Welcome to
Design Thinking
Design Thinking, Agile, Lean – What’s the difference?
• Consider Design Thinking ≈ Agile ≈ Lean
• Design Thinking, Agile and Lean are technically different things, but it’s okay to consider
them similar – they are all models of experimentation & iteration.
• Therefore when to use Design Thinking and not Agile or Lean is an irrelevant
topic. Each Design Thinking, Agile and Lean are not single methodologies, but
a collection of methods, tools, frameworks and approaches. So just like
picking a tool from a toolbox, we just pick and choose and combine the most
appropriate tools regardless of their origin.
• Design Thinking actually has an earlier history than Agile. It started in the late 1950’s
around the same time as Systems Thinking. Among the first authors to write about design
thinking were John E. Arnold in "Creative Engineering" (1959) and L. Bruce Archer in
"Systematic Method for Designers" (1965).
• Design Thinking, Agile and Lean are all compatible with each other. They
can be used in combination. Elements of each are commonly mixed and
practiced because they are just so compatible.
Design Thinking, Agile, Lean – What’s the hype?
• Design Thinking nor agile did not invent trial and error.
• In fact, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act, W. Edwards Deming, 1950), OODA (Observe-Orient-Decide-Act, John Boyd,
1976) and many more thoughts on trial and error going all the way back to Socrates (circa 400BC) and Confucius
(circa 500BC), all teach the same.
• They are all models of experimentation & iteration.
• By default, we humans don’t like trial and error – it’s a biological trait stemming from our survival instincts of
uncertainty avoidance and resistance to change. Meanwhile, risk taking is rewarding, and the probability of
success from risk taking increases through trial and error – that’s a fact from pre-historic times. That’s why
throughout history many strings of experimental and iterative models have emerged as each is a new attempt to
get better at trial and error.
Design Thinking and Agile are just the latest attempts to get experimentation & iteration right. It doesn’t matter what
it’s called – the spirit is same.
The many flavors of experimental & iterative approaches
Waterfall
Plan
Do
Check
Act OODA
Observe
Orient
Decide
Act
LeanStartup
Build
MeasureLearn
DesignThinking
Empathize
Define
IdeatePrototype
Test
vs
AgileScrum
PDCA
(a.k.a. Deming Cycle, Kaizen - Continuous Improvement Cycle)
Why Design Thinking?
Waterfall
Project Management
One waterfall
No testing until completed
Agile, Design Thinking, Lean
Product Developmentvs
Many iterations
Many Small test with MVPs
vs
vs
(1) As with Agile, Design Thinking is an antidote to waterfall project management
The ambivalent nature of product development with Agile, Design Thinking, Lean
time
outcome
first step
second step
thereafter
time
output
WaterfallProject Management
Agile, Design Thinking, LeanProduct Development
The economic case for innovation by iteration: it’s simply smarter
InvestmentProbability of
SuccessReturn of Success
Weighted
Average ROI
Investment in
1 go$100 20% x20 $200
Investment in5 iterations
Each iteration +20% “Kaizen”(continuous improvement)
$20 20% x20 $80
$20 40% x20 $160
$20 60% x20 $240
$20 80% x20 $320
$20 100% x20 $400
Outcome $100 $1,200Product Market Fit NAILED
ROI 3x
Now you can MILK THE COW
Iteration DE-RISKS
Iteration GENERATES MONEY
Assumptions InvestmentProbability of
SuccessReturn on Success
Weighted Average ROI
Investment inone go
$100 20% x20 $400
It doesn’t stop here
High risk, high return opportunity
Design Thinking 1, 2, 3
Design Thinking
Design Thinking, Tom Kelly et al.
Image created by Takeshi Yoshida, 2018
Design Thinking is process driven
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Understand
the User
Define
the Problem
Ideate
Solutions
Create
Prototype
Test
and Learn
Iterate
Step 1: Empathize
Design Thinking, Tom Kelly et al.
Image created by Takeshi Yoshida, 2018
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Understand
the User
Define
the Problem
Ideate
Solutions
Create
Prototype
Test
and Learn
Iterate
Step 1: Empathize
Concept from https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/design-thinking-bootleg
Image created by Takeshi Yoshida, 2018
Step 2: Define the Problem
Design Thinking, Tom Kelly et al.
Image created by Takeshi Yoshida, 2018
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Understand
the User
Define
the Problem
Ideate
Solutions
Create
Prototype
Test
and Learn
Iterate
Step 2: Define the Problem
HOW MIGHT WE (HMW)Problem Definition to Ideation Statement
How might we:
How about we:
Step 3: Ideate
Design Thinking, Tom Kelly et al.
Image created by Takeshi Yoshida, 2018
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Understand
the User
Define
the Problem
Ideate
Solutions
Create
Prototype
Test
and Learn
Iterate
Step 3: Ideate
HOW MIGHT WE (HMW)Problem Definition to Ideation Statement
How might we:
Jake Knapp, Sprint, 2016
How about we:
Step 4: Prototype
Design Thinking, Tom Kelly et al.
Image created by Takeshi Yoshida, 2018
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Understand
the User
Define
the Problem
Ideate
Solutions
Create
Prototype
Test
and Learn
Iterate
Step 4: Prototype
Jake Knapp, Sprint, 2016
Prototyping a service model
Step 4: Prototype
Prototyping a store concept
Step 4: Prototype
Prototyping an app
Lo-fi
Mid-fi
Hi-fi
Step 4: Prototype
Prototyping with paper mockups
Step 4: Prototype
Prototyping a “walking skeleton”〇
×
Step 5: Test & Iterate
Design Thinking, Tom Kelly et al.
