Design Thinking 101: What You Need to Know

Why do so many large initiatives fail? 

How many times have you invested several months into a project, only to find that it didn’t make the impact you hoped for? 

People often blame poor execution when this happens. But it’s not always about how a solution was implemented — it’s about whether that solution was the right one to begin with. 

Many corporate projects fall short because they accidentally ignore the most valuable point of view: the customer’s. Even solutions that are technically sound and financially backed will fail if they don’t ultimately deliver what customers want.

Design thinking solves this problem. Read on to learn how and why design thinking works, when to use it, and examples of design thinking in action.

What is design thinking? (A simple definition) 

Design thinking is an iterative, flexible approach to solving complex problems by focusing on the end user’s needs. 

It uses structured phases — from empathy to implementation — to guide teams through co-creation, prototyping, and testing.

What does design thinking look like in practice? Bringing diverse teams (often including marketers, developers, experience and product folks) together with customers to ideate around a specific challenge and test out solutions. 

Examples of design thinking initiatives include:

• Reimagining customer experiences
• Building or updating software
• Launching products or adding new features
• Developing new web or mobile applications

Design thinking vs. other methodologies

Design thinking is sometimes confused with other methodologies like Lean, Agile, or systems thinking. While there’s overlap in how they’re used, each one has distinct goals — and they’re not mutually exclusive. In fact, they often complement each other.

Lean focuses on process improvement. Agile emphasizes iteration and speed. Systems thinking looks at relationships and interactions between different parts of a system. 

What sets design thinking apart is its emphasis on empathy, which makes it especially powerful for problems involving human behavior and layered complexity.

Design thinking ensures feasibility, viability, and desirability 

Most business decisions are filtered through two lenses: 

1. Feasibility: Can the solution be implemented?
2. Viability: Will it achieve business goals?

Design thinking adds a third lens: desirability. This ensures the solution also works for the people it’s meant to serve.

Solutions that fall in the sweet spot of feasibility, viability, and desirability are more likely to succeed — both internally and in the market.

What happens when solutions aren’t desirable? 

Why does desirability matter in design thinking? Doug Dietz, an industrial designer at General Electric, learned this firsthand.

Years ago, Doug developed what was supposed to be a breakthrough MRI machine. But when he witnessed a child sobbing with fear before a scan, he realized his invention failed to solve a key problem: Kids were often so terrified that they needed to be sedated for their scans. The technology was advanced, but the experience was horrible.

Doug re-evaluated the problem through the eyes of the patient, and uncovered what needed to change. He spoke with kids, parents, technicians, and child life specialists to make the experience more kid-centered. 

This blossomed into the GE Adventure Series: themed rooms and machines that turned MRI scans into adventures. Sedation rates for pediatric patients dropped from 80% to less than 3%. 

Doug shares the rest of the story in his TEDx Talk. (It’s a good one.)

What kinds of problems does design thinking solve? 

Design thinking is ideal for wicked problems — multi-layered challenges with no clear solution or defined scope. 

Examples of wicked problems include systemic or social challenges, like: 

• Redesigning public transportation for better accessibility
• Improving equity in healthcare access
• Ensuring ethical use of AI 
• Supporting climate resilience in underserved communities

Wicked problems require creative exploration, prototyping, and iteration. This makes them perfect candidates for design thinking. 

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Where did design thinking come from? 

Before design thinking gained traction, two concepts laid the groundwork: 

1. Cooperative design originated in Scandinavia and emphasized the rights of workers to participate in shaping the systems they use.
2. Participatory design extended that thinking, promoting collaboration between designers and everyday users.

Design thinking democratizes the design process, bringing these principles into a repeatable, flexible framework used across industries.

The faster we make our ideas tangible, the sooner we will be able to evaluate them, refine them, and zero in on the best solution. 
– Tim Brown, Change By Design

What are the principles of design thinking? 

Design thinking is guided by a few core principles:

• Human-centered design: solving the right problem with meaningful solutions
• Empathy: understanding the lived experience of your users
• Collaboration: bringing diverse voices together to co-create
• Iteration: building, testing, refining, repeating‍
• Reimagination: removing constraints, not just managing them

Design thinking works by eliminating constraints

People often solve problems by working around constraints (existing restrictions or limitations). Design thinking helps you imagine a new system that removes them altogether. 

Consider the headache of finding parking in a crowded city center. City planners might “fix” the problem by adding more parking spots. This isn’t solving the key issue — it’s just making it less of a problem. 

A design thinking approach asks, “How can we imagine a new way?” This is how industry-changing solutions like Uber are born.

What are the phases of the design thinking process? 

Design thinking typically follows a 6-step framework. This can unfold over several weeks or be condensed into a single working session.

No matter the timeline, here are the steps you’ll follow:

Step 1. Empathize

Understand user needs, emotions, and pain points.

