I’ve been having fun with the Open AI chatbot ChatGPT. So far over a million people have tried this and have been surprised with some of the “conversations” they have been having with the AI. This tool is made by OpenAI. ChatGPT allows you to chat with the AI and get ideas or knowledge in a more natural way of communication. This tool is capable of understanding natural human language and generating “thoughtful” more human responses after you provide it a question or prompt. It can create new ideas, describe them, and write computer code. I decided to try to question it about design thinking and what were the most important things to learn. I’ve spent over 15 years on this specific topic and can confirm that the ChatGPT AI summary results are pretty accurate…and well written too!

Here are screenshot images of my first two questions in the chat conversation and then the full transcript with many more questions follows.

Using AI to Learn Design Thinking

Questions and Answers about Learning and Practicing Design Thinking

If I wanted to succeed in design thinking, what should I learn or do?

Design thinking is a creative approach to problem-solving that involves empathy, collaboration, and experimentation. To succeed in design thinking, you should focus on developing your ability to empathize with others and understand their needs and perspectives. This can involve conducting research and interviews to gather information about your target audience, and using that information to inform your design process. Additionally, you should strive to be open-minded and collaborative, and be willing to experiment with different ideas and approaches to find the best solution to a problem. Finally, it can be helpful to learn about different design thinking methodologies and tools, and to practice using them in real-world scenarios.

 

OK, what design thinking methodologies should I learn? Can you describe them?

There are several different design thinking methodologies that you can learn about, each with its own distinct approach to problem-solving. Some common design thinking methodologies include the following:

  1. The Double Diamond model: This methodology is based on the idea that the design process involves moving back and forth between divergent and convergent thinking. The first diamond represents the divergent phase, in which you generate a wide range of ideas and options. The second diamond represents the convergent phase, in which you narrow down your options and choose the best solution to pursue.
  2. The IDEO design thinking process: This methodology is a five-step approach to problem-solving that involves empathizing with users, defining the problem, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing. This approach emphasizes collaboration and iteration, and encourages designers to be agile and responsive to feedback.
  3. The Stanford d.school design thinking process: This methodology is a five-step approach that involves empathizing with users, defining the problem, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing. This approach focuses on developing a deep understanding of users and their needs, and on using that understanding to drive the design process.

Each of these design thinking methodologies has its own strengths and limitations, and the right approach for you will depend on your specific goals and needs. It can be helpful to learn about multiple methodologies and to experiment with different approaches to find the one that works best for you.

 

OK, what design thinking tools should I learn how to use or apply?

There are many different tools and techniques that can be used in the design thinking process to help generate ideas, refine solutions, and evaluate the effectiveness of designs. Some common design thinking tools include the following:

  1. Empathy maps: Empathy maps are a visual tool used to understand the thoughts, feelings, and needs of users. They can help designers to better understand their target audience and to identify opportunities for design.
  2. Customer journey maps: Customer journey maps are a visual representation of the steps that a user takes to accomplish a goal, and the thoughts and feelings they experience along the way. They can help designers to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement in the user experience.
  3. Affinity diagrams: Affinity diagrams are a tool used to organize and analyze data by grouping similar ideas together. They can help designers to identify patterns and trends in user research data, and to generate insights that can inform the design process.
  4. Idea generation techniques: There are many different techniques that can be used to generate ideas, such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and lateral thinking. These techniques can help designers to come up with a wide range of ideas and solutions to a problem.
  5. Prototyping and testing: Prototyping and testing are key tools in the design thinking process. Prototyping involves creating a physical or digital representation of a design idea, while testing involves gathering feedback from users to evaluate the effectiveness of the design. Both of these tools can help designers to iterate on their designs and to create solutions that meet the needs of users.

Learning how to use these tools and techniques can help you to be more effective in your design thinking process, and to generate better solutions to the problems you are trying to solve.

This image was even created with AI! OpenAI’s Dall-E was the artificial intelligence visual tool.

OK, what are some of the best books to help me learn design thinking?

