As the morning light dawned, I realized I had overslept, jeopardizing my chances of attending the much-anticipated session. The training was set to commence at 10:15. With a glance at the clock; I discovered that it was already 10:20. In a mad dash, I hurried to the office, thankfully securing transportation that swiftly transported me to the training venue within 20 minutes. Surprisingly, I hadn’t missed much.

Upon settling into my seat, I found myself immersed in a captivating journey through Design Thinking. Despite the rough start to the day, the engaging content and delivery of the training quickly captured my attention and interest.

Back in university, I loved the idea of design thinking and used it in my daily life to solve problems in the best way possible.

The Trainer

Thinking Outside the Box

What’s “thinking outside the box”? Well, it’s like when you have a problem, and instead of just jumping to a quick fix, you look at the whole situation well. Your growth, both at work and in your personal life, depends on some essential skills:

• Understanding the Situation: First, look at the problem and understand what’s happening.
• Making Smart Decisions: Then, make decisions based on what you’ve figured out, using your brain and being smart about it.
• Solving Problems Creatively: Lastly, come up with solutions that are not just quick fixes but proactive and friendly for everyone.

Here’s an example: Think about a simple problem you deal with every day. Instead of just solving it the usual way, understand what’s happening. Decide on an intelligent solution based on that understanding, and make sure it’s a creative and friendly fix for everyone involved. That’s thinking outside the box!

Design Thinking

Imagine you have a superpower to solve problems in a cool and creative way – that’s what Design Thinking is all about.

Design Thinking is like a magic wand for problem-solving. It’s not just about finding any solution; it’s about finding the best, most creative, and user-friendly solution. It’s like being a detective, understanding people’s needs, and creating something unique to solve their problems.

The 5 Steps of Design Thinking Framework

• Empathize: Imagine putting on someone else’s shoes. That’s what Empathize is about. You try to understand what others are going through. Let’s say you’re designing a new school bag. Talk to students to find out what they like and dislike about their current bags. Maybe they want something lighter or with more pockets.
• Define: After understanding, it’s time to Define the problem. This is like putting on your detective hat. You figure out what exactly needs fixing. Returning to the school bag example, the problem might be that the current bags are too heavy for little shoulders.
• Ideate: Now comes the fun part – Ideate! This is where you let your creativity run wild. Think of as many crazy ideas as possible to solve the defined problem. Sticking with the school bag, maybe you can think of using super light materials or adding wheels to make it easy to pull.
• Prototype: Think of the Prototype as making a rough draft. You pick one or a few of your fantastic ideas and create a simple version of your solution. In our school bag story, you might make a mini bag out of cardboard to see if the idea of a super light bag works.
• Test: Testing is like trying out your creation in the real world. Go back to the students, let them use your prototype bag, and see how it feels. Maybe they love it, or maybe they think it needs more pockets. Either way, you learn and go back to improve it.

Understanding Users’ Perspective

You always keep the users in mind in every step of Design Thinking. It’s not about what you think is cool but what helps others the most.

Process for Creative Problem Solving

Design Thinking is like an adventure. You explore, define your quest, develop wild ideas, build a map (prototype), and then go on a journey (test) to see if your map is correct.

Example – Designing a Playground

Let’s imagine you’re designing a new playground. You talk to kids (Empathize) and find out they love climbing and sliding but get bored quickly. The problem (Define) is that the playground needs to be more exciting.

Now, you brainstorm (Ideate) – maybe you think of an incredible treehouse or a slide that lights up. You make a simple version of your idea (Prototype) and let the kids play. If they have a blast, you’ve nailed it! If not, you return, improve, and try again (Test).

That’s Design Thinking – a creative adventure where you become a problem-solving superhero!

5 Why Technique

Imagine it as a curious kid asking “Why?” repeatedly until you get to the root of a problem.

The “5 Whys” is like being a detective, too, but instead of exploring many ideas like in Design Thinking, you dig deep into a single problem to find its real cause. It’s a simple but powerful way to determine why something went wrong.

• Ask “Why” Once: Start with the obvious problem. Let’s say a car broke down. Ask, “Why did the car break down?” The answer might be “because it ran out of gas.”
• Ask “Why” Again: Now, ask why that first problem happened. In our case, why did the car run out of gas? The answer could be “because the driver forgot to check the fuel gauge.”
• Ask “Why” Three Times: Keep asking why, diving deeper. So, why did the driver forget to check the fuel gauge? Maybe they were in a hurry. Ask again. Why were they in a hurry? Perhaps they overslept.
• Ask “Why” Four Times: Continue asking why until you reach the root cause. In our story, why did the driver oversleep? Maybe because the alarm didn’t go off.
• Ask “Why” Five Times: The final “Why” helps you uncover the real reason behind the problem. In this case, why didn’t the alarm go off? The answer could be a dead battery in the alarm clock.

Example – Late for Work

Let’s say someone was late for work. First “Why”: Why were they late? They missed the bus. Second “Why”: Why did they miss the bus? The alarm didn’t go off. Keep asking why; you might discover it’s because the power went out during the night, resetting the alarm.

By asking “Why” five times, you discover the root cause was a power outage, not oversleeping. The “5 Whys” helps you get to the heart of the matter and fix things at their core.

