The Design Thinking Mindset: An Assessment of What We Know and What We See in Practice

Abstract

In this article, we provide a comprehensive assessment of the design thinking mindset. First, we review the design and management literature to identify and define key components of a design thinking mindset, before we report initial findings from fifteen in-depth interviews with innovation managers in Australia and Germany, who reflect on their practices while implementing design thinking within their organizations. Our study confirms a set of commonly understood and applied mindsets, but also reveals the impact of organizational constraints on translating cognition into behaviour. We suggest further mapping the different mindsets used in design thinking projects and linking them to extant leadership theory. We argue that this will provide a suitable point of departure for further study of the design thinking mindset, as well as its role for innovation.

Measuring Design Thinking Mindset

“…All of these items derive from an accurate analysis of the different elements found in the selected literature, where there authors independently clustered the 34 elements and then agreed on a final list of constructs. As an example, both Carlgren et al (2016b) and Schweitzer et al (2016) describe items related to concept of embracing risk and of ambiguity tolerance: Carlgren et al refer to the initial problem re-formulation and Schweitzer et al refer in particular to the process, namely to the risk of failure, to be open to accept the ambiguity in the outcome. Both of them include the aspect of using a holistic approach, which we considered as a separated item.…”

“…Carlgren et al, 2016b) while someone else only in one of the two terms (e.g. Schweitzer et al, 2016). We differentiate this concept into two items (Human centeredness and Empathy).…”

“…We differentiate this concept into two items (Human centeredness and Empathy). The concept of collaboration is present in three constructs of our model, expressed in three different aspects (teamwork, multidisciplinary teams and open to diversity) but, for example, Schweitzer et al (2016) include all these aspects under a single element (Collaborative geared and embracing diversity). In general, the final set of constructs is in line with the literature, excepted the tools the we have discarded because our model's aim is to describe attitudes of people implementing Design Thinking more than understand which are the needed elements to describe DT.…”

“…For Hassi and Laakso (2011) the mindset "describes the orientation towards the work at hand and the mentality on which problems are approached" and it is described by elements like "being experimental and explorative", "Being ambiguity tolerant", "being Optimistic" and "being future-oriented". Schweitzer et al (2016) have identified 11 "Design Thinking Mindsets": "Empathetic towards people's needs and context", "Collaboratively geared and embracing diversity", "Inquisitive and open to new perspectives and learning", "Mindful of process and thinking modes", "Experiential intelligence", "Taking action deliberately and overt", "Consciously creative", "Accepting of uncertainty and open to risk", "Modelling behaviour", "Desire and determination to make a difference", "Critically questioning". Other authors have written about the characteristics of the mindset (Both and Baggereor, 2010;Carlgren, 2016a) and it is possible to identify some common constructs like being focused on the user, being empathetic, collaborative and open to diversity, being comfortable with ambiguity, embracing risk and experimentation, mindfulness and optimism.…”

“…Other authors have written about the characteristics of the mindset (Both and Baggereor, 2010;Carlgren, 2016a) and it is possible to identify some common constructs like being focused on the user, being empathetic, collaborative and open to diversity, being comfortable with ambiguity, embracing risk and experimentation, mindfulness and optimism. The application of these constructs could be different among authors, for example some authors interpret mindfulness as self-mindfulness (Fraser, 2011) or others confound the awareness of the process with the ability to combine the divergent and convergent thinking (Both and Baggereor, 2010;Brenner and Uebernickel, 2016;Schweitzer et al, 2016). Moreover, some authors have included in the description of the mindset some tools like prototyping, visualization, iteration and testing.…”