Image created by Takeshi Yoshida, 2018
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Understand
the User
Define
the Problem
Ideate
Solutions
Create
Prototype
Test
and Learn
Iterate
Step 5: Test & Iterate
Diagram by Brinker, Scott, Hacking Marketing: Agile Practices to Make Marketing Smarter, Faster, and More Innovative, Wiley, 2016.
Rapid Design Thinking
Practice Design Thinking in 30 minutes
Example: Origami Greeting Gift
▪ Form pairs
▪ Take turns interviewing each other; learn who your neighbor is, what they like, aspire etc. (Empathize)
▪ Your gift to your neighbor will be something that represents them. What makes her/him/them special? Think of values, characters and other unique things about them. (Define)
▪ Ideate what kind of paper craft you can build to represent that something about your neighbor. (Ideate)
▪ Build your paper craft (Prototype)
▪ Exchange the gifts and tell what you built, and the story behind it. (Test)
Design Thinking x, y, z
The Essence of Design Thinking: Know-Do to Know-[xxxxx]-Do
Marty Neumeier, https://www.liquidagency.com/brand-exchange/rule-12-design-quickly-decide-slowly
Design
Thinking
Empathize
Define
IdeatePrototype
Test
FEEL
your
customer
THINK
what problem
to solve
IMAGINE
what you can
do to solve
the problem
BUILD
your idea into
something that
can be tested
Creativityin steps
Design Thinking is a process for helping us activate our creativity
TRY
the idea and
see if it will
fly, and keep
on trying
Design
Thinking
Empathize
Define
IdeatePrototype
Test
FEEL
your
customer
THINK
what problem
to solve
IMAGINE
what you can
do to solve
the problem
BUILD
Your idea into
something that
can be tested
Creativityin steps
Process driven doesn’t mean it has to be sequential
(This is how our brains work)
TRY
the idea and
see if it will
fly, and keep
on trying
Design Thinking helps us de-learn linear thinking
time
outcome
first step
second step
thereafter
time
output
WaterfallProject Management
Agile, Design Thinking, LeanProduct Development
Linear thinking is our default: We are very good at planning and making lists
horizontal thinking
verticalthinking
Linear thinking:
▪ What’s good?
▪ Systematic, organized, intuitive▪ Tried and tested, consistent▪ Does the job
▪ What’s the problem?
▪ Are all options explored?▪ Is that the only way?▪ How do I know what’s missing?
The opportunity loss of linear thinking is costly (and the worst part is that you can’t see it, so you don’t realize it).
Pro tip: People typically do either list making or planning, and not both. By doing both, i.e. list making then planning, we’re already one step closer to lateral thinking.
Lateral thinking(parallel thinking)
Divergent & convergent thinking Mosaic thinking
Linear thinking gets us stuck.
Design Thinking is lateral, divergent & convergent, and mosaic thinking
Hybrid Agile ExampleCombining Design Thinking’s strength on ideation, and Scrum’s powerful iterative building
Agile is a high order synthesis of Flexibility and Discipline
Read the article here:
About Coach Takeshi
Coach Takeshi
Takeshi Yoshida
Chief Coach and Founder, Lifecycle Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)
1994~2001: Morgan Stanley2001~2002: INSEAD MBA2002~2004: Bank of America2004~2009: Deutsche Bank2009~2011: Barclays
2011~current: Lifecycle
• Serial startup entrepreneur
• Coach, trainer, facilitator
• INSEAD corporate executive program lecturer, trainer, facilitator
Professional Certifications
International Association of Positive Psychology Coaches (IAPPC)
Certified Positive Psychology Coach (CPPC) Level II (Credential: https://agile-od.com/cppc)
International Coach Federation (ICF)
Associate Certified Coach (ACC)(Credential: https://coachfederation.org)
Scrum.org
Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II)Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO)(Certifications: https://www.scrum.org/user/498256)
Association of Master Trainers in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Method
Certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator(Certification: https://agile-od.com/lsp)
• Current engagements:
• Major European FMCG: Agile transformation advisor and agile coach for CIO/CTO board• Global consulting company: Organization wide leadership development programme director• Singapore Government agency: Service Design consultant and senior leadership team coach• Global insurance company: Agile cultural transformation programme lead coach and trainer• Executive coaching engagements with global financial institutions, MNCs, GAFA
Agile 101
What is agile? Why agile? How do we do agile? What’s the difference between Agile, Scrum, Lean, Design Thinking? Tell me about Scrum. Is agile a fad? What’s the difference between Agile and agility? All answered, in a 33 minute video.
https://agile-od.com/lean-agile/agile-101
More readings from Coach Takeshi
Knowing to Stop, a
Confucius Teaching
Radical Candor, My Go To
Feedback Routine
A Pretty Good Summary of Lean,
Agile, Scrum
Lean, Lean Manufacturing, Lean
Startup: Explained
Try Design Thinking + Scrum: A
Powerful Hybrid Agile Approach
How to Get Scrum Right on First
Attempt: Single Sprint Scrum Pilot
Strategy Session Facilitation with
Design Thinking + Liberating Structures
Waterfall Agile: Addressing the Irony of
Delivering Agile Transformation with
Waterfall
Innovation Manager’s Toolkit Ambidextrous Organizations
Explained