The Significance of Design Thinking in Entrepreneurship

Discuss about the Psychological Experience of Prototyping.

In the world today, people have focused on applying entrepreneurial knowledge and skills to better their lives in terms of running their individual jobs. Many entrepreneurs are having difficulties in attracting customers and making huge profits. The worst thing is that Customers are running away from this supplier resulting in damages and loss of items.  The solution lies in the field of design that has enabled people to be innovative and creative. This creativity aims at making them competitive in the market by making products different and of value to the customers (Adams, Daly, & Mann, 2011). It also helps in finding solutions to problems.

During my first lecture of the first week, we began by an introduction from students and lecturer. I was so keen to know more about the content of the unit. The lecturer introduced the unit and finally discussed entrepreneurship and design thinking basics. We covered the definition of design thinking and the differences between design and design thinking (see blog # 2).  It was defined as a method used by entrepreneurs to solve clients’ problems and give them solutions. It is more focused on the solution than the problem itself. This helped me form a basis of what my expectation at the end of the unit. It also helped me as an entrepreneur to know the methods to use in solving clients problem. In addition, I had a problem capturing information since the lecture spoke in a low tone. This made me attend the next lesson prior to time so that I occupy the front seat next to the lecturer. The basics of design thinking are that it requires imagination, reasoning and exploring possibilities (Alves, Marques, & Visser, 2006). This helped me to generate the desired outcome to the customer.

After the introduction, the next activity was to discuss design-thinking framework. We learned that this framework combines problem-solving with art and design approaches. This framework involves observation for discovery, identifying scope and opportunity of innovation. Generate ideas and opinions, testing and deciding solution see blog # 10). This framework will help me to understand and discover ways of innovation that will contribute to growth and value of my customers (Beckman & Speer, 2006). The teacher asked to give a brief overview of what he has taught. He pointed at me and I gave the process correctly. In addition, I learned that listening carefully to what the teacher says is important since it will assist me to understand clients’ problem and solve it in the right way.

Design Thinking Framework: Problem-Solving with Art and Design Approaches

In our next class activity, our lecturer taught us about innovation, the lecturer used a piece of A4 size paper to demonstrate design a birthday shape. He folded the paper from the Conner and glued the ends together. The outcome was a cone cape. Innovation is coming up with new methods of designing something (see blog # 4). We learned that Customers are to innovation for a company to succeed. Companies innovate in order to be more competitive and increase customers.  From the activity, I discovered that the feedback clients give about the company is the basis for innovation (Blank & Dorf, 2012).

I learned that innovations that companies make, either cause market success or market failure.  Involving customers in innovation is very important. This is because customers form the backbone of the organization. These customers buy our goods and services depending on their needs. These needs should satisfy them and if not satisfied they give feedback through the complaint (Alves, Marques, & Visser, 2006). From the activity, I realized how important customers are and that as a future manager of a company I need not ignore those complaints but instead they should help them improve and correct the mistake.it is clear that those complains forms the basis for innovation.

In the process of designing and innovating new products in the market, the existing products face challenges. After companies launch new products and services in the market, they ignore and forget about the old product. When users of such products come, they find that the product they need is of low quality or is missing in the shelves (see blog 4). Many at times they get irritated and decide to move to the next merchants thus reducing the volume of their clients (Beckman & Speer, 2006). Many entrepreneurs are having difficulties in attracting customers and making huge profits. The worst thing is that Customers are running away from this supplier resulting in damages and loss of items. From this lesson, I learned that as much as the companies introduce new products in the market, they should not ignore or discontinue old products for the sake of retaining loyal customers (Brown, 2009). This will help me to offer customer satisfaction in a way that meets their requirements.

Product development in the market needs creativity (Brown, Design thinking. ,2008). Creativity involves skills and knowledge to design a new product. Design thinking provides entrepreneurs with concepts, methods, and tools to be creative (see blog # 5). Any success of the company involves customers. They are involved when they purchase products. The process of development involves uncovering opportunities, generating ideas, experimenting and finally applying the idea. I learned that design process involves divergent and convergent thinking in order to come up with appealing methods for the benefit of the company. Through this, I will be able to generate multiple choices and selecting from the choices. From this activity, I learned that people have various design thinking in one particular thing and everyone view things differently concerning similar things (Doorley & Witthoft, 2012). This differences in ideas lead to solving different needs depending on the nature of the business.

