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Design Thinking

Stanford d.school's Design Thinking methodology is a human-centered approach to innovation. It emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and iteration through five interconnected stages.

The Flow

Design Thinking Flow

Key Principles

  1. Human-Centered: Deep empathy for users
  2. Bias Toward Action: Prototype early and often
  3. Radical Collaboration: Diverse perspectives
  4. Embrace Ambiguity: Navigate uncertainty
  5. Iterate: Learn through making

The Five Stages

1. Empathize

Understand users through observation, engagement, and immersion.

Methods: User interviews, shadowing, journey mapping

2. Define

Synthesize findings into a clear point of view (POV).

Methods: POV statements, "How Might We" questions, empathy maps

3. Ideate

Generate a broad range of possible solutions.

Methods: Brainstorming, mind mapping, sketching

4. Prototype

Build quick, rough representations of ideas.

Methods: Paper prototypes, storyboards, role-playing

5. Test

Gather feedback and refine solutions.

Methods: User testing, A/B testing, feedback capture

VisionSpec Mapping

Design Thinking Artifact VisionSpec Type Purpose
Empathy Map MRD User understanding
HMW Questions MRD Problem framing
Journey Map UXD User experience flow
Prototype Spec PRD What to build and test
Test Plan UXD Validation methodology

Using the Design Thinking Profile

Initialize a Project

multispec init user-onboarding --profile design-thinking

Create Empathy Map (MRD)

multispec draft mrd -p user-onboarding

The Empathy Map template includes:

  • Says: Quotes from users
  • Thinks: What users are thinking
  • Does: Observable behaviors
  • Feels: Emotional state
  • Pains: Frustrations and challenges
  • Gains: Goals and desires

Define "How Might We" Questions

The MRD template also includes:

  • Problem synthesis
  • POV statement (User... Needs... Because...)
  • HMW questions (How Might We...)
  • Prioritized design challenges

Create Journey Map (UXD)

multispec draft uxd -p user-onboarding

The Journey Map template includes:

  • User persona
  • Journey stages
  • Actions at each stage
  • Thoughts and feelings
  • Pain points
  • Opportunities
  • Touchpoints

Create Prototype Spec (PRD)

multispec draft prd -p user-onboarding

The Prototype Spec template includes:

  • HMW question being addressed
  • Prototype type (paper, digital, physical)
  • Fidelity level (low, medium, high)
  • Key interactions to test
  • What we're NOT testing
  • Materials needed

Create Test Plan (UXD)

The UXD can also include a Test Plan:

  • Testing objectives
  • Participant criteria
  • Test scenarios
  • Questions to ask
  • Observation guide
  • Feedback capture method

Rubric Categories

Empathy Map Evaluation (MRD)

Category Weight Description
User Clarity 20% Specific user defined
Empathy Depth 25% Rich understanding of user
Says/Thinks/Does/Feels 20% All quadrants covered
Pains Identified 15% Real frustrations found
Gains Identified 10% User goals understood
Insights 10% Non-obvious findings

HMW Questions Evaluation (MRD)

Category Weight Description
POV Clarity 25% Clear User/Needs/Because
HMW Quality 30% Questions open possibilities
Problem Scope 20% Neither too broad nor narrow
User-Centered 15% Focused on user needs
Actionability 10% Can guide ideation

Journey Map Evaluation (UXD)

Category Weight Description
Journey Completeness 20% Full experience mapped
Emotional Mapping 20% Feelings at each stage
Pain Points 20% Frustrations identified
Opportunities 20% Design opportunities clear
Touchpoints 10% All interactions noted
Actionability 10% Guides design decisions

Prototype Spec Evaluation (PRD)

Category Weight Description
HMW Alignment 20% Addresses specific question
Appropriate Fidelity 20% Right level for stage
Testable 25% Clear what to test
Focused 15% Not testing everything
Feasible 10% Can be built quickly
Iteration Ready 10% Easy to modify

Iteration Patterns

Design Thinking is non-linear. Common iteration patterns:

Test → Prototype → Test (refine)
Test → Define → Ideate (reframe)
Test → Empathize → Define (deeper understanding)
Ideate → Prototype → Ideate (expand possibilities)

Example Workflow

# 1. Initialize project
multispec init checkout-flow --profile design-thinking

# 2. Empathize: Create empathy map from research
multispec draft mrd -p checkout-flow
# Include user interviews, observations
multispec eval mrd -p checkout-flow
multispec approve mrd -p checkout-flow

# 3. Define: HMW questions are in MRD
# Review and refine POV statement

# 4. Ideate: (happens outside VisionSpec - brainstorming)

# 5. Prototype: Create spec for what to build
multispec draft prd -p checkout-flow
multispec eval prd -p checkout-flow
multispec approve prd -p checkout-flow

# 6. Test: Create test plan
multispec draft uxd -p checkout-flow
multispec eval uxd -p checkout-flow
multispec approve uxd -p checkout-flow

# 7. Run tests, gather feedback...

# 8. Iterate: Return to earlier stage as needed
# If reframing: update MRD
# If refining: update PRD

Brainstorming Rules

When facilitating ideation:

  1. Defer judgment - No criticism during ideation
  2. Encourage wild ideas - The unusual sparks innovation
  3. Build on others' ideas - "Yes, and..."
  4. Stay focused on topic - One challenge at a time
  5. One conversation at a time - Listen actively
  6. Be visual - Sketch ideas
  7. Go for quantity - More ideas = more options

Reference Materials

For deeper understanding of Design Thinking, see: