Everyday Design Thinking

This topic explores how you can use Design Thinking, a methodology that we mostly use in UX and Product Design, applied to other areas of your life – such as time management, health & fitness, personal finance, relationships or learning new skills. By going through the empathise, define, ideate, prototype, test and iteration phases of the Design Thinking framework, you can apply it to solving almost any area in your life – not just UX problems specifically. This topic explores how you can use Design Thinking, a methodology that we mostly use in UX and Product Design, applied to other areas of your life – such as time management, health & fitness, personal finance, relationships or learning new skills. By going through the empathise, define, ideate, prototype, test and iteration phases of the Design Thinking framework, you can apply it to solving almost any area in your life – not just UX problems specifically.

Here’s an example by Chat:

Time Management:

• Empathize: Identify when you feel most productive and when you struggle.

• Define: Recognise that you have trouble managing time in the mornings and formulate the problem statement.

• Ideate: Brainstorm routines or tools that could help, like setting a regular wake-up time, using time-blocking techniques, or a productivity app.

• Prototype: Start with a new morning routine for a week.

• Test: Track your productivity and feelings throughout the week.

• Iterate: Adjust the routine based on what worked and what didn’t.

Health and Fitness:

• Empathize: Understand your motivations and barriers to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

• Define: Pinpoint the specific challenge, such as not finding time to exercise.

• Ideate: Think of various ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, like short workouts, walking meetings, or biking to work.

• Prototype: Try a few different methods over a month.

• Test: Observe which methods fit best into your schedule and make you feel better.

• Iterate: Continuously tweak your exercise routine to improve adherence and enjoyment.