Design Thinking 設計思維
Released已發布Apply Design Thinking's five stages — Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test — to solve user-centered problems. Use this skill when the user needs to solve an ambiguous problem, redesign a user experience, facilitate an innovation workshop, or develop a new product concept from scratch — even if they say 'we don't know what to build', 'how do we innovate', or 'the users aren't happy but we're not sure why'.
使用者體驗技能：Design Thinking 分析與應用。
Overview概述
Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that integrates user needs, technological feasibility, and business viability. Its five stages are iterative, not linear — expect to loop back as understanding deepens.
Methodology 方法論
IRON LAW: Empathize BEFORE Define, Define BEFORE Ideate
Jumping to solutions (Ideate) without understanding the problem (Define)
wastes effort solving the wrong problem. Defining the problem without
empathizing with users produces internally-focused problem statements.
The sequence matters: understand the human first, then frame the problem,
then generate solutions.
The Five Stages
1. Empathize — Understand the user's world
- Observe, interview, immerse in the user's context
- Goal: understand needs, pain points, and motivations (not just what they say, but what they do and feel)
2. Define — Frame the right problem
- Synthesize empathy findings into a Point of View (POV) statement:
[User] needs to [need] because [insight] - A well-defined problem is half-solved. Reframe if needed.
3. Ideate — Generate many solutions
- Diverge: quantity over quality. Defer judgment.
- Techniques: brainstorming, How Might We questions, SCAMPER, worst possible idea
- Then converge: vote, cluster, select 2-3 concepts to prototype
4. Prototype — Make ideas tangible
- Build quick, cheap, disposable prototypes to learn
- Fidelity should match the question: paper sketches for flow, clickable mocks for interaction, code for technical feasibility
- Goal: test assumptions, not impress stakeholders
5. Test — Learn from real users
- Put the prototype in front of real users
- Observe behavior, don't just ask opinions
- What worked? What failed? What surprised you?
- Loop back to Empathize or Define if core assumptions were wrong
Output Format輸出格式
# Design Thinking Sprint: {Challenge}
Examples範例
Correct Application
Scenario: Redesigning hospital waiting room experience
- Empathize: Observed patients for 3 days. Key insight: anxiety peaks not from wait time but from UNCERTAINTY about wait time.
- Define: "Patients need to feel informed about their wait status because uncertainty amplifies anxiety beyond what the actual wait causes."
- Ideate: 40+ ideas → top 3: real-time queue display, SMS position updates, estimated-time kiosk
- Prototype: Paper prototype of SMS update flow (5 min to build)
- Test: 8 patients tested → 6 reported feeling "much less anxious" even though actual wait didn't change ✓
Incorrect Application
- Skipped Empathize, started with "we need a new app feature" → Solutioning without understanding the problem. Violates Iron Law.
Gotchas注意事項
- "Fail fast" requires psychological safety: Teams won't experiment if failure is punished. Establish that prototypes are meant to fail — that's learning.
- HMW questions set the solution space: "How might we reduce wait time?" leads to different solutions than "How might we reduce anxiety during waits?" Frame carefully.
- Prototype ≠ MVP: A prototype tests a hypothesis cheaply. An MVP is a viable product. Don't over-build prototypes.
- Design Thinking is not just for designers: It applies to services, processes, policies, business models — any problem involving human needs.
- Iteration is not optional: If you run through all 5 stages once without looping back, you've done waterfall with sticky notes, not Design Thinking.
References參考資料
- For facilitation exercises per stage, see
references/dt-exercises.md