Mind Mapping

Imagine your thoughts are like a beautiful garden, full of ideas and Craziness waiting to bloom. Mind Maps are like the garden’s map, helping you navigate through this creativity and structure it into something extraordinary. The Innovator’s Method is like the gardener – guiding you to cultivate those ideas into innovative solutions.

Importance of Mind Map – Innovator’s Method

Innovation is a magical mix of ideas and Craziness. Mind Maps help you unleash this magic. They let you visually organize thoughts, connecting the dots between different ideas. The Innovator’s Method is like the wizard’s spell, bringing order to the chaos of creativity. Without it, you might end up with solutions that lack depth and effectiveness.

Why Not Using It Leads to Not Good Solutions

Imagine planting seeds randomly in your garden without a plan. Without the Innovator’s Method and Mind Maps, your ideas might sprout in all directions, but they won’t grow into something solid and purposeful. It’s like having a garden without beautiful flowers – you miss out on the true potential of your ideas.

Innovation = idea + Craziness, and Logic Comes After

Innovation starts with wild ideas, the Craziness that sparks something new. Mind Maps capture this initial burst of creativity. Once you have a garden full of ideas, logic steps in – the Innovator’s Method helps you cultivate, refine, and turn those crazy ideas into practical and innovative solutions.

Structural Thinking vs. Random Thinking

Structural Thinking, guided by the Innovator’s Method, is like planting seeds in neat rows. Each idea has its place, and they grow together, creating a beautiful and organized garden. Random Thinking, on the other hand, is like scattering seeds without a plan. You might get some growth, but it won’t be as fruitful or intentional.

Why Paper Size Matters and No Listing Pattern is Important

Imagine your garden map on a tiny piece of paper. It gets cramped, and your ideas don’t have room to breathe. The size of the paper matters – it gives your ideas space to grow and connect. Also, the Innovator’s Method encourages free-flowing connections, not a strict listing pattern. This allows your ideas to intertwine and create a richer landscape.

Example

Think of designing a new app. You might randomly jot down features without a Mind Map and the Innovator’s Method. But with these tools, you could visually connect user needs, features, and design elements. The structured approach ensures that your app isn’t just a jumble of features but a well-thought-out and innovative solution.

Six Thinking Hats for Creativity and Innovation

Imagine you have six colorful hats, each representing a different way of Thinking. The Six Thinking Hats method is like wearing these hats one at a time to approach problem-solving and decision-making from various perspectives. It’s a creativity and innovation tool that encourages well-rounded and structured Thinking.

Problem Statement: You are changing your organization’s leave policy and attendance policy.

• White Hat (Facts and Information)

Wearing the White Hat is like putting on the detective hat. You focus on facts and information about the leave and attendance policies. What are the current policies, and what data supports or challenges the need for change? Collect all the necessary details.

• Red Hat (Emotions and Feelings)

Switch to the Red Hat to tap into emotions and feelings. How do employees feel about the current policies? What emotional impact will changes have on them? It’s about understanding the human side of the decision.

• Black Hat (Cautious and Critical Thinking)

Now, wear the Black Hat – the cautious thinker. Identify potential problems and challenges with the proposed changes. What could go wrong? This hat helps you think critically and address potential pitfalls.

• Yellow Hat (Optimistic and Positive):

Switch to the Yellow Hat to bring positivity. What benefits will the new policies bring? Focus on the positive aspects and opportunities. How can the changes enhance the work environment and overall experience for employees?

• Green Hat (Creative and Innovative):

Don the Green Hat for Creative Thinking. Imagine new possibilities for leave and attendance policies. How can you make these policies innovative and unique? Encourage brainstorming and explore creative solutions that benefit both the organization and employees.

• Blue Hat (Organized and Process-Oriented):

Finally, wear the Blue Hat to be the organizer and process-oriented thinker. What steps are needed to implement the changes smoothly? Create a structured plan, define roles, and outline the process for rolling out the new policies.

Wearing these Six Thinking Hats ensures a comprehensive and well-rounded approach to changing leave and attendance policies, fostering creativity, and addressing various aspects of the decision-making process.

Key Takeaways

• Problem-Solving Superpower: Design Thinking is likened to a superpower, emphasizing creative and user-friendly solutions.
• 5 Steps of Design Thinking Framework: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test guide a structured and user-focused problem-solving journey.
• Thinking Out of the Box: Encourages approaching problems differently, fostering creativity and unique solutions.
• Curiosity Unveils Root Causes: The iterative “Why” questioning helps uncover the root cause of problems, emphasizing a deeper understanding.
• Understanding “Whys”: Emphasizes the importance of understanding the reasons behind problems and avoiding polarization by considering data.
• Innovator’s Method: Mind Maps coupled with the Innovator’s Method enhance creative Thinking and provide a structured approach to problem-solving.
• Importance of Paper Size: The size of the paper matters, allowing ideas to breathe and connect in a visual representation.
• Structured Approach: Each hat represents a different thinking perspective, fostering a comprehensive and well-rounded approach.
• Narrowing Users’ Perspective: Stresses the importance of holistic problem-solving rather than focusing on isolated aspects.
• Symptomatic vs. Root Cause Approach: Advocates for understanding and addressing the root causes of problems rather than just symptoms.
• Dialogue over Debate: Recommends fostering open dialogue for better problem-solving rather than engaging in divisive debates.