3rd Way Thinking Creates Efficient Business Processes
A design is a blueprint or specifications for the creation of an object or apparatus, or for the effective performance of an act or procedure, or the expected end result of that blueprint or specification in the shape of a finished object, material or process. The verb to design usually indicates the planning of the actual design itself. A designer may be a person involved in the discovery of a way to improve upon an existing invention, or he may be the person who designs the equipment used by a builder in fabricating a part piece of machinery. A manufacturer produces a large number of products using a variety of machinery, each having a distinctive design. A software developer produces programs and applications using a series of programming languages.
Designers must not only be aware of the possibilities for improvement but also of the problems inherent in the design processes. Thus, they ought to be conversant with and able to analyze, the problems which will be encountered in producing the final product. One can distinguish between design thinking outside the design process and design thinking within the design process. Design thinking outside the process involves inventive solutions to existing problems. These solutions are not subject to the validity of previous results. These solutions are the products of the designer’s insight into problems of practical interest to him.
Design thinking inside the process is oriented towards problem solving. It makes use of research, problem solving techniques and innovative solutions. The discipline of project management recognizes the value of design thinking. In addition, the increased sophistication of computer applications has also made possible better understandings of complex problems using methods appropriate to their objectivity, quality and complexity, instead of employing the more labor-intensive and costly project management approaches.
The importance of design thinking can be seen today in all aspects of the business world. It has become important for architects, engineers and interior decorators to be more familiar with problems of the customer and to come up with better solutions. Designers have realized the importance of this third way thinking. Designers who work in industrial and business organization environments have come to realize the interdependence of the third way process. They have come to understand that problem solving is not an end in itself.
Designers involved in designing activities have come to recognize that the objective of the process does not end in producing an improved product but should start by reaching out to the customer to understand his needs and circumstances. They have come to understand that it is not enough to design products in conformity with the customer’s specifications. There is a critical need to build human relationships with clients as well.
Third way design thinking has contributed significantly to the development of various domains of excellence across a wide range of disciplines. It is now widely accepted that problem-solving and human-centered design processes are intertwined. Organizations that successfully integrate problem-solving approaches with product, information, design, and human resources practice are capable of creating enduring positive changes that provide a significant competitive advantage. These practices also improve organizational performance.