Innovation and Customer Feedback in Design Thinking

We learned that product promotion is making a product known to the customers. When organizations want to launch a new product they do it through marketing advertisements. Visual and graphics are the use of pictures and drawings to represent certain information. Through design thinking, we come up with appealing pictures and wordings that attract customers (see blog # 6). I learned that for organizations to advertise their products, they should employ few words with many pictures in order to catch the attention of people.  Many customers use pictures more than words to enhance their understanding.

From the activity, I learned how to explain an idea using a drawing. This will help me to generate solutions by receiving other people’s feedback. For any communication to be complete, feedback from customers will help correct our problems. These solutions are identified through design thinking (Dorst, 2011). Design thinking will help me learn more on problem-solving, customer development, creativity, and teamwork and product solution. It helps students to embrace their creative confidence. Therefore using design-thinking principles on entrepreneurship will help me meet their goals.

This activity involves defining what a journey map is and who uses it. We defined as a visual representation of customer experience.it shows how customers interact with business or brand product through different channels known as touchpoints (see blog # 7). Any information from the customer to the organization portal or website to make the purchase is a touch point.  This helps businesses to track and understand customer habits (Liedtka, 2000). Analysing these touch points helps me to understand why, how and when clients visit and engage with products. In addition, it helps in making VDD based on the experience of the customer. They may include understanding clients’ behavior, feelings, and thoughts across the journey. This will help me ensure customers’ needs and goals are made.

I also learned the importance of journey mapping as a design tool. This tool contains information about the challenges we face as an organization. Knowing the problem will prepare managers to identify the possible issues they may encounter towards the journey to a successful life (Farrell & Hooker, 2011).

The next activity we learned about principles of design thinking. This is guidelines to follow when designing something they involve explore, assess, build prototypes and find new ideas. This topic will help me to explore the issue in varying perspectives to determine whether being focused on the issue (see blog # 3). After assessing ideas I will be able to find the right solution. This shows how design thinking follows a predetermined guide to reach a solution

The Challenges of Innovation in Business Development

Design thinking is used by many professionals. It helps eLearning professionals, organizations, individuals and learners to perform their duties. Through design thinking users of the internet are able to design applications on their phones, institutions portal to enable customers to solve their problems easily and faster (see blog # 10).  Schools have been able to design students and staff portal to enable them to manage their activities. Students now days are able to online exam interact with lecturers online. They also use social media platforms for communication and socialization. It is a solution to most challenges. This helped me to know how design thinking in eLearning benefit can be used to integrate instructions and develop a future process in achieving performance.

I learned that in any organization there are challenges that the company or an individual face. For us to identify the problem we have to ask the client about how they have benefited from the problem. There are several ways of identifying a problem from the organization or customer. These include survey, use a questionnaire or face to face interview. In our case face to face, the interview is preferred because it will enable us to generate immediate feedback and solution (see blog # 10). I noticed that individual interview would help managers find problems in some products by asking users. Interview questions are part of design thinking for product assessment to gather more information about the problem as well getting responses from the respondents (Gerber & Carroll , 2012). We need to seek opinions and suggest new ideas to solve and improve the problem. Many of us are surprised by the story clients to give (Alves, Marques, & Visser, 2006). We generated the effects of the application to the owner.  From the lesson to my surprise the task revealed the real problem and solutions many of us do. The effects, solutions, and feedback will help us find solutions in order to improve on our activities in the organization (Liedtka, 2014).

Communication involves passing information from one group to another. It involves the sender, receiver, feedback, and message. For information to reach the receiver there has to be a channel through which information passes.  For communication to be complete, the receiver has to send feedback. Poor channels of communication may result in misunderstanding of the message (see blog # 3).  Interpretation and understanding of message will help in passing the correct message.  One can pass information in pictorial representation in relation to what he wants to pass using design thinking. From this activity, I learned the importance of communication channel in a large group. It is difficult to give the right solution when the problem is misunderstood (Beckman & Speer, 2006). I learned why I should follow instruction while passing information from one group to another. In addition, I discovered why I should ask for clarity and feedback in order to pass message in the correct manner in whichever circumstance not only in the unit. This will help me to give the right solution to the problem at hand. In the activity of presentation, communication applied whereby each and every group member speak in the classroom and another person writes on the board. This taught me listening and confidence in passing information (see blog #12).

