Table 1

Definitions of design thinking

Author(s)Definition
Beckman and Barry (2007, p. 25)A generic innovation process, grounded in models of how people learn
Brown (2008, p. 2)A discipline that uses the designer's sensibility and methods to match people's needs with what is technologically feasible and what a viable business strategy can convert into customer value and market opportunity
Martin (2010, p. 38)A balanced dynamic interplay between analytical thinking and intuitive thinking
Seidel and Fixson (2013, p. 19)The application of design methods by multidisciplinary teams to a broad range of innovation challenges
Glen et al. (2014, p. 653)An iterative, exploratory process involving visualizing, experimenting, creating, and prototyping of models, and gathering feedback
Beverland et al. (2015, p. 593)A creative and strategic process characterized by the following hallmarks: abductive reasoning, iterative thinking and experimentation, holistic perspective, and human-centeredness
Kolko (2015, p. 4)A set of principles collectively known as design thinking—empathy with users, a discipline of prototyping, and tolerance for failure chief among them—is a tool for creating simple, intuitive and pleasurable interactions and developing a responsive, flexible organizational culture
Liedtka (2015, p. 927)A hypothesis-driven process, that is problem and solution focused, best suited to decision context in which uncertainty and ambiguity are high, composed of empathy, abduction, cocreation and collaboration, visualization and prototyping, and iteration
Shapira et al. (2017, p. 286)A process and attitude that harnesses creative problem-solving by focusing on the discovery of root causes and needs, collaborating across disciplines, cultivating optimism, and experimenting with solutions in order to learn and adapt more quickly
Elsbach and Stigliani (2018, p. 2274)Design thinking comprises an approach to problem-solving that uses tools traditionally utilized by designers of commercial products, processes, and environments

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