Change by Design Summary

"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." What if the key to solving modern problems lies not just in creating but in thinking differently about creation itself?

1. Design Thinking Is More Than Just Innovation

Design thinking is about understanding problems and creating solutions that integrate functionality, appeal, and sustainability. It’s not just about inventing new technologies or products; it’s about understanding how these creations can better serve and improve people’s lives.

This process involves moving through three overlapping phases: inspiration, ideation, and implementation. Inspiration focuses on identifying a challenge or opportunity, ideation develops ideas into prototypes or potential solutions, and implementation refines and launches these solutions into the world. This cycle is repetitious and encourages refining and evolving an idea.

An excellent example is Nintendo's Wii. Instead of pursuing trends like graphic-heavy consoles, Nintendo focused on a gaming experience that was engaging, affordable, and easy to use. This integrative solution—melding feasibility, affordability, and desirability—embodied the principles of design thinking.

Examples

• The Nintendo Wii's pricing strategy and innovative motion-controlled gaming.
• The creation of ergonomic tools that meet both functional and user comfort needs.
• A charity campaign using visual metaphors to inspire broader participation.

2. Observation is the Path to Insight

Designers often unearth the most creative solutions by observing how people adapt to their surroundings and challenges. Small, “thoughtless” acts can reveal unmet needs or inefficiencies that need addressing.

By closely observing people’s natural behaviors, you may notice solutions they create for themselves. From tangled cables labeled by frustrated office workers to people using furniture creatively, these small moments of adaptation hold rich opportunities for innovation.

Take, for example, Whole Foods Market. By studying customer behavior, the company introduced free samples and in-store cooking experiences, transforming the grocery store into a personalized and interactive space that goes beyond food shopping.

Examples

• Observations from daily challenges like cable management offered unique product ideas.
• Whole Foods' introduction of in-store cooking for more engaging shopping experiences.
• Crowdsourcing platforms that ask consumers to identify their own unmet needs.

3. Hands-On Creation Sparks Progress

Prototyping—creating physical, tangible models of ideas—is central to effective design thinking. It’s better to create something small and basic early on than wait for a polished end product. Thinking with your hands brings clarity and speed to the innovation process.

Early prototyping allows inventors to test ideas, identify flaws, and pivot efficiently. The first Apple mouse was prototyped with random household items like a butter dish and a deodorant ball. Prototypes don’t have to be polished; they need to be practical and prompt feedback.

T-Mobile applied this method with its mobile social groups. By testing two basic prototypes at once, it gained valuable insights into which features resonated most with customers, accelerating development.

Examples

• Apple’s first-ever mouse prototype made from simple household objects.
• T-Mobile’s dual prototype testing for social group innovation tools.
• Lego’s use in team-building exercises to visualize and refine ideas.

4. Stories Give Products Meaning

Humans are wired to connect through stories, and design thinkers use this to make ideas relatable. A compelling narrative engages customers and integrates them into a product’s life cycle.

For Icebreaker, a clothing company, attaching a tracking code to garments allowed customers to connect their jacket back to the New Zealand farm where its wool originated. Similarly, IDEO created a narrative to explain features of a proto-GPS product by presenting them as solutions to a sailor's journey.

Stories don’t just sell products; they invite customers to participate and feel like part of a larger purpose. For instance, when the American Red Cross invited users to share blood donation stories, it deepened donors’ emotional connection to the cause.

Examples

• Icebreaker’s tracking code creating a personal journey for garment buyers.
• IDEO using a sailor’s voyage to demonstrate GPS features to clients.
• Personal donation stories compelling greater contributions for the Red Cross.

5. Creative Environments Empower Teams

Innovation thrives in environments that promote experimentation and embrace failure. Companies like Google and Pixar offer fun, flexible workspaces, not just for aesthetics but to spark creativity and build trust.

Spaces aside, building diverse, interdisciplinary teams is equally important. When design engineers, marketers, and artists work together on challenges, they bring different perspectives, challenging norms and fostering unique solutions. Crowdsourced platforms like Innocentive illustrate the power of collaboration by encouraging broad participation in solving research problems.

