5.1 Design thinking

‘Design’ has become a somewhat fashionable way to approach problem solving. Designers are seen as a great source of ideas: Dyson applied what is now called ‘design thinking’ – the process from which ideas develop – before it was fashionable. There are many design tools that can help individuals and teams to develop ideas. The Further reading section at the end of this session provides some useful information on these.

While ‘design thinking’ could be a course in itself, it is worth touching on a few points that are useful when developing and evaluating ideas. Drawing on the experience of others will help you to understand a challenge. For problem solving, the collective experience is useful to shape a range of possible solutions. Indeed, it is often the mix of experience and being able to ‘see’ how an idea from one area addresses an issue in another that provides novel ways of thinking.