Why is it worth developing a Design Mindset?

Home page 9 Design Mindset overview

Understanding the characteristics of the thinking and acting styles of designers, as well as measuring current predispositions, opens up new development opportunities – for individuals, teams, and entire organizations.

Many companies today undertake projects using methods borrowed from the world of design, particularly in the context of product and service design, with an emphasis on user experiences (User Experience, Customer Experience). A Design Mindset is the foundation of such activities.

Access to natural predispositions

We are all born with predispositions that allow us to explore and create. Traditional education and many professional contexts do not foster their development. Meanwhile, designers shape their cognitive processes during specialized studies – they learn ways to research, formulate, and solve design problems. They then develop these skills in professional practice, which can pertain to various specializations. The methods and tools used by designers have been studied and analyzed for years. This particular way of working has come to be known as the Design Thinking approach. It is used wherever innovation and problem-solving are needed, especially for poorly defined problems (wicked problems). This approach is effective in business, social, and educational contexts. Companies like Apple, Amazon, IBM, Airbnb, and Uber have built and continue to build their competitive advantage using design thinking. To explain what the Design Mindset is, it’s worth understanding how the work of designers differs from the Design Thinking approach. Design Thinking is an approach where non-designers use designers’ methods and tools to solve problems and create new solutions in their areas of specialization – which can be any field of work. These specific ways of thinking and acting, used by designers and those applying the Design Thinking approach, are supported by a unique set of predispositions – this is the Design Mindset.

What is DESIGN?

Design, or designing, is the process of shaping people’s surroundings in a way that meets their functional and emotional needs. There are many different design disciplines, but the common feature of all of them is the pursuit of solutions that provide value to specific user groups. Professional designers use a specific set of methods and tools that allow them to precisely define the problem and effectively solve it. Good design is always an interdisciplinary activity based on teamwork.

What is DESIGN THINKING?

Design Thinking is a way of thinking and acting for interdisciplinary teams that use methods and tools characteristic of designers. The goal is to solve complex problems. A key aspect is placing the human and their needs at the center. The design problem is defined based on user research. Then, potential solutions are created and tested, with successive iterations bringing the team closer to an optimal solution. The term was popularized by the d.school at Stanford University and the company IDEO, facilitating the use of user-centered design principles among “non-designers.” Design Thinking gained prominence in the business world in the 1990s. Gradually, it became a popular approach to problem-solving, revolutionizing various industries and changing how companies innovate. However, its widespread adoption has led to many cases of superficial and incorrect application, which is why it also faces criticism.

What is DOUBLE DIAMOND?

Double Diamond Model

Proces projektowy według modelu Double Diamond

The Double Diamond Model is a widely recognized framework that illustrates the design process. It was created in 2013 by the Design Council (United Kingdom). It highlights the following phases:

Exploration (Discover) – a stage of broad research, gathering materials, and inspiration for further work.
Analysis (Define) – analyzing the collected materials, looking for patterns, and defining guidelines using tools such as Personas and Customer Journey Maps.
Ideation (Develop) – creating concepts, prototyping, and testing potential solutions.
Implementation (Deliver) – refining the final solution through successive tests until its final implementation.

Each of the four stages corresponds to four areas of the Design Mindset and nine predispositions.

What is DESIGN MINDSET?

Design Mindset is a set of predispositions for thinking and acting characteristic of designers. According to the independent research institution Institute for the Future from Palo Alto, California, Design Mindset is one of the foundations of the future of work.

We rely on specific knowledge and research on design activities and the behaviors of designers. These studies show that certain predispositions aid in design, supporting the resolution of so-called wicked problems. These abilities are highly developed – through studies and design practice – in qualified designers, but everyone possesses them to some extent.

Most importantly, the Design Mindset can be developed. Awareness of its components allows one to pay attention to specific situations and facilitates the introduction of changes in daily work. It is also possible to develop these predispositions by participating in recommended training and workshops.