Design Thinking – Buzzword or Real Tool?
Let’s be honest: “Design Thinking” became more popular than many startups. It’s overused, confused with brainstorming, and often tossed into presentations as a shiny process label.
But once you scrape off the buzzwords, what’s left is solid: a logical approach to solving problems that allows for chaos, empathy, and iteration — something UX desperately needs.
Design Thinking Is Not Just a Process. It’s a Mindset.
In my article “Design Thinking Certification – Reflections, Insights, and Practical Takeaways”, I wrote about how certification wasn’t just about ticking boxes — it was a chance to confront my own assumptions.
My biggest takeaway? Design Thinking doesn’t have to be a sticky-note workshop. It can live inside your everyday work — if you stay curious, open, and willing to rethink.
It’s not about doing the process. It’s about thinking like a designer: empathetic, flexible, and focused on value.
It’s Not About the Phases. It’s About the Rhythm.
Yes, the classic model includes five phases:
- Empathize – understand the user
- Define – articulate the real problem
- Ideate – generate possible solutions
- Prototype – give ideas a tangible form
- Test – verify before building
But in real-life projects, you rarely move through them linearly. You start with a test, jump back to empathy, pivot mid-way, and redefine the problem.
Design Thinking is not a checklist. It’s a mode of operating that tells you: “Don’t assume — test. Don’t polish — explore.”
How I Apply Design Thinking at Work
🔹 Empathy doesn’t need a workshop
Sometimes it’s just talking to the support team or reading Jira tickets. You may not have a research budget, but if you’re curious — that’s enough.
🔹 Problem definition isn’t always sexy
Sometimes it comes as a vague note: “Users don’t complete the signup flow.”
Before redesigning anything, ask: Why not?
The answer is often outside the screen.
🔹 Ideation can be quiet and solo
You won’t always have a full team with Post-its. Sometimes it’s just you and a notebook.
If you’re exploring multiple paths, you’re ideating.
🔹 Prototypes don’t need to be beautiful
They can be raw, sketched, even just boxes on paper.
The goal is to move from thought to form — fast.
🔹 Testing isn’t just for users
It can also mean hearing a developer say: “This will be hard to build.”
Instead of pushing, ask: What would be easier?
That’s testing too — and it gives you data.
What Design Thinking Gives Me
- I can start a project without panicking about having all the answers
- I’ve learned to sit with uncertainty and not cling to my first idea
- I’m more open to critique because I treat everything as temporary
- I stay focused on outcomes, not just features
It brings clarity without rigidity. It reminds me that the problem comes before aesthetics, and the user comes before my ego.
It’s Not About Workshops. It’s About How You Think.
You don’t need to be a certified facilitator or draw the five-phase pentagon. You just need to:
- Listen
- Ask
- Test
- Iterate
- And stop trusting your assumptions
If you do that — you’re doing Design Thinking. Even if nobody calls it that.
Design Thinking Powers Modern UX Education
This mindset isn’t just trendy — it’s foundational.
For example, the Google UX Design Certificate, which I completed, is built entirely around Design Thinking.
It’s an excellent path for junior designers — not just for mastering tools, but for understanding how to think and act like a designer.
If you’re new to UX, Design Thinking is not optional — it’s essential.
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