I’m actually still trying to figure this out, but I think we can all agree that at its core, Design Thinking (henceforth referred to as DT on my site) is a process used to creatively solve problems. How DT was different from the purely data-driven methods used before its creation is that it applies a human-centered lens through which problem solving needs to be approached. I strongly believe that DT had been created after-the-fact as a crutch to ensure designers focus more on the impact of their solutions. This is achieved by forcing designers to empathize with the end-users and understand the true needs of the populations they are trying to help. In the long run, this should apply to all problem solving and although the amount of investment into the empathize stages might not always be optimal, it seems to me that any design that is designed without the end user in mind is just a poorly designed solution to a misunderstood problem. Could the outcome work out? Absolutely, but I believe that the vast majority of problems “solved” in this matter are ultimately destined to fail.
