# Design Thinking

## Purpose
Human-centered approach to innovation that emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and iteration to refine ideas.

## When to Use
- Validating customer-facing ideas (products, services, experiences)
- Refining offers or GTM strategies
- When the idea feels solution-focused vs. problem-focused
- Need to make the idea more actionable

## Process

### 1. Empathize

**Understand the human at the center of your idea**

- Who is this for? (Be specific—not "small businesses" but "solo consultants billing $5-15K/mo")
- What's their context? (Daily reality, constraints, pressures)
- What do they struggle with? (Observable behaviors + underlying needs)
- What do they say vs. what do they do? (Stated vs. revealed preferences)

**Empathy questions to ask**:
- What does a typical day look like?
- What frustrates you about [current solution]?
- What have you tried? What didn't work?
- If you had a magic wand, what would change?

### 2. Define

**Frame the right problem**

- Synthesize empathy insights into problem statement
- Format: "[User] needs [need] because [insight]"
- Example: "Solo consultants need to reduce admin time because they're trading revenue work for repetitive tasks"

**Define criteria**:
- Problem-focused (not solution-focused)
- Human-centered (not company-centered)
- Specific and actionable
- Based on evidence (not assumptions)

### 3. Ideate

**Generate multiple solution directions**

- Diverge first: Generate many ideas without judgment
- Use prompts: "How might we...", "What if we...", "Imagine if..."
- Quantity over quality initially (aim for 10+ ideas)
- Build on others' ideas ("Yes, and...")
- Defer judgment and criticism

**Then converge**:
- Group similar ideas
- Identify patterns and themes
- Select 2-3 promising directions to prototype

### 4. Prototype

**Make ideas tangible for testing**

- Create minimum viable version (not the full solution)
- Focus on testing core assumptions
- Examples:
  - Sketch or wireframe
  - Landing page with messaging
  - Demo video or walkthrough
  - Role-play the service experience
  - Clickable mockup

**Prototype criteria**:
- Fast to create (hours/days, not weeks)
- Cheap to build (minimize investment)
- Good enough to get real feedback
- Tests specific hypotheses

### 5. Test

**Get real feedback from real users**

- Show prototype to target users (5-10 people)
- Observe behavior (not just what they say)
- Ask open-ended questions:
  - "What would you do next?"
  - "What's confusing here?"
  - "How does this compare to what you do today?"
  - "Would you pay for this? How much?"

**Look for**:
- Moments of delight or frustration
- Unexpected use cases
- Objections or hesitations
- What they ignore vs. engage with

### 6. Iterate

**Refine based on what you learned**

- What worked? (Keep and amplify)
- What didn't? (Change or remove)
- What surprised you? (Explore further)
- Go back to any earlier stage as needed

**Decision points**:
- Proceed: Strong validation, minor refinements
- Pivot: Some validation, but different direction needed
- Kill: No validation, fundamental assumptions wrong

## Example

**Initial idea**: "AI business coach for entrepreneurs"

### 1. Empathize

Talked to 8 entrepreneurs (mix of solo and small teams):

**What they said**:
- "I need help with strategy"
- "I wish I had a business mentor"
- "Decision-making is lonely"

**What they revealed**:
- They have ideas but struggle with prioritization
- They want accountability more than advice
- They'll pay for implementation help, skeptical of coaching alone

**Context**: Working 60+ hr weeks, toggle between strategy and execution constantly, feel reactive instead of proactive

### 2. Define

**Problem statement**: "Time-strapped entrepreneurs need help prioritizing what to work on next, because they're drowning in options and second-guessing decisions instead of making progress."

(Not "need a business coach"—that's a solution. The real need is prioritization + confidence in decisions.)

### 3. Ideate

Ideas generated:
- AI coach with daily check-ins
- Decision-making framework tool
- Async accountability partner
- Project prioritization assistant
- Weekly strategy session bot
- Implementation tracker with coaching prompts

**Selected for prototyping**:
1. Decision-making framework tool (highest need)
2. Weekly accountability check-in (addresses loneliness)

### 4. Prototype

**Prototype 1**: Simple Google Form with decision framework
- Lists current priorities
- Asks impact/effort questions
- Provides prioritized recommendation
- Time to build: 2 hours

**Prototype 2**: WhatsApp bot for weekly check-ins
- Monday: Set weekly goal
- Friday: Reflection + accountability
- Time to build: 3 hours (no-code tool)

### 5. Test

Sent to 5 entrepreneurs from empathy interviews:

**Results**:
- 4/5 completed the decision framework (high engagement)
- 3/5 said "I'd pay for this if it was always available"
- WhatsApp bot: 2/5 engaged beyond week 1 (low retention)
- Feedback: "The framework helped but I need it in the moment, not as a form"

**Key insight**: Framework is valuable, delivery method (form) is wrong. Need it integrated into workflow.

### 6. Iterate

**Refined idea**: "AI prioritization assistant integrated into project management tools (Notion, ClickUp, Asana)"

**Next prototype**:
- Notion template with embedded decision framework
- Test with 10 users for 2 weeks
- Measure: How often they use it, decision confidence score

**Decision**: Proceed with Notion integration prototype. If validated, build as Chrome extension for cross-platform use.
