Why Design Thinking is a Superpower that Every Youth Needs

When you hear the word superpower, you may think of abilities like teleportation, invisibility, or time travel. However, design thinking is the new and emerging superpower that everyone, especially young people, needs in the 21st century. To provide some context, design thinking is a human-centered problem-solving approach that is built on user needs. Simply put, a design thinker is someone who seeks to understand and meet the needs of customers to develop innovative solutions grounded in empathy. Now, we will explore the reasons why design thinking is essential, both now and for future generations.

1. Navigating a VUCA World: The Entrepreneurial Mindset

We all live in a world that is considered VUCA—characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Challenges are ever-changing, and so must solutions to meet the needs and desires of various groups of people. It is almost impossible to devise a one-size-fits-all solution that caters to all target groups. That is precisely why design thinking is very much relevant and critical to tackling problems in this new era of global uncertainty. 

A relevant example is how the combination of design thinking and entrepreneurship brings about waves of practical change during times of instability. When you think about it, entrepreneurs are design thinkers in a way. They can focus on a range of social and environmental issues, including climate change, pollution, poverty, and equality. Some problems have been present in our society for a long time, and a certain few may seem solution-less. Nonetheless, entrepreneurs somehow seem to develop the “perfect” solutions for them. 

They do so by putting on their design thinking caps—blending empathy, creativity, innovation, and collaboration to come up with out-of-the-box solutions to tackle their identified problems directly. Innovative ideas come from stepping into the unknown—to create the unprecedented, they must first experience the unfamiliar. Entrepreneurs tend to have a fresh perspective on problems because they make an effort to understand evolving user needs, a key to the success of their idea or product. They typically do so in the “Empathise” phase of design thinking. That said, one doesn’t have to be an entrepreneur to be a catalyst for change. We simply need to adopt a design thinking mindset to create innovative solutions that navigate the ever-changing environment in which we live. 

2. An Essential Skill Set for the Future

Out of the many skills that employers are looking for, design thinking is undoubtedly one of them and will continue to hold great importance in years to come. Some of the most common industries that require this skill include marketing, engineering, graphic design, software development, management, and many others. At this rate, it is not surprising that jobs requiring design thinking typically have higher salaries. For example, a marketing manager position comes with a median annual salary of $107,900. Marketing manager positions requiring design thinking skills, however, have a higher annual salary of $133,900 — a significant increase of 24%. 

We know what you’re thinking. As a teen who has not even stepped into the work industry, why does this matter to you? It may seem irrelevant, but in actuality, design thinking can be applicable to you even now. Moreover, it never hurts to start young. And as always, small steps lead to significant change. You may have had the presumption that design thinking can only be used in global solutions that “transform the world.” However, in reality, it can be used in any context, from a regional level to a workplace context. Design thinking can even be utilized by students in their school projects. 

What matters more is the heart of the solution and its ability to bring about tangible social impact. It is especially beneficial for identifying loopholes in the problem statement and assessing whether solutions are targeted—whether they merely scratch the surface or genuinely go beyond. All in all, design thinking is an innovative tool that ensures the target audience experiences positive change, regardless of where and when it is applied.

3. A Tool for Productivity and Collaboration

When discussing design thinking, the primary focus is on how it stimulates creativity and innovation. While that is true, we shouldn’t overlook its potential to boost productivity. In the first few phases of the process, importance is given to empathizing with user needs to clearly and correctly identify the real problem. Hence, there is less time wasted on generating non-targeted solutions, which bring no benefit. Moreover, the later phases of the design thinking process, which involve prototyping and testing, enable you to identify and make minor refinements to your solution before implementing it on a larger scale.

Design thinking not only drives productivity but also plays a significant role in fostering collaboration. The “Ideation” phase gets team members to brainstorm innovative ideas based on real user data. Although two heads are better than one, creativity is often held back by the fear of being judged when sharing unconventional ideas. However, there is no room for judgment when it comes to design thinking. Every idea is given equal importance, regardless of its unconventional nature. The crazier the idea, the greater the creativity, and the deeper you go beyond the surface. A pro tip is to use creative frameworks, such as storyboarding, mind mapping, and SCAMPER, to stimulate your creative juices!

In conclusion, design thinking is becoming increasingly crucial for young people due to the uncertainties of the world, its growing necessity in the future job market, and its ability to enhance productivity and collaboration. Now it’s time to get started on your design thinking journey.