Design thinking and empathy go hand-in-hand. Empathy helps us identify what a person perceives as an issue and what they are trying to accomplish.

‍Journey maps and interviews are essential tools in this phase. They give insight into users’ goals and motivations, as well as friction points.

Step 2. Define

Identify the problem you’re solving, and ensure it’s the right one according to users.

First, reframe your empathetic insights from the last stage into opportunities for action. Identify a key challenge or point of friction and pose the problem as a “How Might We” question: 

Example: “How might we add comfort to a long waiting experience?”

From there, define more specific problem statements based on what users actually need.

Framework: [Name], [description of end user] needs to be able to [core need] so that [desired outcome].

Example: “Frank, the frustrated and tired patient, needs to be able to have some privacy while he waits to get called back for treatment so that he can wait in peace and quiet and feel a sense of comfort.”

Step 3. Ideate

Co-create a multitude of possible solutions.

Let your imagination take control. We recommend a faucet, funnel approach:

Faucet: Go for quantity — generate as many ideas as possible. No idea is a bad idea. Explore every avenue and don’t stop to judge them yet.

Funnel: Once every stone is turned, start poking holes in your solutions. Eliminate the weaker ideas and refine the stronger ones.

Step 4. Prototype

Build tangible representations of a subset of ideas. 

Start bringing your ideas to life. Turn concepts into sketches and then something more visual, like a storyboard, wireframe, or low-fidelity model.

Step 5. Test

Run small-scale trials with end users to test and refine solutions.

Share your prototype with users. Ask open-ended questions and gather feedback to refine your concept. The goal is to “fail fast” during this stage, so you can succeed in the long run.

Note: Based on feedback you gather here, you might revisit the ideation and prototyping stages to refine your concept. This iterative model is a key part of what makes design thinking effective.

Step 6. Implement

Roll out the solution with a strategic plan.

An idea is only that — an idea — until you act on it. After evaluating the feasibility, viability, and desirability of your subset of solutions, choose the strongest one(s) and build your piloting strategy. 

What might this design thinking step look like? At Cast & Hue, our projects often culminate in an experience blueprint, which maps out the new experience and helps teams deliver on it.

See an example:

What makes design thinking effective? 

Design thinking de-risks innovation. By testing and validating ideas early, you avoid investing in the wrong solution.

More benefits of design thinking: 

• Accelerated learning through rapid prototyping
• Deeper customer insight through empathy
• Creative breakthroughs through co-creation
• Reduced rework and faster time to market
• Culture change driven by iteration and inclusion

How to apply design thinking in your organization 

If you’re new to design thinking, start small with a single project. 

Pick something manageable but meaningful, like a process that's broken, a service with low satisfaction, or an experience with known friction. 

Then: 

• Train your team in the mindset and methods. (We can help with that.)
• Socialize the initiative to expand the reach of your design thinking program.
• Empower internal champions to effectively implement new solutions. 
• Build repeatable processes that make design thinking part of the everyday workflow. 

Curious about training? Our training transformed how Baystate Health approaches patient care. Read how we helped their team shift their culture and secure buy-in for more human-centric initiatives.

How to create a company-wide design thinking mindset 

For the greatest impact, embed design thinking in your culture. Use design thinking principles internally (not just for customer-facing solutions) and involve a diverse group of team members.

In general, boost the mindset by encouraging experimentation and celebrating learnings, even from “failed” ideas.

Overcome internal resistance (“Another new initiative?”) with proof of ROI. Measure the results of your first design thinking project to serve as your proof point.

What is the business impact of design thinking? 

The benefits of design thinking aren’t only felt by the end user. It’s great for business. 

The business value of design thinking lies in its ability to reduce risk, increase efficiency, and drive user-centered innovation.

According to research by Forrester, design thinking programs can deliver ROI exceeding 70%, along with faster time to market and increased customer engagement. 

How to measure the impact of a design thinking project 

Because the framework centers on solving the right issues, tie success metrics to the original problem. Examples include:

• Customer satisfaction (NPS, feedback scores)
• Conversion rates 
• Retention and loyalty 
• Employee engagement or satisfaction
• Time to market 

A final word on the power of design thinking 

Design thinking marries process improvement with empathy. It’s a structured way to uncover what users truly need, define the right problems to solve, and co-create solutions that serve both people and the business. 

By grounding decisions in real human insight, it helps teams avoid costly missteps like solving the wrong problem or investing in solutions no one actually wants.

It’s a shift in mindset, but one that pays off. The results are more effective solutions and less wasted effort — making the learning curve well worth it.

Want to bring design thinking into your organization?

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to deepen your practice, here’s how we can help:

• Partner with us to facilitate a design thinking workshop
• Hire us to train your team on design thinking 
• Subscribe to our newsletter for ongoing insights and practical tools