Page 334 - The Design Thinking Playbook

#1.4 Discover needs & needfinding #2.4 Storytelling

RÉSUMÉS Sophie works as a user insight expert for the Bern-based innovation Stijn is a lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Science. He
consultancy INNOArchitects and also as a self-employed consul- does research in the areas of user-centric design, sustainability,
tant. Sophie has international project experience in design thinking, and product interaction. He participates in the Competence Center
service design, and lean projects, which she attended to and saw Visual Narratives, where he is considered an expert for interfaces
through in many industries as well as in the social environment. between users and products. As a passionate designer, he is busy
She is a lecturer in design thinking. She attaches great importance confronting the world with unique and functional prototypes.
to making the mindset tangible.

WHY ARE YOU A During my time at Deutsche Bank, I was trained in the Stanford Design has a social character. True innovations do not come into
DESIGN THINKING design thinking method and the foresight thinking method. The being behind a computer screen—they result from the social inter-
EXPERT? perspective as an outside-in design thinker taught me to attend to action outside our comfort zone. My expertise in design thinking is
and accompany the team dynamics of multidisciplinary innovation to create simple prototypes or visual ideas, with which the user can
teams. As a design ethnographer, I specialized in handling people interact, and infer from them the right conclusions.
and in methods for needfinding and user insights.

YOUR MOST IMPORTANT Only too often are decisions made in day-to-day work based on Get feedback in your project as often as possible and engage in
DESIGN THINKING TIP? assumptions. Design thinking teaches us the conscious dealing a dialog with the users and potential customers. And feedback is
with assumptions. It often seems hard to venture out into the world more than just a collection of opinions. It is a tool with which you
of the user. Be courageous—people have exciting stories to tell learn to understand your own ideas and goals better. I always give
that might enlarge your ideas by worlds. The only way to get better my students the tip of presenting their prototypes to close family
in needfinding is to do it yourself—the best place to learn it is members. In my opinion, this is the core of design thinking: involve
outside, in the everyday life of people. and collaborate!

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