Combining Design Thinking and Strategic Thinking
Design Thinking, I am a fan. You start drawing, sketching, prototyping around a problem with the people who use it, need it or will build it. It can (in my opinion) get you closer to a great user experience faster than spending weeks sitting at a desk prototyping and over-thinking interactions.
But I am learning that we need to be careful not to under-think these experiences. As an agency, our clients are trusting us with their money to create a return on investment, not simply delight their end-customer. In most cases creating good user experience leads to ROI but that is where strategic thinking comes in – to make sure it does.
Having the courage to say 'No' takes balls.
We need to make sure we understand our clients strategy – their reason for existence. Understand what it is that our design thinking has led us to, but also understand what it may not do. Knowing this gives us the strategic insight to be able to say ‘No’ to something that simply does not align with the overall company strategy. Having the courage to say ‘No’ to a big idea takes balls, as well as clarity.
Design thinking can help to define new opportunities, Strategic thinking helps to decide which ones to pursue.
