The first time I heard about Design Thinking, I was a marketing manager in the fabulous world of yogurt. I had already led numerous innovative projects.

I'll be honest: my initial reactions were:

“Another American thing.”
“We're already doing it.”
“A whole story to remind you of the basics of innovation...”

In short, I did my moan French.

Since then, I have become familiar with this approach and have practised it. As a result, I'm still complaining, but I know a bit more.

1. Design thinking: your designated ally

Cocorico. Against all odds, the word design Comes from Old French Design, which means intention, project, purpose.

The Design Thinking is a project management approach focused on creativity.
It consists of drawing on the practices of designers to solve problems in other areas.

It is not a linear process. It makes us explore several intersecting spaces.

Empathy

Seek to understand the life and aspirations of the user.
Go beyond what is said or shown.
One empathy map can help you structure your discoveries.

Definition

Ask the problem, then turn it into A question of creativity.

Ideation

Generate ideas.
Facilitate dynamic creative sessions.

Prototyping

According to David Kelley, it's about Thinking with your hands.

Storyboard, sketch, model, customer journey...
Model the experience before, during, and after the sale.

Test

Collect it Feedback of the user.

During a project, several loops are made between these spaces. These are the iterations.

2. Design thinking: a state of mind above all

More than a method, design thinking is a philosophy.

A few key principles:

• Dive into the unknown with confidence
• Place thehumane at the heart of the approach
• Identify the unspoken needs, beyond the needs expressed
• Involve the user in the Co-creation
• Forget purely techno push or market pull logics
• Accept failure and celebrate the right to make mistakes

It is often said: Fail Fast, Succeed Sooner.

3. Some famous successes

What do the first Apple mouse and salad servers have in common?

Design thinking.

Some emblematic examples:

• HIPPO Roller, the rolling water container that facilitates access to drinking water
• La Oral B smart toothbrush, with diagnosis and USB charging
• Airbnb, relaunched in 2009 thanks to an approach focused on the user experience

4. Some limits: towards design sinking?

Like any trend, design thinking can become tyrannical.
It's trendy, so everyone has to get started.

Stop. Get started for the right reasons.

It has also become a formal, almost religious methodology. However, the design spirit assumes that each organization develops its own creative approach.

The process must be well animated.
Say no to overly subjective gurus.
Say no to overly rigid mechanics.

Finally, design thinking does not, by itself, generate breakthrough scientific innovations.

In conclusion

Whatever we may say, design thinking reminds us of an essential fact:

It is for people that we innovate.

And maybe we forgot that.