Design Thinking
Many people are learning about UI / UX Design, most of them are more focused on how to use tools for UI / UX Design. They focus on the result, without understanding the thought process for designing a product.
In the past, when I first explored the world of UI / UX Design, many people who had studied UI / UX Design first advised me to understand Design Thinking, then I wondered what was meant by Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is a design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. Design Thinking is especially useful in overcoming complex problems by understanding the human needs involved, reframing the problem, in a human-centered way, creating multiple ideas in brainstorming sessions, and adopting a hands-on approach to prototyping and testing ideas.
In the process, Design Thinking involves all parties, this is an advantage of Design Thinking where we can solve problems by looking at them from various sides.
In the Design Thinking method, there are 5 stages in the process, namely Empathy, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. In the process, these 5 stages do not always run in sequence. The flow of steps can be tailored to a specific case.
Empathy
Know the people and all aspect you are designing for, so you can understand their needs better
In Design Thinking, the approach taken is user-centered or focuses on what our users actually feel. By empathizing with our users, we can create a product that is really needed and solve our users’ problems.
In the process, Empathy is the most important foundation in the Design Thinking method. It is intended for us to understand more deeply what is actually happening and being felt by our users. In its implementation, this can be done a little User Research. There are many methods that can be used, it can be card sorting, deep interview, survey etc. depending on the needs of the project.
In addition, a competitor analysis can be carried out. By comparing the same features with other apps / websites. What we need to pay attention to is how the design concept, flow, and content are.
Define
Generate as many ideas you could think of
After completing the Empathy stage, the information that has been collected can be used to determine the core problems that will be identified. This Define stage is very helpful for solving user problems because the problem has been determined.
In the define stage we also have to generate as many ideas as possible. This idea doesn’t have to be original, innovative, unique or otherwise. Ideas here could be from previous experience or an existing business model. As many as possible, various points of view, and various experiences.
Ideate
Generate ideas that might be useful to the end-user
The Ideate stage is the stage for generating ideas. All ideas will be accommodated in order to solve the problems that have been determined in the define stage. It is important to come up with as many ideas as possible or problem solutions early in the idea phase. The final stage is to investigate and test these ideas to find the best way to solve the problem or provide the elements needed to avoid problems that later occur.
We can explore with the method “How might we …” but in practice don’t forget to limit the allocated time. Because it is often so easy for us to be immersed in deep exploration which is sometimes too wide.
Prototype
A good prototype is a prototype that facilitates answering the questions you have
After we have got the idea for the problem solution, the next goal is how to validate that this idea can solve the problem and answer the questions that arise while developing the product. It could be validating, product usability, efficiency, and more. Prototype is an implementation of solutions in minimal resources. The details of the specifications in the implementation can vary, or so-called fidelity. In general, the prototype is divided into Low-fidelity and High-fidelity.
Some questions may only require low-fidelity prototypes, and some may require high-fidelity prototypes. For example, in a multilingual application, validation is required to check whether the translation of the terms is easy enough for the potential user to understand, only requires a low-fidelity prototype. Meanwhile, to test color contrast, readability, then familiarity with the icon requires a high-fidelity prototype. This can be tested in a team alone, or on several other people. When there is input, the prototype is improved again, so that a really good prototype is produced.
Test
Prototype as if you know you’re right, but test as if you know you’re wrong
Testing is the stage where we validate whether the solution design we make is correct and is able to solve user problems or there are things we can develop again. Before starting testing, it’s a good idea to first determine what we want to know from this testing. Create a testing plan, what insights you want to get, which parts you want to validate. As explained at the prototype stage, the prototype is made to answer questions that are still being debated with the aim of making the product better.
When starting testing, don’t rush to explain everything. Allow users to try to understand your product. That way you can also simultaneously check whether the design you make is enough to solve the problem. Tell them what needs to be said and try to respect their time. When performing testing, try to record testing progress and allocate other people to record and observe the testing process. This is intended so that we can more freely guide the tester in the testing process.
Conclusion
Design Thinking is a pattern of approach in solving a problem. In the process, the 5 stages do not have to be sequential. The flow of steps can be tailored to a specific case. Design Thinking aims to validate ideas more quickly in designing a product.
Design thinking is human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success
Tim Brown