Design Thinking
Just like Peanut butter and Jelly, SAP and design thinking are an inseparable duo. But what exactly makes this method so special?
Role plays, the 6 W’s (What, Why, When…) and mind maps? Might sound a bit like elementary school, but these are real methods of Design Thinking! You would think that problem solving at a software company is always about algorithms and calculations – but quite the opposite.
Design Thinking uses ‘unconventional’, creative and often very fun methods to solve predefined problems.The process can usually be divided into five phases:
The best way to understand this process is by an example! We want to find a solution for students who can’t find their way around campus. This is how we go about it:
We put ourselves in the shoes of our target person – what would I want, what would I need?
We define specific problems of our users – what exactly prevents this person from finding their way around campus
Now we are thinking about solutions! There are no limits! Maybe an app? A guided tour? A virtual guide?
We develop early prototypes – a slimmed down app, not particularly pretty yet but with the necessary features.
We have a few students test the app and then go back to the different phases according to their feedback.
The more creative, the better! In Design Thinking, there really are no wrong ideas and usually the best solutions come from the craziest approaches!
Changing People’s Lives – that’s what SAP is all about. This is exactly why Design Thinking is the ideal method – it actively focuses on what the user needs and how he or she can best be helped.
Has your interest been piqued? Then you can learn more about this topic here on openSAP completely free of charge: Design Thinking in a Nutshell | openSAP
