UNEVOC Connect

Design thinking is a systematic, human-centered approach to solving complex problems within all aspects of life.

Design thinking can be perceived as both a mindset and a methodology for finding creative and sustainable solutions to complex challenges. Its evolution started in the 60s of the last century through the work of academics and practitioners in the field of industrial design (Szczepanska, 2017) and gradually spread across diverse domains, including education and other social sectors. Design thinkers adopt a “beginner’s mind,” with the intent to remain open and curious, to assume nothing, and to see ambiguity as an opportunity. To think like a designer requires dreaming up wild ideas, taking time to tinker and test, and being willing to fail early and often. The designer's mindset embraces empathy, optimism, iteration, creativity, and ambiguity. Design thinking not only places focus on creating products and services that are human centred, but the process itself is also deeply human. It relies on the ability to be intuitive, to recognise patterns, to construct ideas that have emotional meaning as well as being functional, and to express ourselves in media other than words or symbols (Brown and Wyatt, 2010). Design thinking brings together what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable.