Have you ever heard about the Design Thinking Process?

The term “design thinking” refers to a method of strategic problem-solving that centers on creating products or services. The designer’s role is to collect as much data as possible, offer suggestions, and then put the final product through its paces for testing. It will also help you to speed up your design workflow.

However, only a few designers understand how to incorporate it into their daily workflow. Using design thinking will help you develop and optimize your workflow to make completing all of your tasks more streamlined and productive.

Setting yourself up for long-term design success before developing and designing dozens of workflows is essential. In this post, I will cover the five phases necessary to deliver your design project to your clients using design thinking based on my experience as a designer. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to the design thinking process. (but keep it simple & enjoy the process!)

So here you go. Spend the next five minutes reading them over! You might find something you’re looking for.

Define The Objective

Good design is objective-driven. Design goals help us remain focused on what we’ve identified as the most essential aspects of a project. At the start of a project, the design goal is typically vague. However, they will be helpful. We can use them as a quality control measure to ensure that the designs match the desired objectives.

One of the greatest difficulties is deriving the client’s true objectives from all the information they provide. Using goals as a guide will help ensure the design is centered on the right things. A well-thought-out design will illuminate their objectives, the steps necessary to realize them, and the parameters determining success. Maintaining a straightforward and concentrated approach to your design project is the most important thing.

Design Brief

To design is to solve problems. In order to satisfy your client, you must identify and overcome obstacles that arise with each new project. That is, after all, what they are paying for. Before settling on a solution for the client, we need to have a firm grasp of the issue at hand. Asking, “what is the problem?” is the first step in finding a solution. Putting the situation into words helps identify what is already known and where further information is needed.

Don’t Let Your Client Self-Diagnose. Here, you are the expert. Diagnose their issue and provide them with the information necessary. You need to know what your client wants to determine what problem to fix. And if you don’t know what issue to fix, you should begin by asking them what they want to accomplish from the project. Following are some questions you might ask yourself to assist you on your journey:

1. Who exactly is your target demographic?
2. What are their objectives in this?
3. What exactly is the problem that we are trying to tackle here?
4. What are the Key Performance Indicators?
5. What other ways that we might determine success for this project?

Research

The foundation of great design is solid research. Research is an essential component in all aspects of design. The findings of the research may serve as a foundation for making decisions. It acts as a compass throughout the design process by assisting you in gaining an understanding of what makes individuals tick. Keep in mind that if you want to create anything for someone else, you need to try to put yourself in their shoes. You need to have an understanding of the basic pillars.

Design research is not synonymous with scientific experimentation and analysis. It just means developing a sophisticated understanding of the following:

1. The people, business, or brand you are designing for
2. The fundamental inquiries are posed at various points during the design process.

You may still need factual information at the end of your research, such as which color to employ. On the other hand, you will own viable ideas and thoughts around which you might construct successful and appealing designs.

Brainstorming

The more ideas you generate, the more likely you are to arrive to a genuinely creative solution. However, as a designer, there are times when you won’t feel very inspired. There is nothing worse than sitting down to begin a project, seeing a blank screen, and having precisely zero ideas on how to fill it. However, there are techniques to mislead your brain into believing you’re doing something else. This is the outcome of brainstorming.

It is essential to keep in mind that each and every component of a design is communicating with viewers in some way, whether it be by the use of colors and font or through the use of symbols and taglines. Prior to actually making any major choices, careful consideration of all factors is required. The brainstorming session is the perfect time to think creatively about how each of these parts may bolster the message as a whole.

