Have you ever encountered a niggling everyday problem that disrupts your day in Singapore? It may be a long wait for one's favourite food at the hawker centre, the soreness of being unable to stand even on that crowded bus during its peak hour, or the vexation of squeezing through a messy, disorganized home space. It is these apparently small issues that can take away our efficiency and well-being bit by bit. But what if all of these problems could be faced with immense imagination and effectiveness?
Enter design thinking—an innovative framework that makes it possible for anyone to bring all sorts of problems to life, from the most mundane to the most complex, by creating impactful solutions. It is not only for design professionals but for anyone who wants to tackle challenges in a new, impactful way.
So, what is design thinking, and how does it apply in our daily life?
Design thinking, to the centre, is a human-centred problem-solving process. This is a reminder to connect with the needs and experiences of the person, to those affected by the problem, evoking the feelings and fostering solutions to address needs. Different from the traditional approaches to problem-solving, which might focus on technical solutions or processes at hand, design thinking focuses on people who face challenges.
Practical design thinking training for beginners is based on several phases and each has an important role to play in the journey of solving problems. These phases, or stages, are developed one after the other, clear evidence for some level of iteration and refinement that makes progress to a solution indeed meeting the identified need.
Embracing the Singaporean Context: Identifying Local Challenges
Being filled with all kinds of everyday challenges, starting from coping with the hectic public transport system to making the best of living in a high-rise apartment small space, Singapore has a unique urban landscape and original, lively culture.
However, an approach like design thinking, which is all-embracing, has to be considered. Within the presented problem space, therefore, critical reflection has to be done based on a number of issues in relation to the cultural and social context within Singapore. For instance, the solutions that solve the plight of a young professional who has to grapple with the issues of living in small apartments with multi-generational families might be at variance with that.
We shall identify the chosen problem in the context of Singapore so that the solutions proposed are specific and relevant, workable, and, most importantly, really what the community needs.
Sparking Creativity: "Empathize" and "Define"
These set the ground for problem understanding and its implications on people. These are the first two phases in design thinking:
1. Empathize:
In this phase, we deeply dive into the world of the people experiencing the problem. This deals with active involvement and interaction with them in the following ways:
-
User Interviews: Have in-depth conversations with a person to know much more about their experiences, frustrations, and needs.
-
Surveys: Obtaining wide information from many individuals by use of questionnaires.
-
Observation: Following individuals in their daily routine to observe the kinds of behaviours present concerning the problem under study.
2. Define:
Having gathered rich insights through the "Empathize" stage now is the time to frame the problem statement. It encompasses:
-
Data analysis: We synthesise the data gathered from polls, surveys, and interviews to find important themes and trends.
-
Clearly and succinctly describe the problem: Clearly identify what the issue is, who is involved, and, lastly, what should happen when the said issue is resolved.
An effectively framed problem statement, therefore, guides light over the consecutive stages of design thinking to make sure that our efforts are put into tackling the right problem in the most impacting way.
Unleashing Innovation: “Ideate” and “Prototype” Phases
With a clearly defined problem at hand, it's time to unleash our creative juices and identify some cool solutions. This is where the "Ideate" and "Prototype" phases come in.
3. Ideation:
This is the stage at which numerous ideas are generated. Here, everything goes, literally; at this stage, there are no bad ideas! It's supposed to be about exploring possibilities, questioning assumptions, and thinking outside the box. Here are some techniques to spark creative thinking:
Brainstorming: It is a group discussion technique in which a variety of ideas are spontaneously presented by group members, and built through successive processes.
Mind mapping: A graphically used visual technique representing a problem together with its focal area, allowing for non-linear access to solution space.
SCAMPER: This is to mean Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, put to Other Uses, Eliminate, and Rearrange. It brings out possible ways of playing around with the elements of the existing problem towards generating new solutions.
By employing these techniques, we can generate a diverse pool of ideas that form the foundation for the next phase.
4. Prototype:
After collecting a number of ideas on the issue of discussion, they have to be transformed into an artefact called a prototype. It may be a low-fidelity and cheap prototype type that is good enough to test and iterate with ideas very quickly.
Depending on the nature of the problem and the resources at hand, several types of prototypes may be developed. The most frequently used methods include:
-
Sketches and drawings: Simple visual tools used to clarify the main idea of a solution.
-
Cardboard or paper mock-up: It represents a rudimentary physical model allowing tests for functionality and usability of an idea.
-
Digital Prototype: These are simple interactive prototypes to test the prototype model of possible solution users' interactions.
The most important feature of prototypes is that they are not meant to be finished products. They are just a tool through which to get some kind of feedback and learn about our potential solution.
Refining and Implementing: The "Test" Phase
Armed with prototypes, we are in the "Test" phase, where we get feedback from users and iterate on our solutions. This stage is key to ensuring the ideas we are prototyping are not only doable but also will address the needs of the people for whom we are trying to make life a little better.
5. Test:
This is the step during which we display our prototypes to the users and observe them as they interact with the prototypes. We can use different methods, like:
-
User testing: Individual sessions during which the user tries to use the prototype and gives their opinion on it.
-
Focus group: Bring together a small group of users to discuss their experience with the prototype, receiving feedback from each on an individual basis.
The feedback from the test is invaluable. It helps in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of our prototype, which allows us to refine and improve it before moving into the later stages. Prototyping and testing are repeated in this manner until the solution to the defined problem well works.
Beyond the Prototype: The Journey of Continuous Improvement
Design thinking training Singapore is not a linear approach; it's rather cyclical and iterative. Even after implementing a solution, it's important for us to constantly monitor how well it works and to gather feedback from users. This would present areas for further improvement, with the solution being further refined over time.
All this we make sure of by embracing a culture of continuous improvement that assures the solutions we offer remain relevant, impacting needs and situations. As we thread our way through the many challenges of life in Singapore, design thinking is the best way for active problem-solving that unleashes creativity, innovation, and a more optimistic, user-driven way of conceiving solutions to the myriad issues which is life.
Must Read:- How Design Thinking Reshapes Business Strategy in Singapore
You must be logged in to post a comment.