Rethink

Page 1


A different way to make a difference.




About Us What we do 8

How we do it

10

About Design Thinking What is it? 16

How is it Beneficial?

18

23

Methodological

25

Economic

29

The Advantages Social


about us



What we do 8


We encourage NGOs and non-profit organizations to step back and look at a settled praxis with a fresh eye by pointing at design thinking as an innovative way to take on old challenges. We believe that the promotion of design thinking for social purposes will ultimately contribute toward social improvement. The lack of understanding of design thinking as a structured method for the practical creation of solutions keeps this approach out of consideration by many NGOs and non-profit organizations. By defining design thinking as a problem-solving protocol, Rethink disrupts this stereotype and uncovers the real scope an d potential of this approach.


How we do it 10


By providing information about design thinking, Rethink promotes its use as a structured and reliable problem-solving process that combines empathy and creativity to formulate innovative solutions to social challenges.



If you would not consider using design thinking to address social challenges because:

1 2

You feel unqualified

You don’t view it as applicable or transferable to the social realm.

1. Design thinking is a clear account of the creative process. This structured method has clear guidelines, making it possible for non-designers to learn and apply. 2. Using design thinking, your organization can better address the needs of the individuals and communities it serves by constructing an understanding of the social, cultural and economic context that will enable research-based solutions.


about design thinking



What is it? 16


Design thinking is a structured problem-solving protocol. Through the use of design thinking, you arrive at solutions that are based on a comprehensive understanding of the needs of those who will use the resulting tools or outcomes. The approach takes into account the context and conditions in which the solution will be applied. The terminology, design thinking, comes from its origin as the processes and methods by which designers go about design activity. However, design thinking has transcended the design realm. Businesses and non-profit organizations have successfully used design thinking as a problem-solving method.


How is it beneficial? 18


Thinking like a designer can transform the way organizations develop products, services, and processes. Non-profit organizations, NGOs, and social enterprises can benefit from integrating this creative approach to help tackle the various complex problems they address in order to maximize improvements in human well-being. Design thinking will allow these organizations to combine their empathy for the context of a particular problem with creativity in the generation of a solution.


The Advantages In order to communicate a comprehensive understanding of the advantages of using design thinking for social purposes, Rethink is organized into three main persuasive arguments: social, methodological, and economic.


Social Design-thinkers go to the source: the actual people and communities who they are designing for.

Methodological Non-designers can learn to be design-thinkers.

Economic “Providing the most of the best for the greatest number of people for the least.� —Charles Eames


Social Design thinking starts with

Due to its focus on human

observing the reality of

necessity, design thinking has

communities and the experience

been identified as successful at

of individuals as they improvise

tackling social problems. Using

their way through their daily

design thinking, your organization

routines. It is a powerful tool in

can better address the needs of

gaining qualitative understanding

the individuals and communities

of their dynamics and behaviors.

it serves by constructing an

Ultimately, design thinking

understanding of the social,

will inspire powerful solutions

cultural and economic context

fueled by observation and high-

that will enable research-based

level insights. This problem-

solutions. Your organization can

solving approach is based on a

benefit from design thinking’s

comprehensive understanding

research methods of contextual

of the needs and interests of

inquiry developed to sample

those who will later use the

human experiences.

design solution


23


Methodological Once it is grasped, the design thinking process is repeatable and offers an end-to-end problemsolving approach applicable to varying types of problems. Because it is a process, design thinking can be learned and applied by non-designers. The social challenges your organization aims to end or improve are complex and might not have a clear right or wrong solution. These types of challenges require problem-solving that involves: empathy, experimentation and, creativity, all distinctive characteristics of design thinking.


25


It is doable

It is reliable

The creative process is closely

Design thinking provides a

linked to design thinking. Non

methodological approach that

designers, and even some

allows designers to collect

designers, view this process as

information, record, synthesize

something unexplainable and

and analyze data and then

irrational. While it is important to

contextualize the research to

note that the design process is

guide design inspiration. Research

not completely linear, the term

methods employed by design-

design thinking refers to a clear

thinkers are ethnographic in

account of this creative process.

nature and include participant

Design thinking delineates the

observation, artifact analysis,

underlying structures of the shifts,

photo and diary studies,

contingencies and staggered

contextual inquiry, cultural probes,

progressions that characterize the

and informal conversations

design process.

and interviews.


hear

create

deliver


Economic For-profit and non-profit

Innovation, a capacity inherit

organizations share the pressure:

to design, has become an

1. To fulfill their mission, whether it to grow economically or to create positive impact; 2. To increase user satisfaction and effectiveness, whether the user is a costumer or a community in need. Considering these similarities, design thinking’s conduciveness to innovation is as of much value to profit driven companies as it is to organizations trying to create social change.

increasingly valued asset in the for-profit sector. The growing acknowledgment of innovation as a key to economic success has proven design thinking to be an important engine for corporate profit.


29


The Parallel Design thinking contributes to:

1 achievement of mission

2 growth

3 user satisfaction


nonprofit

forprofit

economic

social

mission

mission

increase in

increase in

user is

user is

market share or profit

the consumer

positive social impact

the community or individual in need


Innovation leads to growth. Because the ways designers problem-solve is of value to companies trying to innovate, design thinking has become of great interest in the for-profit sector. Innovation has been proven to promote economic growth and has become a centerpiece of corporate strategies and initiatives. Businesses are embracing design thinking because it helps them be more innovative, better differentiate their brands, and bring their products and services to market faster.


Human-centricity leads to growth. Design thinking is human

mode is being experienced as a

centered, meaning it promotes

result. Design thinking produces

the understanding of communities

high-impact solutions that bubble

and individuals by spending time

up from below rather than being

at the front end of the process

imposed from the top.

to explore the problems and its context. This pays big dividends in producing more effective solutions. Design thinking is revolves around the needs, wants, and limitations of end users of a product, service or process. A shift from companies that produce what they’ve always made and use marketing to try to foist it on the world to more of a listening-learning-adapting


Facts & Figures Economic advantages of design.

Design-driven companies outperformed the Standard & Poor 500 by

228% For every

ÂŁ1

businesses invest in design, they gain over

ÂŁ4

net operating profit.


Companies that experience an increase in design activity achieve an additional

40%

gross revenue increase

compared to companies where design activity is either constant or has decreased.

For every

£1

invest in design, businesses can expect over

£20 For every

£1

invest in design, businesses can expect a return of over

£5

in increase exports.

increased revenues.



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