Design thinking is a concept that I see riding the high waves of creative conversation. The concept of design thinking in general unites both left and right brain thought patterns from involved individuals to predict a selective path of answers that hopefully provide a solution to design issues with the essence of solving those issues through the underlying notion of business.

Often when I hear people speaking of design thinking, they are not really addressing the solution of design towards design issues, but rather, they are trying to solve business issues with design solutions. Business issues that arise have not risen because of design problems, they are exposed due to failure of successful business solutions in regards to the product and/or service.

Design thinking will have it’s place in market strategies, but only when a solid foundation of business has been laid and offers a platform for design to represent creative strategy to the rest of the world.

If sales are down, design thinking and creative process’ are not going to bring them up. Sales are down due to business issues like sales, marketing, business strategy and campaign failures. As designers with solid business acumen, it is not only up to us to provide creative solutions for design by design, but to know our limits and offer re-direction to BAs and stakeholders who honestly believe that design thinking will solve their business problems.

Sometimes, a designer may need to step out of the business process if they are trying to apply design thinking to business related issues. Very few, and I mean “very few” designers don’t have the business knowhow to offer business related input for business problems, or the maturity to realize that they are in way over their heads at a business meeting.

Design thinking does nothing more then put the icing on the cake of business strategy. That’s it.

Designers will be able to shine and show their creative thought process and design strategies when a solid business foundation has been laid and a designer has full confidence to build upon that foundation and present the business of the business to the rest of the world though design thinking.