The examples of Design Thinking below demonstrate that it is a mindset and a methodology for problem solving that typically has 5-6 (cyclical) process steps that are easy to follow and can be implemented by anyone trying to solve a problem. Anyone, or any group of people can produce many good ideas using the Design Thinking process. The steps are designed to encourage the formation of new ideas focused around the users needs. As with any process, i.e. running, participants must develop and practice the skills required to produce excellence while using the process. The process describes the basic steps you need to take, not the skills and mindset needed to ensure success.

There are many simple examples of Design Thinking and how it works in a corporate, educational, social impact as well as product and service creation context on this website. Simple examples of the Design Thinking process tend to demonstrate how the process works and gloss over the skills required to create excellent results. Running the Design Thinking process without a highly skilled team still results in the generation of some great new ideas because everyone has creativity. Yes, we are all creative and we can all apply our creativity to problem solving.

However, in addition to arriving at a successful idea, a team will require an immense amount of dedication to the craft of design, understanding people and prototyping to produce world changing solutions, products, services and customer experiences, i.e. what comes after the initial ideas have been generated and agreed on, is really the key to produce results like Apple, IDEO, and many other great brands and corporations. In that sense, there is no simple or easy solution to producing greatness and just running the Design Thinking process alone will not get you there. This is where the promise of Design Thinking and the reality of professional design (doing) collide. Don’t confuse great ideas and a collaborative way of working to arrive at ideas with actual design skills and designing. They are very different things that work together to create value.

Design Thinking is the process used to arrive at IDEAS that will solve users needs and potentially solve their wicked (complex multi-faceted) problems. Designers use the same process when they take those ideas and craft excellent products, services and experiences using their skills and experience to achieve excellence.

Here are 5 simple examples of Design Thinking:

1. Airbnb - Joe Gebbia talks about how he used the principles of Design Thinking to turn a failing Airbnb around
2. Jeff Chapin: Sanitation in Cambodia - Jeff discusses a project that solves a really hairy third world problem
3. Design Thinking in Elementary School – David Lee discusses 3 projects his students did using design thinking
4. A Better Food Service for the Elderly – How Denmark improved their food delivery service
5. Keep the Change - IDEO and Bank of America reinvent saving

Take a look at the EXPLORE section of this website were you can find hundreds of simple examples of Design Thinking, case studies, research and toolkits to help you improve your skills and knowledge.