WELCOME TO
DESIGN THINKING AND
INNOVATION
Week2: 9 Feb 2025
Course Overview
1. Design Thinking
2. Innovation and Innovation Management
3. Relating Design Thinking and Innovation
4. Design Thinking Framework
5. 6-Step Design Thinking Process
6. Group Innovation Project
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Remember: Our Goal
Use Design
Thinking to
Solve Problems
and Innovate Pic credit: Ruben Mendoza Bicycle Kick, by The original uploader was Weechie at English Wikipedia., CC BY 3.0, via
Wikimedia Commons
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Feedback from you
• Structured process for Problem Solving…Amisha
• Real life examples …Sriram
• Visual tools/mapping…?sorry can’t recollect
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Quiz 1 Summary – Innovation and its impact on you
• Top 5 Innovations • Top 3 innovation impact
• UPI • Convenience and accessibility
• Netflix • Time saving and efficiency
• AI • Personalized and enhanced
• iPhone experience
• Smartphone
• Top 5 companies/brands
• Netflix
• Apple
• Spotify
• Amazon
• Google
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Recap
• Human-centered approach to Problem Solving and Innovation
• Government…citizen centric
• Healthcare…patient centric
• FMCG…consumer centric
• Education…learner centric
• …. … … human centric
• Shape of society and business
• Individualistic, no-one-size-fits-all, personalized, intuitive
• Standard solutions or rule books may not create effective solutions,
given each solution is unique
• Design thinking presents a human-centered approach to ‘design’ solution
for each pain point
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Types of Problems that can be solved
• Human-centered (real pain points)
• Inclusive of users/stakeholders (co-create)
• Iterative (idea-solution-prototype-refine, transparent)
• Visual (design is involved, language agnostic)
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Types of Problems that can be solved…
https://www.verbio.de/en/press/news/press-
1. Redefining Value attached to releases/detail/verbio-betreibt-indiens-erste-und-groesste-
bioraffinerie-zur-herstellung-von-biomethan-aus-stroh/
the solution
• Waste-to-value…circular economy
• VERBIO launches its first and
India’s largest BioCNG plant
Punjab, helping to prevent stubble
burning
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Types of Problems that can be solved…
2. Improving the quality of https://www.ijdesign.org/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/928
experience by involving in all /348
stages of developing solutions
• Kaiser Permanente improved the
quality of their patients and
registered nurses by redesigning
and shift change of nurses at the
hospital “Nurse Knowledge
Exchange (NKEplus)”
• In front of the patient rather than
nurse counter (patients felt
reassured)
• Simple software to update the
patient information real time
(ensured key updates are not
missed)
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Types of Problems that can be solved…
3. Solving for persons with special needs, e.g. Parkinson’s patients, using
participatory design process
• Case Study: Jellow Communicator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Jmd9URqTU
4. Educational advances, e.g. K-12 education system: Koala Pre-school,
Bangalore, a premium preschool chain (https://koalapreschool.com/); to
make learning pleasure
5. Technological advances; build intuitive systems of gadgets, technology
and interfaces that feel like an extension of human body or brain; can be
used average human beings - Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
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Design thinking examples from Business
1. GE Healthcare develops
”Adventure Series” child-
friendly MRI Scan for
children; kids ask ‘Can I come
back tomorrow?’
2. Oral B IoT Toothbrush
3. Netflix from DVD mail service
to Streaming to Auto-play
trailer
4. Airbnb goes from bankruptcy
to revolutionizing tourism
5. UberEATS combining brand
new technology to
fundamental activity of
eating through immersive
experiences
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Resources
• 5 Examples of design thinking in business
• https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/design-thinking-examples
• GE Healthcare – Children friendly MRI machine
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnSPmcZjEqs
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Reflection: Questions for you
• Design thinking cannot be used to solve scientific problems.
• True/False?
• Why?
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Relating Design Thinking and Innovation
• Innovation is the discipline of discovering and fulfilling
human needs in new ways under conditions of
uncertainty.
• What types of problems we want to solve through
innovation
• “What is the human need we are trying to fulfill?”