There are many books that can help you learn about design thinking and improve your design thinking skills. Some of the best books on the subject include:

  1. “Design Thinking” by Tim Brown
  2. “The Design Thinking Playbook” by Michael Lewrick, Patrick Link, and Larry Leifer
  3. “Creative Confidence” by Tom Kelley and David Kelley
  4. “Change by Design” by Tim Brown
  5. “The Innovator’s Dilemma” by Clayton Christensen
  6. “Designing Your Life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
  7. “The Mom Test” by Rob Fitzpatrick
  8. “Sprint” by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz
  9. “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries
  10. “Creative Problem Solving” by Scott G. Isaksen and David B. Jamieson

These books offer a range of perspectives on design thinking, and can provide valuable insights and practical advice on how to apply design thinking principles to your own work.

What are some case studies or examples of design thinking projects?

Design thinking has been used in a wide range of industries and contexts to solve a variety of problems. Some examples of successful design thinking projects include:

  1. The development of the first personal computers by Apple and IBM, which used design thinking principles to create user-friendly and intuitive products.
  2. The redesign of the emergency room at Stanford Hospital, which used design thinking to improve the patient experience and reduce wait times.
  3. The creation of the Nest thermostat, which used design thinking to develop a sleek and user-friendly product that makes it easy for users to control their home heating and cooling systems.
  4. The redesign of the Detroit public school system, which used design thinking to improve student engagement and academic performance.
  5. The development of the One Laptop per Child project, which used design thinking to create a low-cost and durable laptop for use in developing countries.

These examples demonstrate the power of design thinking to generate innovative solutions to complex problems.

How can we start a design thinking project at an organization?

To start a design thinking project at an organization, the first step is to identify a problem or opportunity that the project can address. This can involve conducting research and interviews with stakeholders to gather information about their needs and concerns, and to identify potential areas for improvement. Once you have identified a problem or opportunity, you can then begin to develop a plan for your design thinking project. This can involve defining the project goals, developing a timeline and budget, and identifying the resources and team members you will need to complete the project.

Once you have a plan in place, you can begin to apply the principles of design thinking to your project. This can involve conducting user research to gain a deeper understanding of the needs and perspectives of your target audience, generating a wide range of ideas and solutions to the problem, and prototyping and testing those ideas to refine and improve them. As you move through the design thinking process, it can be helpful to regularly review your progress and adjust your plan as needed.

Overall, starting a design thinking project at an organization requires a commitment to collaboration, experimentation, and iteration. By following these principles, you can create innovative solutions to complex problems and drive positive change in your organization.

How can we use AI with design thinking?

AI can be used in the design thinking process in a number of ways. For example, AI algorithms can be used to analyze data and generate insights that can inform the design process. This can involve using natural language processing to analyze customer feedback and identify common themes and trends, or using machine learning to predict user behavior and preferences.

AI can also be used to assist in the generation of ideas and solutions. For example, generative AI algorithms can be used to generate a wide range of potential design solutions based on a set of input parameters. This can help designers to explore a larger number of possibilities and to find creative solutions that they might not have considered on their own.

In addition, AI can be used to automate certain aspects of the design process, such as creating low-fidelity prototypes or generating code for digital products. This can help to reduce the time and effort required to complete design projects, and can allow designers to focus on more complex and creative tasks.

Overall, AI has the potential to enhance the design thinking process by providing designers with new tools and capabilities that can help them to generate innovative solutions to complex problems.

AI Design Thinking Conclusion

In summary, I’m impressed! The application of artificial intelligence (AI) for learning and creative fields could be transformative. The synthesis of data and summaries the AI tool provided instantly were astounding. The more human interface and conversation with the Open AI ChatGPT tool is fun and also productive. It’s a simple and more natural way to question and then dive deeper.

Here are some other articles about ChatGPT you may find useful, including this ChatGPT Prompt Tips Training.
For design thinking purposes and sessions, we really like the AI applications on online whiteboarding tools. Check out our articles about Miro AI and Lucidspark’s Collaborative AI. We also have video demos of the features and use cases within those articles.