A Brief Introduction to Design Thinking

Within the context of new product development (NPD) and innovation, design thinking has enjoyed significantly increased visibility and, for many, increased perceived importance over the last decade. Within this context, this chapter first briefly describes the concept of design thinking and its role within NPD and innovation. Next, it provides and describes a simple framework of design thinking, followed by a summary of some fundamental principles of the “mindset” of design thinking. Throughout, the chapter identify linkages with the other chapters of the book. Design thinking is not intended to be a linear process, nor would that be desirable in most situations. Instead, the design thinking approach is to create potential solutions as quickly as possible. The chapter concludes with a visual overview of the book to help guide the reader to the specific ideas, tools, and practices most applicable to the NPD and innovation problems and opportunities.