Design Thinking

Description of the tool/methodology:

Design thinking (DT) is a management tool and could be described as a non-linear way of thinking about solving problems, e.g. to improve the well-being of seniors and create better environment for living, a tool for simplifying and humanizing and also as a process. DT is a fluid, research and data-driven approach to identifying a problem, the people it affects, exploring solutions with users, and continually improving the solution with the end users. DT as a mindset can be applied to find a solution for a real need. DT is the most useful to tackle problems that are ill-defined or unknown. It helps to frame a problem so that one can innovate faster using systematic methods. There are dozens of DT methods available for applying DT in practice. The DT tool is especially relevant to the following tasks: Better understanding users and their unmet needs, challenging assumptions, redefining problems, creating innovative solutions to prototype, testing and delivering to the user, reducing the risk associated with launching new ideas, products and services, generating solutions that are revolutionary, not just incremental, learning and iterating faster, etc

Prospective uses:

DT is especially relevant when companies doing market research related to better understanding users and their unmet needs, to adopt value delivery channels, to improve customer relationships, to update value propositions, etc. 
DT could be applied by policy makers themselves to make better decision to encourage Silver economy development, to foster application of design thinking driven solutions in its broader sense educational offer to seniors to improve, e.g. digital literacy thus allowing to deliver targeted solutions, etc. 
DT could be applied by seniors organizations to improve their services to seniors, as well to initiate ideas to business for delivering solutions to better meet senior’s needs. 
DT could be applied by HEIs to deliver Life long programs targeting seniors and providing necessary training on DT application for QH actors.

References and links to tool: