Design Thinking – Is it Dead or Alive?
innovation jam sessions
Key Takeaway
Design thinking isn’t dead but rather evolving with AI as a powerful tool that enhances the process, where humans’ role is shifting from direct ideation to strategic prompt engineering and question formulation.
Author and Publication
Author: Multiple speakers in a discussion (including Gijs and John)
Publication date: Not specified
Summary
- There’s a debate about whether design thinking is “dead,” particularly in the context of AI advancement
- Key arguments against design thinking being dead:
- It’s a fundamental way of thinking that can’t simply “die”
- It’s more relevant than ever given societal changes
- It’s being enhanced rather than replaced by AI tools
- Historical context:
- Design thinking is relatively recent, emerging in the mid-20th century
- Innovation has always been a balance of “push” and “pull” approaches
- Traditional innovation often came from wanting to solve problems (like the skateboard example)
- Evolution of design thinking with AI:
- AI tools like ChatGPT are becoming powerful aids in the process
- Human role is shifting from direct ideation to prompt engineering
- AI can help with context analysis and trend identification
- Systems can now incorporate consistent empathy and creativity
- Challenges and criticisms:
- Over-reliance on design thinking as a process
- Too much focus on frontend without considering execution
- Need for better connection between ideation and implementation
- Future perspective:
- Design thinking needs reinvention rather than replacement
- AI makes design thinking more scalable and accessible
- The importance of human-AI collaboration rather than replacement