What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is an approach whose purpose is meet the needs of users by solving problems. In other words, it is provide the best user experience with your product, putting yourself in its place.

This is a concept that, although it was born from Design, can be applied to any other area. Companies are currently adopting the concept precisely to improve customer satisfaction. After all, a satisfied client becomes a true lawyer for the company.

Having the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes, walk your trail, feel their pain is something that goes far beyond professional development. It is a true emotional development for those who participate.

Therefore, the Designer must understand that this is a long journey. And because it's a long road, there's no other way but to study, study, and study.

Therefore, the book recommendations in this article are essential for you to improve your knowledge about Design Thinking and will help you apply this concept to your UX Design projects!

Reading Tip: Design Thinking - Learn How to Apply It to Your Projects

1) Design Thinking: Integrating Innovation, Customer Experience and Brand Value, by Thomas Lockwood

“Design as a process is more likely to add value to the final results than any other business function.” (LOCKWOOD, Thomas, 2009)

This is a statement made by Thomas Lockwood in this book that must be read by every professional who wishes to use Design Thinking techniques.

The book is a true masterpiece, in which the author explores viewpoints, techniques, methods, and practical case study from world leaders. In addition, the book covers several design thinking methods, such as:

• Design Thinking in service design;
• Design Thinking in brand building;
• Design thoughts in creating user experience.

In addition to Lockwood's own ideas, 24 other authors contributed to the work. Roger Martin, author of the book The Design of Business, says: “In this compilation of essays by many of the greatest design thinkers, Lockwood advances our understanding of intersection between design and business. I found this a pleasure for both sides of my brain.”

The Book, in this way, paves the way for broaden understanding of the concept of design thinking and its power to generate positive business results. This book is available on Amazon.

2) The design of business: why Design Thinking is the next competitive advantage, by Roger Martin

Innovation has become an essential topic among companies and many make an enormous effort to seek it.

In this effort, companies end up spending high investments in R&D (Research and Development), hiring creative Designers, consultants, but in the end the result falls short of what was expected. But why does that happen?

The answer can be found convincingly in Roger Martin's book. In fact, much more than convincing, the answer given by the author is even provocative.

For him, the The problem lies in the fact that companies rely a lot on analytical thinking, but they are poor in creativity. In this way, they are only performed minor improvements to products or services, and creative innovation ends up not being explored.

Design Thinking, according to the author, is an approach in which a company needs to deal with changes that are not yet clearly understood both in terms of customer needs and in the technology or competitive environment.

Therefore, according to Martin, companies need a professional who uses Design Thinking to achieve hitherto unknown results. According to Martin, it is necessary to evaluate the way in which knowledge advances from one stage to another. For this reason, it makes the following classification:

Stages of Knowledge:

1. Mistério - First stage, where it is not yet possible to explain something;
2. Heuristics - General rule that guides us in the direction of the solution;
3. Algorithm - Predictable formula for the purpose of obtaining an answer;
4. Coding - So predictable, the formula can be automated.

According to the author, as the company progresses through the stages, productivity increases and the cost falls. This, therefore, creates enormous value for companies.

Filled with deep insights and new perspectives, this book is a true basis for innovation within the company.

The book is available at Amazon, in the English version.

Reading Tip: 5 Essential Psychology Books for UX Design

3) Design Thinking: Understanding how designers think and work, by Nigel Cross

Design Thinking should be the creative process of any design. But how to explain this mysterious “design capacity”?

The answer to that question may lie in this fantastic work by Nigel Cross. This book seeks to explore and explain this designer's ability based on what they do when they design.

The author is a reference in design research. To get a brief idea, he collaborated with the clarification and development of the concept of design thinking.

In this way, the The book provides an accessible, lucid, and authorized description of the designers' thinking strategy processes.

“Designing is not a search for the ideal solution to a problem in question, but rather an exploratory process. The Creative Designer interprets the project summary not as a specification for a solution, but rather as a starting point for an exploration journey” (CROSS, Nigel, 2011).

Thus, for the author, the The designer needs to explore and discover something new. Therefore, you should not go to a place that is already known, nor should you return with an example that is already familiar.

It is necessary to understand that the Design Thinking is structured in a series of in-depth case studies by outstanding designers who are now authorities on the subject. However, the book goes further and intertwines this vision with general and analytical issues.

Based on evidence from observation and investigation of design practice, this book brings new ideas and a new vision and understanding of Design Thinking. Nigel Cross is considered one of the most influential thinkers in the field.

It pokes the wound and gets right to the point of what it means to think and work as a designer. A true guide for those who are starting out or have been working with Design Thinking for some time.

If you also want to expand your knowledge about Design Thinking, access this Amazon link.

4) The field guide to Human-Centered Design, from IDEO.org

The central theme of this book is User-Centered Design. But why are we referring to this reading in an article with tips from books on Design Thinking?! Well, Os UCD concepts are essential for the practice of Design Thinking.

Without focusing on the user and the center of your project, it will be impossible to apply Design Thinking. After all, both concepts seek to provide the user with the best possible experience.

For this reason, professionals who work with Design Thinking need to think outside the box and seek to expand their knowledge, being the UCD is an important complement.

In this way, The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design It's a book to be read and reread. Published by IDEO.org, it is a Guide to the practice of User-Centered Design.

It was written for beginners and experienced professionals, and is therefore suitable for those who work with Design Thinking. Because, it reveals the entire IDEO.org process with the main mentalities that support the way in which we think about design.

In the book, it is possible to understand that User-Centered Design consists of three phases:

• Inspiration;
• Creation;
• Implementation.

There are 57 methods described in the book, in addition to spreadsheets and case studies on the user-centered experience. It is simply a fantastic book, as it describes the entire process in a simple way, analyzing part by part thoroughly.

A manual that is easy to share with all team members and that makes a big difference when identifying all stages of the user experience process.

The book is available at Amazon, in the printed version in English.

Understand in this article how User-Centered Design benefits everyone, from companies, consumers and even the Designer

5) Designing for growth: A Design Thinking tool kit for managers, by Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie

Educate readers. These are the words we found to express the way in which Jeanne Liedtka and Tim Ogilvie conduct this work that needs to be read more than once.

According to the authors:

“Design Thinking is nothing more than the ability to transform abstract ideas into practical applications with the purpose of expanding the business to the maximum” (LIEDTKA and OGILVIE, 2011).

If you are looking to create disruptive possibilities, regaining your natural fluency, even managing to put a bit of your “me” to work, this book is the way to go.

In it, the authors discuss the mentality, vocabulary, and techniques necessary for Designers to apply Design Thinking to their projects. By following this reasoning, they are able to overcome the mystery line and unravel the connection between design and growth.

In this way, managers learn in an easy, simple, and didactic way how to explore the exciting and fascinating potential of design.

To make the book even more didactic, examples such as Apple and the success of its products are raised. Other than that, the book clarifies that Design Thinking unlocks creative resources in the right side of the brain and thereby makes professionals able to solve numerous problems.

The approach in this book ended up becoming a fundamental component for successful business practice, serving as a true basis for managers to transform abstract concepts into wonderful tools that increase business potential while minimizing risks.

“A book rich in information about each tool that takes you through the elements in a clear and precise way. If design thinking intrigues you, this would be a good place to start“Harvey Schachter Globe & Mail.

If you are interested and want to read this book, access this link of Amazon.