design-thinking

# Design Thinking

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

- **Design Thinking tasks** - Working on design thinking methodology for human-centered innovation. covers the 5-phase ideo/stanford d.school approach (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test) with workshop facilitation and exercise templates
- **Planning or design** - Need guidance on Design Thinking approaches
- **Best practices** - Want to follow established patterns and standards

## Overview

A human-centered approach to innovation that integrates the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.

## What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a problem-solving methodology developed by IDEO and taught at Stanford d.school. It emphasizes understanding users, challenging assumptions, redefining problems, and creating innovative solutions through iterative prototyping and testing.

### Core Principles

| Principle | Description |
|-----------|-------------|
| **Human-Centered** | Start with people, not technology or process |
| **Embrace Ambiguity** | Comfortable with uncertainty early on |
| **Bias to Action** | Learn by doing, not just thinking |
| **Radical Collaboration** | Cross-functional, diverse perspectives |
| **Iterate Rapidly** | Fail fast, learn fast, improve fast |

## The 5 Phases

```text
┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐
│         │  │         │  │         │  │         │  │         │
│EMPATHIZE│→│ DEFINE  │→│ IDEATE  │→│PROTOTYPE│→│  TEST   │
│         │  │         │  │         │  │         │  │         │
│Understand│  │Frame the│  │Generate │  │Build to │  │Learn &  │
│the user │  │problem  │  │ideas    │  │learn    │  │refine   │
└─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘  └─────────┘
     ▲                                                    │
     └────────────────── Iterate ─────────────────────────┘
```

### Phase Characteristics

| Phase | Mode | Key Question | Output |
|-------|------|-