It is undeniable that innovation is now a highly valued skill in the workplace. The Dean of Harvard Business School, Srikant Datar, said that, “Whether big or small, innovation is the best way to meet human needs.”
According to Srikant Datar, this innovation can be formed by changing the mindset and using a systematic approach, namely design thinking. This concept refers to a process popularized by Tim Brown, CEO and design president of IDEO.
Since then, design thinking has received a lot of attention from professionals because of its proven process of creating consumer-centric innovation. However, what is design thinking and why is it so important for workers? Here's the discussion.
What is design thinking?
Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that prioritizes innovation on consumer needs. What distinguishes it from other problem solving is that design thinking is user-centric and solution-based.
User-centric here means the process focuses on consumer wants and needs, not on what professionals believe about what is the best product.
Meanwhile, solution-based means that compared to the problem, the process will focus on identifying potential solutions to be used. In the process there are four stages of design thinking:
1. Clarification
To gain deeper insight into what is needed, observe consumers and organize troubleshooting.
2. Ideas
No idea is ever too far-fetched. Create the most innovative ideas in order to meet the needs of consumers.
3. Develop
The process of combining existing ideas into a concept. The concept is usually followed by a test phase.
4. Implementation
Communicate the value of innovation effectively to stakeholders and implement appropriate solutions for consumers.
Benefits of Design Thinking
Not only benefiting the company, learning design thinking can also help you in building a career. For its implementation, here are some of the benefits of design thinking that can be obtained in career development.
1. Drive Revenue and New Product Development
With design thinking skills, there will be the ability to develop product innovations, so that they can add value to consumers' lives, customer satisfaction, promotions, recommendations, sales, and drive company revenues.
Not only that, design thinking also allows companies to repeat existing products, and create new products that previously experienced problems with customers. This kind of ability will help you to improve your career at work.
2. Gaining Deep Understanding of Consumers
A consumer-centric approach requires you to understand consumers' motivations, fears, everyday habits, expectations, and disappointments. By developing empathy for the people who use your product.
This will allow you to innovate more and produce products that match the actual needs of customers. This deep level of customer understanding benefits any professional career, including:
Knowing what the target audience likes is important for marketers. This will enable marketers to conduct marketing campaigns and create more efficient and interesting content.
To make maximum products, every company needs to know what is appropriate and desired by its consumers. With design thinking, sales can suggest why a product is suitable for potential customers.
Serving customers is not an easy job, customer service is required to be able to anticipate and respond to customer needs.
From a technology perspective, i design thinking can be leveraged to optimize the customer experience.
3. Save Time, Money and Energy
Failures and mistakes are unavoidable at work. With design thinking these possibilities have been taken into account so that it allows you to prepare anticipatory steps. Therefore, design thinking can save time, money, and effort compared to running a job by trial and error.
4. Gaining an Advantage in the Job Market
If you are a job seeker, this is the right time to learn design thinking, because having more skills will allow you to get job offers and higher wages.
5. Overcoming Cognitive Constancy
One of the main keys to design thinking is overcoming cognitive constancy, which is a state of mind in which a person consciously or unconsciously assumes that there is only one way to interpret or approach a situation.
Meanwhile, design thinking tries to break this habit. When looking at a product try to think about the potential of a product rather than always finishing the same way.
When considering a solution to a problem, try to think of something you could try. By thinking like that, you will find it easier to do work.
6. Forming a More Innovative Team
In-depth knowledge of design thinking enables you to innovate in organizations. With just a simple framework you can build a team rich in knowledge and perspectives. Leading this process can prove that you are an important asset to the company, thus guaranteeing career advancement.
A constructed mindset will result in more productive and innovative work. Design thinking is not only beneficial for your current job, but also for your career advancement in the future.
Through the Design Thinking for Business Innovation program, participants will be trained to be able to find creative opportunities that have not been seen. Through this method, you are expected to be able to find innovative ideas and creative solutions to problems in a professional or personal career.
