Brainstorming Mindset

Focus on Human

ValuesIn design thinking, the best innovations arise out of the belief in humans and how they experience the world in all its facets. By putting an identified user at the center of what you do, you ensure that you’re working toward a solution that actually meets a real-life need.

Radical Collaboration

Radical collaboration is rooted in the strong belief that everyone works in multidisciplinary teams – on the same level. Ideas, insights and concepts are explored and worked by all team members. Everyone will be listened to – with politeness and respect.

Be Mindful of Process

The design thinking process is not just about following the steps, but also about how you guide yourself through them. Reflect on how you use the different tools. Which parts of the process come easily to you; which require the biggest personal adjustments? This reflection enables you to keep getting better and better at implementing this mindset.

A Bias Towards Action

Don’t put all your effort into the concept, or get invested in the idea of creating a perfectly working product. Think in fast prototypes. This mindset is all about getting tangible and testable prototypes in front of users quickly. Use their valuable feedback to improve your product before actually manufacturing the final version.

Fail Forward

Risk-taking might come with failure – but it also allows for solutions to be really pioneering and innovative. That’s why you should embrace failure as part of the process. Instead of being afraid of failure, see it as a step toward building really remarkable products.

Analogue First

We live in an increasingly digital world, so using technology to build prototypes might seem like the obvious choice. But during the design thinking process, analogue tools should become your best friend – think Post-it notes, Sharpies and other hands-on materials. Analogue tools make collaboration easier, and speeds up the prototype creation.

Go for Quantity

In a creative process, go for quantity, not quality. Ideas don’t need to be perfect. The more ideas you generate, the higher your odds of striking gold. Set yourself free from limitations during the creative process, with the intention of going for as many ideas as possible. You’ll be surprised at what you can come up with.

Craft Clarity

Problems are messy. Finding a solution means creating order out of chaos. You have to frame things with the goal of really getting to the heart of the matter. Your work should always be clear and accessible to as many people as possible. This also enables you to inspire others with your vision.

Show, Don’t Tell

Rather than describing something in words, it’s always better to show it instead – to create an image for your listeners. Expressing ideas in a non-verbal way makes them more compelling and helps others to better understand what is at stake. It also avoids misunderstandings, as a team can wrap their decisions around that shared image or artifact.