Organizations must also provide shared physical or digital spaces to facilitate brainstorming, like dedicated project rooms or online hubs, where teammates can freely interact and innovate.

Examples

• Google’s quirky office design with flamingos to encourage creative vibes.
• Platforms like Innocentive, which crowdsources global problem-solving contributions.
• Pixar's collaborative spaces fostering idea exchanges for successful animated films.

6. Question Everything to Solve Deeper Problems

Design thinking starts with relentless curiosity. Asking “Why?” challenges assumptions and reframes problems in unexpected ways. Some of the world’s greatest innovations, like agriculture, came from rethinking long-standing methods.

By reexamining problems from scratch—why do we do things this way, and can it be better?—design thinkers unlock new pathways. Companies that think this way create groundbreaking innovations by resisting complacency and continuously improving.

Take Airbnb. Rather than simply creating another booking platform, they asked “Why can’t we use unused spaces differently?” This simple question launched the home-sharing revolution we see today.

Examples

• Airbnb transforming home rentals by rethinking vacation stays.
• Early humans’ question about seed planting kickstarting agriculture.
• Revisiting food delivery systems to optimize efficiency and eliminate waste.

7. Share Ideas to Grow Them

While it’s tempting to hoard ideas, design thinking favors sharing. Collaboration enhances creativity and allows ideas to evolve, benefiting everyone.

Great ideas flourish when bounced around communities of thinkers. Open-design platforms like Github show how sharing creates better software as multiple developers continuously improve each other’s work. Google’s open-source TensorFlow project is another strong example of the collective ownership and contribution principle in action.

Design thinkers know that monopolizing innovation stalls progress, but inviting others to build on your work leads to bigger and better solutions.

Examples

• Open-source platforms like Github improving software collaboratively.
• Google's TensorFlow project enabling AI advancement with open sharing.
• The rise of "hackathons," encouraging rapid teamwork to build creative solutions.

8. Make Sustainability Effortless

To encourage eco-friendly lifestyles, design thinkers study and enhance existing behaviors rather than impose entirely new habits. They focus on aligning environmental awareness with what people already value, like style, convenience, and functionality.

The U.S. Department of Energy understood this when it shifted its focus from pure energy efficiency to stylish, desirable products. Similarly, Pangea Organics added compostable packaging with wildflower seeds to address waste and encourage users to help the planet effortlessly.

To communicate pressing issues like climate change effectively, design thinkers also use tools like visual prompts or simple interactive cards to increase public engagement.

Examples

• Pangea Organics’ compostable, seed-infused packaging encouraging green living.
• U.S. government projects promoting stylish, energy-efficient appliances.
• Interactive cards like "Drivers of Change" simplifying environmental discussions.

9. Design Focuses on Real-World Impact

At its heart, design thinking emphasizes practicality. It’s not enough to create an idea; solutions must work in the real world. Innovators focus on how their designs affect people’s daily lives, creating lasting emotional or functional value.

Programmers refining GPS technology or healthcare professionals finding faster patient admission methods both show the value of applying design thinking to diverse arenas. By keeping solutions grounded, the problems they solve are far-reaching and impactful.

Real-world challenges like climate change or healthcare shortages often require smart, scalable solutions rooted in people’s needs and habits.

Examples

• GPS systems tailored to real journeys and exact geographical challenges.
• Ford’s consistent redesign of automobiles for safety and efficiency over time.
• Smartphone apps built specifically for improving underserved rural medicine access.

Takeaways

1. Practice observing people’s everyday behaviors and look for hidden challenges or adaptations that signal potential design gaps or opportunities.
2. Start any project with prototyping, regardless of how rough or basic the model might initially be. Early iteration fosters creativity and rapid improvements.
3. Ask at least one “Why?” question daily to cultivate curiosity and push yourself to approach problems from fresh perspectives.