Design Thinking in 3 Steps Approach or the Stanford d.school Approach? Are they the same process?

Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and collaboration. While there are many variations of the design thinking methodology, one commonly used approach is the Stanford d.school "process", which involves five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. However, the core principles of design thinking can be distilled into a simplified three-step process:

Step 1: Understand the Problem and Users The first step in design thinking is to deeply understand the problem that you are trying to solve and the people who will be affected by it. This involves conducting research, gathering data, and empathizing with users to gain insights into their needs, motivations, and pain points.

Step 2: Generate and Explore Solutions The second step is to generate and explore potential solutions to the problem. This involves brainstorming and ideating, using various techniques to generate a wide range of ideas. The focus is on generating as many ideas as possible, without judgment or evaluation at this stage.

Step 3: Prototype and Test The third step is to prototype and test the most promising ideas. This involves building low-fidelity prototypes of the solutions and testing them with users to get feedback and refine the ideas. This process of iteration and refinement continues until a viable solution is developed.

In contrast, the Stanford d.school approach involves five stages:

1. Empathize: This stage is similar to the first step in the simplified three-step process. It involves understanding the problem and the users' needs through research and empathizing with users to gain insights into their experiences.

2. Define: In this stage, the problem is defined, and a problem statement is created. The focus is on reframing the problem from the user's perspective and identifying the key challenges that need to be addressed.

3. Ideate: In this stage, the focus is on generating a wide range of ideas and potential solutions to the problem. This involves using various brainstorming and ideation techniques to generate as many ideas as possible.

4. Prototype: In this stage, the most promising ideas are developed into low-fidelity prototypes that can be tested and refined. The focus is on building quick and simple prototypes that can be tested and refined based on user feedback.

5. Test: In this stage, the prototypes are tested with users to get feedback and refine the ideas. The focus is on learning from the feedback and making improvements to the prototypes to develop a viable solution.

Overall, both the simplified three-step process and the Stanford d.school approach share similar principles of problem-solving and user-centered design. However, the d.school approach provides a more detailed framework that can be useful for teams new to design thinking or for those working on complex problems. The simplified three-step process provides a quick and easy way to apply the principles of design thinking in a more agile and flexible manner.