Remember when Design Thinking was the answer to everything?
Workshops. Sticky notes. Empathy maps. Everyone suddenly became a “design thinker.”
The problem was that somewhere along the way, it became a buzzword. A formula. A process to tick off. A way to feel innovative without actually doing the work. It lost its edge. It lost its bite. It stopped being about solving real problems and started being about looking like you’re solving problems.
The problem isn’t Design Thinking itself. It’s how we’ve watered it down.
Real Design Thinking isn’t about filling walls with Post-its. It’s not about workshops for the sake of workshops. It’s not about following a five-step process or a double diamond like a recipe.
Real Design Thinking is messy. It’s uncomfortable. It challenges assumptions. It’s about digging deep into problems without worrying if it looks “innovative.”
So yes, Design Thinking as a shiny corporate trend is dead. But the mindset behind it?That’s more important than ever.
Teams need to stop using it as a box to tick and start using it as a way to rethink how you approach problems. Make it raw. Make it real. Make it uncomfortable.
If you do, you'll find that's where real innovation lies.
Interested in applying real Design Thinking, Take a look at what we do HERE, and reach out!