It is undeniable that innovation is now a highly valued skill in the workplace. The Dean of Harvard Business School, Srikant Datar, said that, “Whether big or small, innovation is the best way to meet human needs.”
According to Srikant Datar, this innovation can be formed by changing the mindset and using a systematic approach, namely design thinking. This concept refers to a process popularized by Tim Brown, CEO and design president of IDEO.
Since then, design thinking has received a lot of attention from professionals because of its proven process of creating consumer-centric innovation. However, what is design thinking and why is it so important for workers? Here's the discussion.
What is design thinking?
Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that prioritizes innovation on consumer needs. What distinguishes it from other problem solving is that design thinking is user-centric and solution-based.
User-centric here means the process focuses on consumer wants and needs, not on what professionals believe about what is the best product.
Meanwhile, solution-based means that compared to the problem, the process will focus on identifying potential solutions to be used. In the process there are four stages of design thinking:
1. Clarification
To gain deeper insight into what is needed, observe consumers and organize troubleshooting.
2. Ideas
No idea is ever too far-fetched. Create the most innovative ideas in order to meet the needs of consumers.
3. Develop
The process of combining existing ideas into a concept. The concept is usually followed by a test phase.
4. Implementation
Communicate the value of innovation effectively to stakeholders and implement appropriate solutions for consumers.
Benefits of Design Thinking
Not only benefiting the company, learning design thinking can also help you in building a career. For its implementation, here are some of the benefits of design thinking that can be obtained in career development.
1. Drive Revenue and New Product Development
With design thinking skills, there will be the ability to develop product innovations, so that they can add value to consumers' lives, customer satisfaction, promotions, recommendations, sales, and drive company revenues.
Not only that, design thinking also allows companies to repeat existing products, and create new products that previously experienced problems with customers. This kind of ability will help you to improve your career at work.
2. Gaining Deep Understanding of Consumers
A consumer-centric approach requires you to understand consumers' motivations, fears, everyday habits, expectations, and disappointments. By developing empathy for the people who use your product.
This will allow you to innovate more and produce products that match the actual needs of customers. This deep level of customer understanding benefits any professional career, including:
Knowing what the target audience likes is important for marketers. This will enable marketers to conduct marketing campaigns and create more efficient and interesting content.
To make maximum products, every company needs to know what is appropriate and desired by its consumers. With design thinking, sales can suggest why a product is suitable for potential customers.
Serving customers is not an easy job, customer service is required to be able to anticipate and respond to customer needs.
From a technology perspective, i design thinking can be leveraged to optimize the customer experience.
3. Save Time, Money and Energy
Failures and mistakes are unavoidable at work. With design thinking these possibilities have been taken into account so that it allows you to prepare anticipatory steps. Therefore, design thinking can save time, money, and effort compared to running a job by trial and error.
4. Gaining an Advantage in the Job Market
If you are a job seeker, this is the right time to learn design thinking, because having more skills will allow you to get job offers and higher wages.
5. Overcoming Cognitive Constancy
One of the main keys to design thinking is overcoming cognitive constancy, which is a state of mind in which a person consciously or unconsciously assumes that there is only one way to interpret or approach a situation.
Meanwhile, design thinking tries to break this habit. When looking at a product try to think about the potential of a product rather than always finishing the same way.
When considering a solution to a problem, try to think of something you could try. By thinking like that, you will find it easier to do work.
6. Forming a More Innovative Team
In-depth knowledge of design thinking enables you to innovate in organizations. With just a simple framework you can build a team rich in knowledge and perspectives. Leading this process can prove that you are an important asset to the company, thus guaranteeing career advancement.
A constructed mindset will result in more productive and innovative work. Design thinking is not only beneficial for your current job, but also for your career advancement in the future.
Through the Design Thinking for Business Innovation program, participants will be trained to be able to find creative opportunities that have not been seen. Through this method, you are expected to be able to find innovative ideas and creative solutions to problems in a professional or personal career.