Brainstorming is meant to generate many ideas in a short period of time. They are the best technique to settle on major issues about a project prior to actually begin the design process. When you sit down in front of a blank page, brainstorming might help you come up with a game plan, or at least a general direction to go in. There are several ways I used to brainstorm my design project :

1. Created Mood board

Mood boards are helpful in various ways, but the most basic is to collect and categorize ideas for a project. They help ensure that the project’s overall look and feel align with the client’s vision. As a prelude to the actual design process, they are also an excellent tool for honing the project’s aesthetic. Here’s the tool I love using:

Pinterest

Pinterest is an excellent tool for the creative process. Pinterest may be used to build a mood board, which can be helpful while working on a brief for a client. Whenever I begin working on a new project for a client, the first thing I do is create a private Pinterest board for myself. On this board, I pin all of the design concepts and ideas I’ve come across and adored, particularly those easily adaptable to the client’s given industry and brand, without actually copying them.

Savee It

Savee It is a platform to collect and organize the most compelling examples of visual creativity. View the finest picks of photography from across the web. You may quickly and easily save photos around the internet, Instagram, or your own collection.

Arena

Are.na is a platform for storing material, creating collections through time, and connecting concepts. Whether alone or with others. With no advertisements, likes, or suggestions, Are.na provides a more focused environment for working on any project. It is a place to organize your thoughts and construct new types of knowledge.

Google Workspace

If you are working with a team, Google Workspace is a fantastic approach to communicating your design idea. If you are a designer working on a design project for a company or a freelance designer, Google Workspace can assist you.

2. Brainstorm Templates

Having a template throughout the brainstorming session will offer some structure to the dialogue. When you then convey your ideas to a client, they will be able to understand them. Improving your ability to communicate will make it simpler for your client to absorb information. When generating ideas for a project, I often use templates, mainly when working with a team. To make things simpler for you, I will provide an outline of how template-based brainstorming works.

Microsoft Whiteboard

Microsoft whiteboard is a fantastic whiteboard tool. They allow you to brainstorm your idea for free and without any distractions.

Figma

Figma is my go-to platform when it comes to designing web apps. This is also a great way to brainstorm your idea. All you need to do is just drag and drop anything else that may inspire you.

Notion

Notion is the ultimate multi-purpose workplace. I’ve been using Notion for a while now, and I couldn’t be happier with it. It’s given me a solid foundation upon which to build my personal and professional life.

Check out this post if you’re intended to learn more about Notion, Notion Set-Up + Free Template – Maximize Your Productivity

Miro

Miro is a collaborative whiteboard platform that allows distant teams to collaborate successfully, from brainstorming with digital sticky notes to planning and monitoring agile processes.

Webflow

Made In Webflow by Relume

Webflow aims to immediately integrate the power of website animations and interactions into a visual toolset, making the whole domain of online design more visually creative and accessible. This would be ideal for your next web design project.

Design Deliverable

Finally, this is the time to start to work on your designs! So, it’s time to enjoy yourself. Start constructing your plan from your selected idea. You may use any software or technologies that are suitable for the assignment. These may include Adobe Creative Cloud applications such as InDesign, Photoshop, or Illustrator.

This is your opportunity to experiment and determine the most effective approach to implement your design concepts. It’s time to modify your idea into something you can deliver to the client after you’ve had fun researching and playing. At this phase, obtaining clients’ feedback as you work is crucial. Show the client your “draft” designs and solicit their input. Give the client a second opportunity to evaluate the final product and provide comments.

It is essential to keep in mind that you should be somewhat possessive of what you have produced. Because the client decides what has to be done and foots the money, you need to be adaptable to satisfy them. When you and the client are satisfied with the final product, you can prepare it for distribution.

Just to recap…

Regarding the design thinking process, there is no universally applicable technique, as I’ve already mentioned. The method may change depending on whether you work with a team, product, or corporation. You are free to put it into action by the requirements of your own needs.

I hope that this post helped. If you have any questions in mind or other cool resources, please leave them in the comments. If you just want to talk, feel free to reach out.

For more tips and inspiration, I was hoping you could keep coming back and check out another cool resource I made for you.

Like what I share? Please send this to someone you know who might have so much potential in what they’re doing.

Ready to give it a go? Check out the latest post, My Favorite Fonts as a Graphic Designer