Design Thinking methodology for human-centered innovation. Covers the 5-phase IDEO/Stanford d.school approach (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) with workshop facilitation and exercise templates.
Provides the 5-phase Design Thinking methodology (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) with workshop templates and exercises. Use when guiding human-centered problem-solving or facilitating innovation sessions.
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A human-centered approach to innovation that integrates the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.
Design Thinking is a problem-solving methodology developed by IDEO and taught at Stanford d.school. It emphasizes understanding users, challenging assumptions, redefining problems, and creating innovative solutions through iterative prototyping and testing.
| Principle | Description |
|---|---|
| Human-Centered | Start with people, not technology or process |
| Embrace Ambiguity | Comfortable with uncertainty early on |
| Bias to Action | Learn by doing, not just thinking |
| Radical Collaboration | Cross-functional, diverse perspectives |
| Iterate Rapidly | Fail fast, learn fast, improve fast |
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│EMPATHIZE│→│ DEFINE │→│ IDEATE │→│PROTOTYPE│→│ TEST │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│Understand│ │Frame the│ │Generate │ │Build to │ │Learn & │
│the user │ │problem │ │ideas │ │learn │ │refine │
└─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘
▲ │
└────────────────── Iterate ─────────────────────────┘
| Phase | Mode | Key Question | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empathize | Diverge | What is the user experiencing? | Insights, observations |
| Define | Converge | What is the core problem? | POV statement |
| Ideate | Diverge | What are possible solutions? | Ideas, concepts |
| Prototype | Converge | How can we make it tangible? | Prototypes |
| Test | Learn | What works and what doesn't? | Validated learning |
Build deep understanding of users and their experiences.
| Method | Duration | Participants | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| User Interviews | 30-60 min | 1:1 | Deep individual insight |
| Observation | Hours-days | Field work | Natural behavior |
| Empathy Mapping | 15-30 min | Workshop | Synthesizing research |
| Journey Mapping | 1-2 hours | Workshop | Experience visualization |
| Shadowing | Half-day | Field work | Workflow understanding |
## Empathy Map: [User/Persona Name]
### Says
[Direct quotes from interviews/observation]
- "[Quote 1]"
- "[Quote 2]"
### Thinks
[What might they be thinking? Hopes/fears?]
- [Thought 1]
- [Thought 2]
### Does
[Actions and behaviors observed]
- [Behavior 1]
- [Behavior 2]
### Feels
[Emotional state, what worries/excites them]
- [Emotion 1]
- [Emotion 2]
### Pains
[Frustrations, obstacles, risks]
- [Pain 1]
- [Pain 2]
### Gains
[Wants, needs, measures of success]
- [Gain 1]
- [Gain 2]
## User Interview Guide
**Duration:** 45-60 minutes
**Objective:** [What we want to learn]
### Opening (5 min)
- Introduce yourself and purpose
- Explain confidentiality, recording consent
- "There are no right or wrong answers"
### Context (10 min)
- Tell me about your role/day-to-day
- How long have you been doing [X]?
- Walk me through a typical [scenario]
### Deep Dive (25 min)
- Tell me about a time when [specific experience]
- What was the most challenging part?
- What did you try? What happened?
- How did that make you feel?
### Needs & Desires (10 min)
- If you could wave a magic wand, what would change?
- What would that enable you to do?
- What does success look like for you?
### Closing (5 min)
- Is there anything else you'd like to share?
- Can we follow up if we have questions?
Synthesize observations and frame the right problem.
## POV Statement
**User:** [Specific user type/persona]
**Need:** [Verb - what they need to do]
**Insight:** [Because - surprising insight about why]
---
**Full Statement:**
[User] needs to [need] because [insight].
**Example:**
A busy working parent needs to quickly prepare healthy meals
because they want to model good eating habits for their children
but feel guilty about the time-cost tradeoff.
