE THAN TESTING

Prototyping can be used to:
• Trigger Empathy: Prototyping is a tool to deepen your understanding of the user, even in the
pre-solution phase of the project.
• Explore: Build to think. To develop multiple option solutions: to generate more ideas.
• Test: Build prototypes (and develop the context) to test and refine solutions with the users.
• Inspire: Inspire others (colleagues, clients, investors) and show them your vision.
• Learn: If an image is worth more than a thousand words, then a prototype is worth more than
a thousand images.
• Solve divergences: Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, help ideation
and reduce communication problems. It is a good tool to initiate a conversation.
• Manage the process of building the solution: Identify a variable to explore a big problem
in smaller, testable sizes.
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | TEST

TEST
“Always prototype thinking that your idea is right,
but always test thinking that your idea is wrong.”
If you spent enough time on your creations, they will reveal themselves to you. But if you test your idea
and let it grow ungovernably, it will gain a life of its own, it will become true and it will reveal itself to
others. This is what happens when you start to build something tangible, when you prototype and start
learning how to think about your challenge from you original idea.

Inspired by Gever’s Tulley TED Talk

“Fail often to succeed sooner.”

IDEO
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | TEST 23

WHAT TO FOCUS ON
1. IMPROVISATIONS

2. NEW OPPORTUNITIES

3. NEW USAGE

THE RULES OF TESTING!

• Generate empathy > a purpose
• Be open to be wrong > to grow
• Inspire > people that test your ideas will be the first to help you implement them, if they see
relevance and purpose!

• Don’t test everything at the same time > focus on one or two things with a view to
understanding. If you test everything at the same time, you will never know what works and
what doesn’t.
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | ITERATION

ITERATION
In order to receive feedback we have to know how to listen to it!
Try not to be defensive, don’t judge, summarise and reflect about what you
heard. Ask questions to clarify understanding and for examples of stories that
may illustrate the main point on the feedback. Be open but check other points
of view, with other people – don’t change your whole project just because of a
negative feedback.

Iteration is an opportunity to refine our solutions and improve them, so we can take
them to the next level.

Feedback brings us valuable insights that can help us create relevant and important solutions that can
truly add value to the users. We iterate to refine our prototypes and solutions. Sometimes, this means
having to go back to the beginning of the process. Testing is just another opportunity to trigger empathy
through observation and engagement, which often brings about unexpected insights. Sometimes,
testing reveals not only that we are in the right track, but also that we have managed to redefine the
problem correctly.

WHAT TOOL TO USE? what was

-
what was
good bad
Create tables with positive and negative points, ideas and
new issues. Choose a point of view and make the necessary
changes. Every time a new issue emerges, test again!
doubts ideas
SCHOOL OF DESIGN THINKING TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | ITERATION 25

The process of Design Thinking that we have suggested here is

continuous and metamorphous.
After the testing phase, iteration may mean going back to some previous stage of the process.
During the testing phase, we sometimes find out that we have not brought the point of view to
the necessary convergence; or we may have misinterpreted some other point or aspect of the
challenge. This is the time to go back and iterate!

The double diamond can open and close, diverge and converge as many times as possible.

Remember: This approach is not a recipe, but a way of accelerating innovation. However, there is
no innovation if we always approach situations and challenges in the same way. INNOVATE!
TOOLKIT DESIGN THINKING | REFERENCES

REFERENCE
SITES

DESIGN THINKING FOR EDUCATORS TOOLKIT:

http://www.designthinkingforeducators.com/

HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN TOOLKIT:

http://www.ideo.com/work/human-centered-design-toolkit/

COLLECTIVE ACTION TOOLKIT:

http://www.frogdesign.com/collective-action-toolkit

CREATIVE ENTERPRISE TOOLKIT:

http://www.nesta.org.uk/publications/creative-enterprise-toolkit

SEVICE DESIGN TOOLS:

http://www.servicedesigntools.org/

THE ART OF POWERFUL QUESTIONS

http://academy.extensiondlc.net/file.php/1/resources/RM-ArtOfQuestions.pdf

IDEO
http://labs.ideo.com/

ABOUT PROTOTYPE
http://proto.io/

ABOUT BRAINSTORMING
http://personalexcellence.co/blog/25-brainstorming-techniques/

“THIS IS SERVICE DESIGN THINKING”

http://thisisservicedesignthinking.com/

BOOKS

MARTINS, Bella; HANINTON, Bruce. UNIVERSAL METHODS OF DESIGN. Rockport, 2012.

MOOTEE, Idris. Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation: What They Can’t Teach You at Business Or Design School. Wiley, 2013.

LIEDTKA, Jeanne; OGILVIE, Tim; BROZENSKE, Rachel. The Designing for Growth Field Book. Columbia, 2014.
 MINI TOOLKIT
DESIGN THINKING

schoolofdesignthinking.com.au