Creativity in Product Development through Design Thinking

As part of the session’s activity, we must be able to apply the knowledge of design thinking in real life situations.  It is clear that sometimes the organization may not realize their weaknesses but through the customers, they find issues and correct them. If you are a manager you can ask clients how they find the company and using their feedback you can build on the strategies for improvement (see blog # 11). We used at least 10 designs techniques to elaborate the concept. Of development, mind mapping, journey mapping, visualization, brainstorming, prototyping, value chain analysis, and test assumptions were used.  During the class, we presented various problems and their solutions using design tool. I noticed that students have good ideas and must make use of them to make innovative products in order to be competitive in the market (Brown, 2009). This motivated me and prepared me for the future concerning my career as a management design student. From the activity, I learned many things including preparation for a good product development, applications of design tools on different problems, how to manage clients in terms of time specification.

Conclusion

The design is linked to future improvements based on building up ideas. The objective of design thinking course was to help me as an entrepreneur design better products through innovation. The purpose was to help in personal and organizational development. Through problem stages of problem identification, I will be able to use the design thinking to help me to develop an innovative and practical solution to problems. Through the end of the course, I will be able to develop an understanding of the important phases and approaches in design thinking and learn how to implement new skills and knowledge in career and personal life. This will help me in building an effective solution to the problem. For one to be innovative he or she needs to use design thinking to brainstorm the idea. The process of design thinking will help me to extract, learn, teach and apply the techniques in solving issues in an innovative and creative way. This shows how design thinking helps designers, employees, managers, and freelancers to do their activities. For entrepreneurs I suggest:

We teach staff on design thinking to help influence the culture of any start-up business and in the field of business.it will help them to learn how to get out of problems within a short period. It gives a basis for understanding users.

The design thinking approaches used is observation and empathy. It will entrepreneurs reflect on customers behaviour which will help them solve managerial issues in future.

Design thinking is user-friendly. It involves understanding motivations and needs. It requires teamwork. This will help entrepreneurs to learn and get new ideas. Design thinking is an important tool to strategy development and business changes. Therefore, making use of design thinking process will affect the whole country in terms of growth and customer satisfaction.

References

Adams, R., Daly, S. R., & Mann, L. M. (2011). A professional: Three lenses into design thinking, acting and being. Design Studies, Chicago.

Alves, J., Marques, M. J., & Visser, M. (2006). Stimulation of creativity and innovation in a small multidisciplinary NPD team. Paper presented at the R&D Management Conference. Taiwan.: Taipei & Hsinchu,

Beckman, S., & Speer, L. (2006). Learning about design: Observations from ten years of new product development class projects. America: Industrial Designers Society of America.

Blank , S., & Dorf, B. (2012). The startup owner’s manual: The step-by-step guide to building a great company. Pescadero: CA: K&S Ranch.

Brown, T. (2008, 06 23). Design thinking. Harvard Business Review, pp. 85-92.

Brown, T. (2009). Change by design: How design thinking transforms organizations and inspires innovation. New York: NY.

Doorley, S., & Witthoft, S. (2012). Make space: How to set the stage for creative collaboration. Hoboken, NJ: John Whiley &Sons.

Dorst, K. (2011). The core of ‘design thinking’ and its application. Design Studies, 521-532.

Farrell, R., & Hooker, C. (2011). Design, science, and wicked problems. Design Studies. NJ.

Gerber, E., & Carroll , M. (2012). The psychological experience of prototyping. Design Studies, NJ.

Liedtka, J. (2000, 06 34). In defense of strategy as design. California Management Review, p. 45.

Liedtka, J. (2014). Perspective: Linking design thinking with innovation outcomes through cognitive bias reduction bias reduction. Journal of Product Innovation Managment, 925.