Transform POV into actionable opportunity statements:
## How Might We Questions
**POV:** [Your POV statement]
### HMW Brainstorm
Generate HMW questions by asking:
| Lens | Question | HMW |
|------|----------|-----|
| **Amplify the good** | What's working? | HMW do more of [good thing]? |
| **Remove the bad** | What's painful? | HMW eliminate [pain point]? |
| **Explore the opposite** | What if we flipped it? | HMW [opposite approach]? |
| **Question assumptions** | What's assumed? | HMW if [assumption] wasn't true? |
| **Change status quo** | What's expected? | HMW change when/where/who? |
| **Break it into parts** | What are components? | HMW address just [component]? |
### Selected HMW Questions
1. HMW [question 1]?
2. HMW [question 2]?
3. HMW [question 3]?
**Priority HMW:** [The one to ideate on]
Generate a wide range of creative solutions.
| Rule | Description |
|---|---|
| Defer judgment | No criticism during brainstorming |
| Go for quantity | More ideas = better ideas |
| Build on others' ideas | "Yes, and..." |
| Encourage wild ideas | Think big, no constraints |
| Be visual | Sketch, don't just talk |
| One conversation | Listen, build, riff |
| Stay focused | Keep the HMW visible |
## Ideation Session
**HMW:** [The How Might We question]
**Duration:** 30-45 minutes
**Participants:** [Names]
### Warm-Up (5 min)
[Quick creative exercise to loosen up]
### Silent Brainstorm (10 min)
- Write one idea per sticky note
- Work individually
- Aim for 10+ ideas each
### Share & Build (15 min)
- Share ideas one by one
- Build on others' ideas
- No criticism, only "Yes, and..."
### Cluster & Theme (10 min)
- Group similar ideas
- Name each cluster
- Identify promising directions
### Ideas Generated
| Cluster | Ideas | Count |
|---------|-------|-------|
| [Theme 1] | [List] | [N] |
| [Theme 2] | [List] | [N] |
### Top Ideas to Prototype
1. [Idea 1]
2. [Idea 2]
3. [Idea 3]
| Technique | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Brainstorm | Free association | Starting point |
| Brainwriting | Silent written ideas | Quiet/remote groups |
| SCAMPER | Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse | Improving existing |
| Analogies | How would X solve this? | Breaking mental models |
| Worst Idea | Intentionally bad ideas | When stuck |
| Mash-up | Combine unrelated concepts | Radical innovation |
Build quick, cheap representations to learn.
"If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a prototype is worth 1,000 meetings." — IDEO
| Type | Fidelity | Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Sketch | Very Low | Minutes | Earliest exploration |
| Storyboard | Low | 30 min | User journey, scenarios |
| Paper Prototype | Low | 1-2 hours | Screen flows, UI |
| Role Play | Low | 30 min | Service experiences |
| Wizard of Oz | Medium | Hours | Complex interactions |
| Clickable Mockup | Medium | Days | Digital products |
| Physical Model | Varies | Varies | Tangible products |
## Prototype Plan
**Concept:** [What we're prototyping]
**Goal:** [What we want to learn]
**Audience:** [Who will test it]
### What to Prototype
- **Include:** [Essential elements to test]
- **Exclude:** [What we won't build yet]
### Prototype Type
**Type:** [Paper/Digital/Physical/Role-play]
**Fidelity:** [Low/Medium/High]
**Time to Build:** [Duration]
### Materials Needed
- [Material 1]
- [Material 2]
### Key Questions to Answer
1. [Question 1]
2. [Question 2]
3. [Question 3]
### Success Criteria
- [How we'll know it worked]
## Storyboard: [Concept Name]
### Scene 1: [Setup]
[Sketch/Description]
**What's happening:** [Action]
**User says/thinks:** "[Quote]"
### Scene 2: [Trigger]
[Sketch/Description]
**What's happening:** [Action]
**User says/thinks:** "[Quote]"
### Scene 3: [Interaction]
[Sketch/Description]
**What's happening:** [Action]
**User says/thinks:** "[Quote]"
### Scene 4: [Resolution]
[Sketch/Description]
**What's happening:** [Action]
**User says/thinks:** "[Quote]"
Learn what works, what doesn't, and iterate.
| Principle | Description |
|---|---|
| Show, don't tell | Let the prototype speak |
| Create experiences | Have users interact, not just look |
| Ask "why?" | Dig into reactions |
| Embrace failure | Every test teaches something |
| Iterate | Build-test-learn cycles |
## Test Session
**Prototype:** [Name/Version]
**Participant:** [Code or name]
**Date:** [ISO date]
### Introduction
"We're testing a concept, not you. There are no wrong answers.
