On the occasion of the Design City festival, nyuko hosted some Open Ateliers and a workshop dedicated to Design Thinking, animated by experts from the sector: Jan Glas, Patrizia Luchetta and Koen Cloostermans. We have learned more about this trendy method that is not so well-known (yet!) in Luxembourg.
Can you explain the Design Thinking in one sentence?
Design Thinking is about…
Patrizia: thinking of the user first.
Jan: responding to users’ needs.
Koen: solving problems together in a creative way.
Can it be used by everyone?
Koen: Yes! Because it is a method that can be complementary to others.
Patrizia: Maybe! You might want to use it and be able to use it but it doesn’t mean it will work because it’s a team effort and it requires the right culture.
What are the core benefits of this process for startups?
Koen: Well, one phrase I like about Design Thinking is “make a lot of mistakes in the beginning to succeed later on”! This is a very important mindset for startups.
Jan: Indeed, it is very important to try, to go for errors and learn from them. Our culture is based on the fact that we are not allowed to make mistakes. We have to get rid of that habit and Design Thinking is good to put these barriers behind.
Patrizia: Yes, that is the core value. What I can add is that we usually talk in Design Thinking about products but it is also useful in terms of flows within your company. For start-ups I think it is a neat way to test your organization.
Koen: What is also important is that it is a user-centered mindset. For start-ups it is necessary to put the user first.
When is the key moment to use Design Thinking in a company?
Jan: I don’t think there is a key moment, but organizations need to take time to implement it as early as possible. It is not just about finding ideas or solving problems, it can also save you a lot of time and money to adopt this method before having a real product to market.
Patrizia: And It can also become the culture of the company and be used to make sure the product’s features match clients’ expectations.
Jan: Design Thinking is not for designers or creative people, it is for everybody. And especially clients! If you can, take them on board and they will love to contribute.
Koen: It is similar to the lean mindset, that is why the lean canvas and Design Thinking work so well together.
We are still stuck too much with silos and structures... Design Thinking might be an instrument to break these silos.
What do you think of the use of Design Thinking in Luxembourg?
Jan: That culture hasn’t come yet because of the cultural barrier. That is why nyuko is so important: it shows things are changing and people feel attracted to it.
Patrizia: There is a gap in Luxembourg between the will of the government or organizations to use Design Thinking, and the way things are actually done.
Jan: We are still stuck too much with silos and structures, not allowing us to work all together and mix skills to get the better out of everyone. Design Thinking might be an instrument to break these silos, but it will take time.
Koen: This technique should be a part of all societies, next to other modern methods. And it has to start with education. Unfortunately, nowadays at school individuality is more valued than team work…
Any last word?
Patrizia: We should start thinking about design!
Jan: Design is often misunderstood, but it’s a method to solve problems in a wide sense. It is not just about making things more beautiful and more expensive, there is so much more involved! And everybody is a designer and can be creative.
Koen: The joy is collaboration: sharing the journey and the experiences.
Find more about the experts:
- Patrizia Luchetta: www.inclusivebydzign.org
- Jan Glas: www.glasjan.com
- Koen Cloostermans: www.happymistakes.lu / LinkedIn profile
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