10 Best Design Thinking Examples

Design Thinking places human beings at its core, marking the importance of understanding the needs and perspectives of the people for whom a solution is being designed. While tackling a business challenge, the first question should always revolve around the underlying human need that the solution aims to address. By shaping it according to the needs of individuals, organisations can develop superior products, services, and processes that resonate well with their target audience.

Here are 10 Design Thinking Examples that demonstrate the remarkable impact of Design Thinking on a company's growth. Discover these practical Design Thinking Examples that showcase innovative problem-solving in diverse fields. Read this blog and learn from real world applications.

Table of Contents 

1) Understanding Design Thinking

2) Key Design Thinking Principles

3) Top Design Thinking Examples

     a) Netflix

     b) Apple

     c) Airbnb

     d) UberEats

     e) Citrix

     f) Oral B

     g) GE Healthcare

     h) Clean Team

     i) Bank of America

     j) Nike

4) Conclusion 

Understanding Design Thinking 

Design Thinking is a method to solve problems by prioritising the end user’s needs, that is, the customer. Unlike conventional problem-solving, which follows a linear approach of identifying an issue and generating solutions, Design Thinking relies on iteration. It focuses on continuous brainstorming of ideas and adapting to meet consumer needs rather than seeking a single definitive solution. 

Design Thinking has also proven its worth in the non-profit sector, particularly in community programs. By involving the communities, organisations can develop more relevant and impactful solutions. This approach develops a sense of ownership and engagement among community members, leading to more sustainable and long-term positive outcomes.
 

Key Design Thinking Principles

The fundamental principles of Design Thinking can be summarised as follows:

1) User centricity: Placing the user at the heart of the design process to gain a deep understanding of their needs, preferences, and pain points.

2) Collaboration: Fostering a multidisciplinary approach involving individuals with diverse skills and perspectives in the creative process.

3) Ideation: Encouraging the generation of a wide range of ideas and solutions through brainstorming and creative thinking.

4) Experimentation: Embracing a culture of prototyping and testing to iterate and refine ideas, products, or services quickly.

5) Implementation: Bringing concepts to life by executing well-defined plans and strategies to deliver real-world solutions that address user needs effectively.

Top Design Thinking Examples 

Here, we have compiled a comprehensive list of top Design Thinking Examples to discover how companies strategically used Design Thinking Skills to solve problems.

1) Netflix 

Netflix’s success among its competitors can be linked to its effective use of design thinking. Before Netflix began streaming services, customers had to visit physical stores for DVD rentals and returns. Netflix utilised this problem and introduced a convenient subscription model that delivered DVDs directly to customers’ homes. This move revolutionised the movie rental experience and quickly gained popularity in the public sphere. 

Netflix continued to invest in Design Thinking to update itself with the changing trends. For example, when DVDs became less popular, the company quickly launched an on-demand streaming service, eliminating the wait for physical discs. Its commitment to understanding customer desires has been a key factor in its success.   

In 2011, Netflix took one step further when it started to produce original and compelling content that was not available on traditional networks. It established itself as a pioneer in the industry by this smart move. To improve user experience, Netflix integrated short trailers into its interface in 2016, based on customer feedback.  

2) Apple 

Apple's approach to innovation, management, and design has been a perfect example of exceptional Design Thinking. While the company is renowned for its iconic physical products, such as the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, it was its iOS platform strategy that marked its journey as an industry innovator. 

Under Steve Jobs' leadership, Apple embraced Design Thinking principles by prioritising real user needs and desires over business-centric goals. They fostered empathy to make people fall in love with their products. The company's success lies in creating simple, user-friendly products that relate to customers, which sets Apple apart from its competitors. This design-centric approach revolutionised the tech industry and solidified Apple's position as a leader in innovation and user-centred design. 

Apple's success in the market can be linked to its focus on integrating customer experience into product design. Imparting these strategies can help your own design thinking strategy succeed and lead in a competitive market. 

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3) Airbnb 

 Airbnb's founders initially made only around $200 a week. However, they decided to take a different approach by observing customer behaviour and sympathising with their needs. They noticed that the low-quality pictures posted by hosts were stopping potential customers from renting rooms.   

Airbnb's founders travelled to understand customers' needs and invested in high-quality pictures showcasing rooms, special features, and the neighbourhood, doubling revenue within a week. The solution was simple yet effective – investing in high-quality cameras to capture appealing pictures based on their travel observations.   

This success came from their adoption of Design Thinking principles. Instead of solely focusing on expanding their audience, they prioritised understanding their existing customers and addressing their pain points. 

4) UberEats 

The design team at UberEats follows a committed approach to Design Thinking by combining advanced technology with the pleasure of dining. They prioritise understanding their users' experiences by organising “The Walkabout Program”, a quarterly event where designers immerse themselves in a city's culture to learn about its transportation, delivery, restaurant industry, and food culture. 

