Design thinking is a proven and repeatable problem-solving methodology that is user-centered. It addresses the changing and challenging situations that increase the risk of every business organization. Ideas for new or improved product/service designs may come from any source using Design Thinking. In the Design Thinking process ideation is the stage where ideas for new or enhanced products/service designs may come from empathy with the customer.
The process of ideation includes a lot of brainstorming and the collection of information through empathy to generate ideas. Now the question arises who will perform the Design Thinking process? The Design Thinking team is cross-functional and represents the critical functions of the organization that involves technology, business & users. The researcher and development team is one of the most important departments of an organization that is majorly responsible for analyzing the ideas for new or improved product/service products and services in the market.
Many times the ideas for new or improved product/service designs may come from employees, the production department, the market research sales force, and customers.
Customers are the best good source of information as they are the end users. Design Thinking always focuses that the best idea as the solution to the given problem can be generated by the person who is actually facing the problem.
Innovative ideas can be generated by improving existing products or bringing a new product and then introducing it to the market. The feedback from customers is the best input to track the demands and needs of the customers. The market can customize products and services by empathizing with the customer from the research to the testing phase to get the actual feedback on the product.
Who needs to be involved in the design of product and services?
Product development refers to the complete process of research, idea generation, prototyping, testing, and then launching the product to market. Product development is a long process and involves various departments of the organization and the competitors. The ideas for new or improved product/service designs may come from any source involved in the development of the product or finding a solution to the given problem.
In such a case the question arises who needs to be involved in the design of the product and services? Various departments like designers, production, quality, sales, marketing, finance, etc are involved in the process of development of the product. Design Thinking focus that every idea during the process must be considered so that the best result for the user is the result of the Design thinking process.
Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to develop a product/ service. It focuses on keeping the user in the center while designing a product or service. Design Thinking promotes empathy at every stage of development of the product or service from idea generation to testing the prototypes. Design Thinking needs a team with different expertise to solve a problem, a diverse set of perspectives & areas to be explored, and those who can uncover the real needs and desires of the target market during the process of solving the given problem.
Ideas for new or improved product/service designs may come from competitors
Sometimes the ideas for new or improved product/service designs may come from analyzing the competitors' goods and services. Ideation sessions on Design Thinking can help the designers to come up with solutions that are the existing problem of the customer. In such cases, Design Thinking helps the organization to finish the competition and enter the market with a new innovative product. In order to stay competitive, a company needs to take it one step further and actually convince the customer to purchase their product over the other products.
Sometimes the competitors are lacking or cannot access the hidden problem yet gain competitive advantages. In this case, either the company has to compromise on cost and maintain quality in competition with the existing supplier. Using design thinking the company can find out the problem the customer is facing with the existing product or what new they want in the existing product. Through this technique ideas for new or improved product/service design may come from competitors.
FAQ
What is the main focus of product and service design?
According to Design Thinking, the main focus of product and service design is to satisfy a customer by maximizing the value for the customer at a minimum cost. The product must be the solution to the problem faced by the customer in the existing product or innovation in the market.
The stage in a product or service life cycle where some firms adopt a defensive research posture is?
The stage in a product or service life cycle where firms adopt a defensive research posture is referred to as the "decline" stage. During this stage, a company focuses on research and development work either to improve the quality or performance of the products or to identify new ideas for the product in order to protect its existing products and markets.
What are the key stages involved in the design of products and services?
According to Design Thinking the key stages involved in the design of products and services are Empathy, Define, Ideation, Prototyping, and Testing. Design thinking is a non-linear process so anytime during the process id the designer feels to go back to a stage for better results he can.
Watch this video to learn more about design thinking -