There is no unified terminology when talking about design these days. Design is used as a noun or verb, a one-time activity or a long process that combines creativity and innovation into added value which can result in the aesthetics or form of product, service, or experience. Recently, the design role has changed. Instead of placing emphasis on aesthetics and form, design replaces the way of thinking, which by its nature leads to innovation.
Over the last few years, the concept of design thinking came to the forefront of the business world. Literature summarizes it as follows: design thinking is a discipline that uses the sensitivity of designers and their methods of research of human needs that are technologically feasible and commercially viable. That strategy with the help of the user’s research creates new opportunities.
Design discipline in modern innovation processes is becoming more important than it had been before. Different research findings have shown that organisations which were more user oriented by involving design into organisational culture were more innovative than the others, which also means they were more competitive. In a way, design is a strategic tool for the creation of user-driven innovation. The designer’s multidisciplinary problem-solving method approach allows user’s needs and their aspirations to be a part of the front-end research process that enables new opportunities and innovation.
At STEP Institute we design and implement workshops on design thinking methods. We believe that design discipline is closely associated with research, development opportunities and innovation.
