Framework for Design Thinking Outside the Design Profession: An Analysis of Design Thinking Implementations

Abstract

Over the past decade, the term “design thinking” has received increasing attention in a wide range of contexts and has become increasingly familiar beyond the professional design arena. Exploration of potential cross-boundary engagements and the role of design as an agent of change for both innovation and social transformation are two main mechanisms underlying the burgeoning discussion of design thinking in areas outside the design profession. This study provides an insight into the implementation of a design-thinking approach in non-designerly contexts. To investigate how design thinking is understood and applied in relation to non-designerly thinking, an analysis was undertaken of 345 articles from the Scopus database between 2002 and 2017 that included “design thinking” as a keyword. It was found that design thinking serves as a mechanism that enables and promotes innovation and social transformation. The results show that design thinking can foster new approaches to innovation as well as complex and persistent social problems through a framework of co-creation, systemic thinking, abductive reasoning, and iteration. The findings reveal that initiatives using design-thinking approaches can deliver positive outcomes in the fields of business management, social innovation, and education.

The Agrihood Design: Valuation of Ecosystem Services for NbS Visions in Peri-urban Housing Estate Development, Bangkok, Thailand

“…For simplicity in Figure 12, we note that design thinking is represented by individual boxes and a linear process. In fact, design thinking would be more accurately represented as a non-linear, interactive process, as captured in the double diamond framework (Tantiyaswasdikul, 2019;Spruce, 2021), but a simplified visualization approach is adapted in Figure 12 to introduce the methodology.…”

The feasibility of eco-concrete mixed with used plastic bottles to replace coarse aggregate for construction in Thailand community

“…Research related to the use of plastic bottles in construction and building material development such as the study of hollow aerated bricks for reducing heat transfer into buildings by Ratanachotinun and Pairojn (2020) is a study of lightweight aerated bricks with hollow round holes in the center of the bricks to help increase thermal insulation resulting in energy saving building. Modification of plastic drinking water bottle waste material for use in the design of the parking lot light filter by Tantiyaswasdikul (2010) has brought plastic containers of drinking water bottle waste to be designed as a light filter in the outdoor parking area. The study on the ratio of polypropylene plastics in aerated bricks to compressive strength and thermal conductivity by Nitisuwanraksa (2016) was to analyze the possibility of replacing sand with polypropylene plastic in the production of aerated bricks.…”