• Understanding the customer need allows us to
focus attention away from products, processes
and services and toward the customer and what
she’s trying to get done
• Three main types of customer needs
• Functional Needs: Describe tasks we want to
achieve
• Emotional Needs: Describe how people want to
feel about themselves (personal) or how they want
to be perceived by others (social)
• Economic Needs: Describe a financial outcome
they want to achieve
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Innovation
• Innovation is critical to remain
competitive
• It is top-ranked challenge for CEOs
• The problem is neither lack of
resources nor creativity
• It’s leadership and culture
• Fostering a culture of innovation is
extremely hard
• Requires openness to disciplined
experimentation
Good news is that Innovation can be
learnt, practiced and mastered.
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You can’t just ask customers what they want and
then try to give that to them. By the time you get it
built, they’ll want something new.
- Steve Jobs
Determine the Right Mix of Innovation Projects…
• Type 1 Core projects provide continuous innovation to a company’s
existing business model, products and services, and core capabilities.
• Type 2 Adjacent projects extend a company’s existing business model,
products and services, and core capabilities to new customers, markets,
or targets
• Type 3 Exploratory projects create new business models, products and
services, and capabilities to take advantage of or respond to disruptive
opportunities
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Determine the Right Mix of Innovation Projects
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Innovation – Project Areas
• Automation • Understanding user behavior
• User Experience • Search solution
• Enhanced feature • Optimization
• Reduced complexity • Integration
• Reduce inefficiency • Improved quality
• New tool • Digitizing
• Enhanced security
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Determine Innovation Goals
• x% year growth target
• y% Core business sales
• z% Innovation sales target to meet year growth target
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People don’t buy quarter inch drills, they buy
quarter-inch holes. The drill happens to be the
best means available to get that job done.
- Ted Levitt, HBS
Design Thinking-Levels of Abstraction
Highest
Concepts Pillars of design thinking; mindset,
and approaches for design thinking
Six phases of creative problem
Processes solving
Abstraction levels
Tools and techniques
Actions
Solutions, innovations
Outcomes
Lowest
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Design Thinking Framework - PPSMTO
Process (P) 1 Empathy 2 Define 3 Ideate 4 Prototype 5 Test 6 Implement
Human centered Multi-stakeholder Creativity, abductive logic, Visual communication, Experimentation, agility in Systems thinking, Business
Pillars (P) approach, multi-sensory considerations, multi- nurturing a questioning mind aesthetics, iterative methods detailing with ambiguity Objectives and Strategy
disciplinary approach
approach
Multi-sensory Research and probing, analysis, Visualization, creativity in Design of experiment, Management skills and
Skills (S) observation, listening networking
Creativity, questioning
expressing/mock-ups collecting accurate feedback, business acumen
critical analysis
Interviews, shadowing Pinpoint identification and Share ideas, diverge converge Easy visualization, quick Business planning-operations,
Methods (M)
Expert feedback, user testing
clustering, insights about what phases, ‘yes and thinking’, iterations , fail-fast-learn-fast financial etc., understand
really matters prioritize hinderances
Observation diary, Personas, affinity diagrams, 5- Brainstorming, random word Mock-ups storytelling, user Role play, user acceptance Business model canvas,
Tools/ (T) situation map, empathy why questions technique, dot-voting journey maps, sketches, testing (UAT), feedback capture financial modeling
photographs grid, experiment grid
Techniques map
Crucial How might we…? Questions Brainwriting 6-3-5 worksheet Story boards, scenarios Validation – feedback, areas of
Outcome/ (O) observations/identifying comparison of prevailing improvement, further
scenario with proposed questions
Deliverables actionable pain-points scenario
User journey map
(detailed prevailing
Stakeholder canvas (direct and Brainstorming on clusters of Lo-fidelity prototype Lo-fidelity prototype
scenario) indirect users, influencers solutions with dot voting/post- (sketch/data flow (sketch/data flow Business plan-operational plan,
facilitations) it voting charts/screenshots) charts/screenshots) financial plan
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Design Thinking Framework
