3 Real-World Design Thinking Examples
Consumers have more options available to them than ever before. For virtually every problem, there is a company working toward finding and providing a practical solution. From companies like Airbnb providing more affordable rental opportunities worldwide to UberEats revolutionizing the way we order food, examples of design thinking are everywhere, providing customers with creative solutions.
For graduates looking to enhance their careers with new creative opportunities, continuing their education with a program such as a certificate in design thinking can equip them with the real-world skills they need to help shape their future in business.
What Is Design Thinking?
Design thinking is a strategy used across a multitude of industries. The most innovative companies in the world are constantly evolving to provide better products and services for their consumers. However, with the advent of more sophisticated technology and the saturation of the digital marketplace, standing out has become incredibly challenging. In response, companies around the world are changing the way they think, turning to design thinking to stay ahead of the curve.
An ideology as much as it is a business practice, design thinking reframes the ways companies approach the marketplace, encouraging them to think outside of the box and focus on consumer needs and experience. Where other design models may focus on problems and ways in which they can engineer or market around them, the design thinking process focuses on solutions and designs that put the consumer first, creating products or services that are as user-centric as possible.
The Benefits of Design Thinking
Successful design thinking can lead to benefits for both businesses and their consumers. At its core, great design thinking is focused on creating a solution. Whether that solution is to a problem within an already existing business or spurring the development of a new company, design thinking can lead to success for an organization while delivering positive outcomes for consumers.
Utilizing design thinking can be fundamental for businesses looking to innovate and adapt to market trends, respond to issues clients are having with their product or service, or even rebrand a business to expand its client base.
By placing consumer needs first, design thinking helps companies create products and services that improve consumers’ lives. Businesses benefit by reaching and retaining an increased customer base due to consumer satisfaction.
Design Thinking Examples: Success in the Real World
Some of the most memorable and notable businesses in recent times were created by and maintain success through fantastic examples of design thinking. From design thinking industries that began with specific theories and strategies in mind to those that utilize design techniques to revamp and revitalize an already existing brand, well-planned and implemented design elements and practices can make all the difference in the success and longevity of an organization.
The following are three successful examples of design thinking in the world of business.
1. Airbnb
At the outset of Airbnb, the company struggled to attract renters, nearly going bankrupt in 2009. While the founders had originally been trying to expand the business by editing code to create scalable changes to their website, it took a shift in perspective to realize their issue was not the idea itself, but the way in which it was being presented.
Utilizing design thinking, Airbnb discovered that consumers were shying away from renting not because of the units themselves, but the poor quality of photography advertising them. The turning point for Airbnb was the choice to shift their business model toward making the rental units and website more appealing and easier to use for consumers, investing in higher quality photography, and adding features that turned Airbnb into a billion-dollar business and a competitive alternative to traditional hotels.
2. PillPack
Many people struggle to keep track of their medications. From different dosages to factors such as contraindications or treatment recommendations, following a doctor’s orders can be challenging.
PillPack utilized design thinking as a company to identify ways in which they could make the process of organizing and taking medication as simple as possible. By allowing doctors to send in a patient’s prescription and creating individual packets for each day of the week, PillPack has taken the guesswork out of prescriptions.
3. Oral B
Empathy and innovation are core tenets of design thinking. Toothbrush company Oral B exemplified this when they partnered with IDEO to improve children’s toothbrushes.
Through observation, they discovered that smaller, thinner versions of adult toothbrushes weren’t actually better for children, because they held their toothbrushes differently than adults. Instead, short, thick, and squishier toothbrushes were easier for them to use. This observation and innovation helped Oral B create a product that became global bestselling children’s toothbrush for more than a year.
Design a Positive Future
Great examples of design thinking identify a problem and provide consumers with an effective and pleasing solution. Many of the most successful companies in the world have been able to build and maintain success by making their consumers’ lives easier, streamlining formerly complicated processes, and creating a business that thrives on efficiency.
By investing in higher education—such as earning a Design Thinking Certificate from Suffolk University—graduates can build the practical knowledge and skills they need to create a successful future. As a fully online program designed to meet the needs of an ever-changing creative landscape and structured with the opportunity to learn by interacting with fellow students and faculty, the program was designed to prepare you for the real world.
Discover how you can become a leader in business with a certificate in design thinking.
Sources:
Forbes, “These Days, Everyone Needs To Engage In Design Thinking”
Hotjar, “4 Inspiring Design Thinking Examples”
IDEO, “This Startup Revolutionized an Industry Through Design”
LinkedIn, “How Oral B Designed a Best Selling Kids Toothbrush.”
Interaction Design Foundation, “What Is Design Thinking and Why Is It So Popular?”
Review, “How Design Thinking Transformed Airbnb from a Failing Startup to a Billion Dollar Business”
WeWork Ideas, “What Is Design Thinking and Why Is it Important?”