To maintain a user-driven approach, UberEats designers engage in rapid field testing, where they interview and prototype with key stakeholders such as restaurant workers, delivery drivers, and customers. Such innovative processes allow them to gather valuable feedback and continuously improve the product. 

Promoting collaboration and creativity, the UberEats team conducts workshops where experts from various fields come together to brainstorm potential advancements. They actively participate in industry conferences, meetups, and talks, focusing on restaurant trends, cuisine, and food technology, to stay up to date with the latest developments and insights in the field. 

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5) Citrix 

We have seen tech goods, and their consumers benefit much from  Design Thinking.  But it's not limited to that. Citrix, a cloud provider that supports mobile work styles, experienced transformation more internally by fostering a culture of Design Thinking.

It all started when many top executives registered for a  Design Thinking boot camp. They had a fresh perspective on product development procedures when they left the boot camp. After a thorough internal process overhaul and a change in the way the business innovated and created products, Citrix was a pioneer in design-driven excellence and innovation. 

Since then, Citrix has created an internal team to promote all departments inside the business, from executives to individual employees, to make innovation and the needs of the customer the centre of their thinking. They have already run more than 50 projects using the Design Thinking methodology, focusing both on the employee experience and the customer experience.

6) Oral B 

Design Thinking is not only successful in finding effective solutions for companies but also helps in validating initiatives before they are implemented. When Oral B decided to upgrade its electric toothbrush by adding more features such as tracking brushing frequency, observing gum sensitivity and even adding music.  

The Design Thinking team found that brushing teeth is routine, and adding more features might lead to unwanted complications. Instead, they pitched two practical and user-centred solutions. Firstly, making toothbrushes easier to charge, especially when users are travelling or on the go. Secondly, they proposed the idea of connecting toothbrushes to phones and sending reminders for ordering replacement heads.  

Oral B implemented these suggestions and created a more user-friendly electric toothbrush that truly adapted to their customer’s requirements and needs. It is a classic design example of how prioritising user needs yields productive results. 

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7) GE Healthcare 

GE Healthcare serves as a prime example of how focusing on user-centricity can lead to notable improvements in a product, even if it appears to have no issues. While diagnostic imaging had already taken the health industry by storm, GE Healthcare identified a problem in how paediatric patients reacted to procedures.   

They observed children in different environments and interviewed hospital staff to gain more insights into young pediatric patients’ experiences. GE Healthcare’s “Adventure Series” redesigned MRI machines into child-friendly themes. It increased patient satisfaction significantly while also saving time and resources.  

The classic idea of “Empathetic Design” imparted by them has yielded them the desired success. Their success story undermines the importance of understanding and addressing user needs even in seemingly problem-free products.   

8) Clean Team 

Clean Team successfully applied  Design Thinking principles to address the sanitation challenges faced by Ghana's urban poor. In Ghana, millions of people lacked access to in-home toilets, leaving them with limited options for proper sanitation.

Clean Team designed a sanitation system that focused on delivering and maintaining toilets in the homes of subscribers. By making use of  Design Thinking methodologies, the team identified and understood the needs and desires of the target population, allowing them to develop a solution to tackle the problem.

This case study serves as an excellent example of how  Design Thinking can be effectively applied in the social sector to address critical challenges and create positive and sustainable impacts on communities in need.

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9) Bank of America 

Bank of America's classic Design Thinking Example revolves around its partnership with design consultancy IDEO in 2004. The bank sought IDEO's expertise to find ways to increase the number of people opening bank accounts. Through extensive  Design Thinking research, IDEO identified a fascinating insight - many savers were deliberately rounding up their check amounts when writing them.

Taking this valuable finding into account, IDEO and Bank of America developed the highly successful “Keep the Change” program. Under this initiative, when customers made purchases using their Bank of America debit cards, the transaction amount was rounded up to the nearest dollar, and the difference was automatically transferred to their savings account.  The success of this program highlights the power of  Design Thinking in analysing customer behaviours and developing solutions that go with users on a deep level. The Design Thinking approach they have imparted here paved the way for a greater number of new bank account openings.

10) Nike

Nike, a pioneer in merging sports and design, confronted the challenge of staying relevant despite having a dedicated customer base. To address this, Nike sought partnerships to gain insights from customers, inspiring their designers to create innovative solutions. The result was a prime example of the Design Thinking process. Nike's designers revamped their sneakers, adding transparent panels that showcased the wearer's choice of socks.

Nike also introduced pressurised air technology to enhance athletes' performance. This not only improved functionality but also turned their products into fashion statements, proving Nike's commitment to meeting customer needs and preferences.

Conclusion 

We hope you read and understood the various Design Thinking Examples across many big companies and the Importance of Design Thinking in the growth of these companies The way it must be implemented depends on the analysis of a user-centred problem and finding a viable solution for it. Consider the requirements of your business model and plan your next Design Thinking strategy effectively

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