What is Design Thinking and what are the success stories of Design Thinking?
In our first assignment (Assignment 0) we dealt with this question and each of us worked out one success story. In addition to a blog article (see links below), each of us gave a 20-minute presentation on a Design Thinking success story. Looking at the different companies in the success stories, it’s easy to see that design thinking doesn’t just apply to the technology industry it’s often associated with. In the presentations it became clear that Design Thinking can be applied in almost all areas and is not a generic construct. In the 10 presentations we learned about 10 different approaches and 10 different implementations of Design Thinking. The classic five phases (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) were often slightly modified to fit the needs of the company. This made each presentation different and highly interesting in its own way. Overall, all companies managed to write a success story with the introduction of Design Thinking. We realized that Design Thinking is about getting the right mix of people around the table to solve a particular problem or challenge. At the end of each presentation questions were asked and the different approaches were discussed.
Here you can find the links to the different blog articles:
- Corporate Change through Design Thinking @ PepsiCo
Uncertain Future of PepsiCo Before the successful transition to a design-driven approach, the future of PepsiCo was very uncertain. Many investors were dissatisfied with the annual sales and market share. Thus, discussions about a separation of the company were underway. The former CEO, Indra Nooyi, wanted to change the corporate’s direction to retain her position… Read more: Corporate Change through Design Thinking @ PepsiCo - Design Thinking @ AirbnbEverything is hard before it is easy You all know Airbnb, right? They offer rooms and apartments in nearly every city around the world, and they are pretty successful nowadays. They have around 5,500 employees, over 150M active users and 193M bookings in 2020. Well, it wasn’t always like that. In 2008, Airbnb was founded… Read more: Design Thinking @ Airbnb
- Design Thinking @ IBMMotivation When you look at the products we encounter in our everyday lives, you always think how fascinating it is that people can create such products. I immediately asked myself how large companies conduct such projects and what methods they use. In the example of IBM, one always comes across the design thinking approach. This… Read more: Design Thinking @ IBM
- Design Thinking @ JournalismAs suggested by Jennifer Brandel from Hearken and with regard to Janosch Troehler, public-powered journalism is an innovative way of engaging with the audience by applying design thinking. Development of journalism Traditional media has developed steadily from print only over radio stations to all day television. Journalists nevertheless have always done a more or less… Read more: Design Thinking @ Journalism
- Design Thinking @ MobisolSolar home systems for rural Africa Nowadays, the world is interconnected in many aspects and is characterized by constant growing globalization. But globalization and development are not progressing at the same level of speed in all parts of the world. We all know that the division between developed and developing countries exists. The problem starts… Read more: Design Thinking @ Mobisol
- Design Thinking @ NikeHow did Nikes become a fashion item? The design thinking process is a largely flexible and sometimes iterative process. Nike realized that when releasing their first Air Force One collection in 1982. The initial goal of Nike was to provide a sneaker which would improve the abilities and performances of athletes. Meanwhile releasing these shoes… Read more: Design Thinking @ Nike
- Design Thinking @ The Good KitchenThe Good Kitchen, former Hospitable Food Service, is Holstebro’s organization that prepares and delivers subsidized meals to people who suffer from a reduced ability to function due to illness, age, or other conditions. It is a new type of meal service in Denmark that stands for a modern and user-centered kitchen with a focus on… Read more: Design Thinking @ The Good Kitchen
- How Deutsche Bank Used Design Thinking @ Deutsche BankWhy does Deutsche Bank need Design Thinking at All? When you think of Deutsche Bank’s description as a “multinational investment bank and financial services company”, you immediately have in mind complex structures, processes and investment strategies. But you wouldn’t suspect that Deutsche Bank also relies heavily on their relationship with their customers. But in retail… Read more: How Deutsche Bank Used Design Thinking @ Deutsche Bank
- How to successfully reinvent a brand @ Oil of OlayReinventing Oil of Olay In the 90s, “Oil of Olay” was the most famous skin care brand of Procter&Gamble (P&G). Despite its popularity, competition with similar products and the same target group increased. “Oil of Olay” had difficulties to compete with innovative brands and was considered old-fashioned. To regain its image and market share, the… Read more: How to successfully reinvent a brand @ Oil of Olay
- Keep the Change @ Bank of AmericaProject Launch How can we encourage new customers to open bank accounts? This was exactly the question the Bank of America asked itself in 2004. The question itself is not unusual, as probably most banks ask themselves the same question. But what set the Bank of America apart from these other banks was that they… Read more: Keep the Change @ Bank of America
