Wake Up Call for Design Thinkers

🚫 STOP looking for PAIN POINTS only

✴ START looking for INSPIRATIONS also

💔 Design Thinking is often misunderstood as solely focusing on finding pain points and problems to solve. However, its true essence lies in finding inspiration not only from identified pain points but also from undiscovered opportunities. This distinction is crucial as it opens up avenues for innovative solutions that go beyond addressing existing issues. Many have missed the potential of Design Thinking if they only look for pain points.

🤸‍♀️ A few years ago, my team and I took on a project aimed at finding new ways to improve customer loyalty to an FMCG product among young professionals. Instead of solely understanding existing customers, we took a different approach. We spent equal amounts of time understanding people from different industries and exploring how fitness and smoking habits are formed.

💕 Our research led us to discover that habits and brand loyalty are predominantly shaped by individuals during their teenage years. This crucial insight did not surface when we spoke to individuals about the FMCG product directly - all they mentioned was their negative perception towards this particular product and we failed to be inspired. However, conversations with extreme fitness enthusiasts and smokers uncovered a key insight that inspires us: lifelong habits are developed at a young age through peer influence.

🎯 Using this insight, we applied it to the FMCG product. The result was the creation of a new product offering and the identification of a new market segment. This market segment was previously untapped by competitors—a blue ocean strategy.

👍 This example showcases the power of Design Thinking in uncovering insights that lead to innovative solutions and new market opportunities. It is time to use design thinking to find inspiration not just to solve problems

👉 It goes beyond the traditional understanding of simply solving existing problems; instead, it focuses on finding inspiration and creating value in unexplored territories. By embracing this approach, organizations can break boundaries, innovate, and thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Therefore,

🚫 STOP looking for PAIN POINTS only

✴ START looking for INSPIRATIONS too

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[About the Author]

Jentz has a deep background in innovation and design across Europe and Malaysia. Committed to enhancing design practices, Jentz aims to help position Malaysia as a hub for creative and impactful solutions. Join him in exploring the potential of design thinking to tackle immediate challenges and inspire transformative change and innovation.