Process Mapping pillars (guiding Mapping Mapping processes with Mapping processes Mapping processes with
principles) with processes with methods with tools/techniques outcomes/deliverables
processes skills
Empathy Human centered thinking, Multi-sensory Interviews, shadowing Observation diary, Crucial User journey map
Multi-sensory observation, empathy map observations/identif (detailed prevailing
observation listening ying actionable pain scenario), storyboards
points
Define Multi-stakeholder Research and Pain point identification Personas, affinity ‘How might we…’ Stakeholder canvas
considerations, Multi- probing, and clustering, insights diagrams, 5-why Questions (direct and indirect
disciplinary approach interviewing, about what really questions users, influencers, and
networking matters facilitators)
Ideate Creativity and abductive Creativity, Share ideas, diverge- Brainstorming, random Brain-writing 6-3-5 Brainstorming on
logic, Nurturing questioning converge phases .’yes word technique, dot- worksheet clusters of solutions
questioning mind and thinking’, prioritize voting with dot voting / post-
it voting
Prototype Visual communication Visualization, Easy visualization, quick Mock-ups, User journey map Lo-fidelity prototype
and aesthetics, Iterative creative mock- iterations, fail-fast-to- storyboards, user (comparing the (sketch/data flow
methods ups learn-fast journey maps, prevalent and charts/screenshots)
sketches, photographs proposed scenario)
Test Experimentation, Dealing Experimentation, Expert feedback, user Role play, UAT, Test report: what Feedback capture grid
with ambiguity synthesizing, testing feedback capture grid, works and what
critical analysis experimentation grid doesn’t work?
Implement Systems thinking, Management Business planning: Business plan, Business model Business plan:
Business objectives and skills and operations; financial etc. operational plan, canvas operation plan,
strategy business acumen understand hindrances financial modeling financial plan
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Questions - MCQs
1. Can design thinking be defined by a single theory?
a) Yes, it can be defined precisely
b) No, it cannot be defined precisely
c) No, there is no single theory of design thinking, but a variety of perspectives and
approaches
d) None of the above
2. What is the fundamental objective of professional education?
a) It is to find meaningful solutions in a way that creates value to the society
b) It is to churn out qualified management professionals
c) It is to have professionals managing enterprises
d) It is to have more professionals to run the governments
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Questions - MCQs
3. If a rule book for solving all kinds of problems is not adequate, then
what is the alternative?
a) Use case study method of teaching concept
b) Use design thinking, which takes human centric, multidimensional, multi-layered
approach to solve problems
c) Use ‘group discussion’ method
d) Use ‘block chain’ technology
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Quiz 2 – Max Marks: 2
What could be the various other approaches to problem solving, other than
human-centered approach.
a) Name any one approach of problem solving you know?
b) What are its merits and demerits.
Provide your answer in the below Google Form.
Deadline: Friday, 14th Feb 9:00 PM
https://forms.gle/GGKecHKxTcYmEaec7
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Group Innovation Project – 15 marks total (2 weeks)
1. Form a team to undertake an Innovation Project
• Team can have 10-12 learners. Max 15 teams
• Take a group picture of your team’s first meeting
• Identify a presenter for the first check-in next week
2. Identify an innovation domain and innovation type
1. Innovation domain: Industry/Problem Solving area you wish to impact/address
• Look at your immediate environment you wish to impact
• Think of UN Sustainability Development Goals
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65SWVg2-cH8
• Project Ideas
• https://dsource.in/dti/
• https://youtu.be/65SWVg2-cH8
• https://designinaction.stanford.edu/
2. Innovation type: Core/Adjacent/Exploratory
3. Innovation project area: Automation, User experience, Enhanced security etc.
3. Think of the impact opportunity/size of your innovation – High/Medium/Low
4. Be bold and creative. Target High/Medium opportunities
5. Week 3 (16 Feb): Check-in: Presentation
1. Team’s group pic and name. Make it interesting/creative
2. Identify industry/Problem Solving area
3. Mention the impact/opportunity, explain why
4. 1 Presenter per group. Do elevator style pitch max 3 mins.
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Thank You
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