Blended Learning In Design Education

Design thinking is a solution-based approach to solving human-centered problems. This process revolves around a deep understanding of the user so as to redefine problems while maintaining the focus on the user. Such an approach enables the identification of alternative solutions and strategies that may not be apparent at the first glance.

Due to the power of design thinking universities offering the best design courses in India, companies, and consultants have latched on to this methodology for problem-solving. This hype, however, has given rise to problems for practitioners of design thinking as well as the methodology itself.

The steps and phases in design thinking are so logical that it is difficult to imagine any arguments against this process or its limitations. However design there are five major challenges that you can face while using design thinking as a new designer.

Let us understand these flaws and how they can be fixed:

Challenge 1: There are no shortcuts to Design Thinking

Owing to the popularity design thinking has gained, many new designers who have most likely taken only an introductory course on this subject are using this limited knowledge to deliver client engagements. When such work is produced devoid of the vital required years of experience of learning human behaviour and the multitude of techniques that are employed in design thinking, the result is sub-standard design work. Such a half-baked application of design thinking deprives design thinking of the human-centricity it is lauded for.

Solution 1: Before jumping to applying design thinking to a project get a design thinking expert who will guide you on the human elements to be focussed on. This will save you time that would’ve been spent learning the human-centric components of the methodology.

Challenge 2: Design Thinking might be viewed as Linear

Design thinking can be broken down into five steps (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) which is confused with the process being a linear one that doesn’t include iterations.

Solution 2: Traditional problem-solving will only lead to traditional results. Linear problem-solving is a conventional approach to finding solutions. Any process that results in the creation of good design cannot be linear. Design thinking is no different. It involves a series of experiments that often take very unpredictable directions.

Challenge 3: Expecting Human-Centric Outputs Without Human Inputs

Building an understanding of human challenges to find the perfect solution to a problem takes time and effort. A true human-centric problem takes about 4-8 weeks to solve. Due to time restrictions and deadlines design teams are often asked to take the shortest route which reduces the time available for critical immersion work. This work is then conducted over phone interviews which can only lead to sub-optimal design results.

Solution 3: Understand that shortcuts can only lead to shortcomings. It is not possible to get human-centered outcomes without having sufficient human inputs and understanding. This will only come with enough time spent with users, doing what they do. Reserve enough time for creation and ideation and for inspiration to occur, so that ideas can be built upon and improved.

Challenge 4: The Risk of Misalignment

Design thinking projects often encounter problems because of they unable to maintain consistent alignment throughout a project. Practitioners of design thinking typically spend more time with customers to identify and digest insights as compared to anyone else working on the project. They are much farther along the design thinking journey and people who show up later and need time to understand and define the problem, ideate, prototype and test.

Solution 4: One way to tackle this challenge is to form a team with your client to ease communication regarding your research and findings. This way you can walk them through the journey you took to arrive at these findings. It is helpful to remember that everyone else may not be as mentally and emotionally primed for the problem space as you are, so all your team members and other participants must be engaging, curious, eager to make a difference, and energetic, to be able to build solutions to the problem that has been defined.

Challenge 5: Using Design Thinking for Obvious Problems

Using design thinking to tackle problems that are not human-centered can help to some degree but can often become overkill in cases that traditional problem-solving methods could’ve been used.

Solution 5: Before diving into design thinking to find solutions, determine clearly what the nature of the problem is. If the problem is understood properly and the solution is obvious, stay away from using design thinking. If the problem requires deeply understanding people, and the solution can be impactful for customers, then go ahead and apply design thinking to the task at hand. The skill to discern the difference is covered in the curriculum by the best bachelor of design course in India.

While understanding human behaviour is often the key to solving complex problems which lead to improvement and transformation for an organisation, most businesses are driven by fear and not the opportunity which misguides them to an incomplete understanding of design thinking. To thrive in the digitised world we are living in today; it is important to bring empathy into businesses, make time for creative simulation, and identify innovation opportunities, all of which can be done with the help of design thinking as long as it is applied correctly.