Please think out loud as you interact with this."
### Scenario
[Context to set up the test]
### Observations
| Moment | Observation | Quote | Insight |
|--------|-------------|-------|---------|
| [When] | [What happened] | "[Said]" | [Meaning] |
### Key Learnings
1. [Learning 1]
2. [Learning 2]
3. [Learning 3]
### What to Keep
- [Element that worked]
### What to Change
- [Element to modify]
### Questions Raised
- [New question to explore]
## Iteration Review
**Prototype Version:** [N]
**Tests Conducted:** [Number]
### Synthesis
| Finding | Frequency | Severity | Action |
|---------|-----------|----------|--------|
| [Finding] | [X/N] | H/M/L | Keep/Change/Remove |
### Next Iteration
**Priority Changes:**
1. [Change 1]
2. [Change 2]
**Hypothesis to Test:**
If we [change], then [expected outcome] because [reason].
## Design Thinking Workshop
**Duration:** 4 hours
**Participants:** 6-12 people
### Agenda
**0:00 - 0:15** Welcome & Icebreaker
- Introductions
- Creative warm-up
**0:15 - 0:45** Empathy Share (30 min)
- Share research/interviews
- Empathy mapping exercise
**0:45 - 1:15** Define (30 min)
- Synthesize insights
- Create POV statements
- Generate HMW questions
**1:15 - 1:30** Break (15 min)
**1:30 - 2:15** Ideate (45 min)
- Brainstorming
- Clustering
- Voting
**2:15 - 3:15** Prototype (60 min)
- Teams build low-fi prototypes
- Prepare to present
**3:15 - 3:45** Share & Feedback (30 min)
- Each team presents
- Group feedback
**3:45 - 4:00** Wrap-up (15 min)
- Key decisions
- Next steps
## Design Sprint (1-Day)
**Duration:** 8 hours (condensed from 5-day sprint)
**Participants:** 5-8 people cross-functional
### Morning: Understand & Define
**9:00 - 9:30** Set the stage
- Sprint goal
- Challenge statement
**9:30 - 10:30** Expert interviews / Lightning talks
- Stakeholder perspectives
- User insights
**10:30 - 11:00** How Might We
- Generate HMW from insights
- Vote on priority
**11:00 - 12:00** Sketch solutions
- Individual crazy 8s
- Solution sketches
### Afternoon: Build & Test
**12:00 - 1:00** Lunch
**1:00 - 1:30** Decide
- Critique sketches
- Vote
- Decide what to prototype
**1:30 - 4:00** Prototype
- Build testable prototype
- Prepare test script
**4:00 - 5:00** Test
- 3-5 user tests
- Capture feedback
**5:00 - 5:30** Debrief
- What we learned
- Next steps
When applying Design Thinking to software products:
// Example: Tracking Design Thinking sessions
public class DesignThinkingSession
{
public Guid Id { get; init; }
public required string ChallengeName { get; init; }
public required DesignPhase CurrentPhase { get; init; }
public required string HowMightWe { get; init; }
public DateTimeOffset Created { get; init; }
public List<EmpathyInsight> Insights { get; } = [];
public PointOfView? Pov { get; set; }
public List<Idea> Ideas { get; } = [];
public List<Prototype> Prototypes { get; } = [];
public List<TestResult> Tests { get; } = [];
}
public enum DesignPhase
{
Empathize,
Define,
Ideate,
Prototype,
Test
}
public record EmpathyInsight(
string Observation,
string UserQuote,
string Interpretation
);
public record PointOfView(
string User,
string Need,
string Insight
);
public record Idea(
string Title,
string Description,
int Votes,
string Cluster
);
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