Design Thinking – The Scketch Way!

“Design Is Not Just What It Looks Like And Feels Like. Design Is How It Works.” — Steve Jobs

The moment I disclose my identity as a designer, a set of simple yet not easily answerable questions pop up from my friends and relatives, let alone my clients. I turn to myself and ponder, is it something so complex that makes it difficult to fathom or is it its simplicity? Design is a very powerful tool to express an idea or sell a product. It is an agent of innovation. Yet, the caveat is that design as a theory has been attached only to products and services, while the truth is that we consciously or unconsciously practice design and design thinking in almost everything we do. Even banal acts like preparing meals, arranging the living room or dressing up for work are design problems just as much as developing a website, an app or a brand logo. It would not be an exaggeration to say that design reflects culture and more importantly the way we think. It is embedded into our system. The formal application to ‘revenue generating’ design problems is just a manifestation of the broader concept of design.

The importance of a good design lies in the fact that we, as human beings, rely on our senses to process information. Research has confirmed that we process visual images several times faster than any other kind of content. It has become inevitable for companies to establish a quality and consistent brand image in the market for their products or services by creating designs that appeal strongly to the eye.

So What Is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a solution focused approach to problem solving that utilizes both left and right sides of the brain (if you know what I mean!). Unlike the traditional approach where problem parameters are sought after to characterize the solution, design thinking concentrates on an attainable result and lays down the path to it. For instance, say a kid dislikes mathematics and his exam is due in a week. The traditional parent will focus on the immediate requirement of the exam and accordingly prepare the kid. The design thinker looks at the possibility of the kid enjoying the subject and comes up with the idea of its gamification. Each time the kid plays the game, he has learnt or practiced math. From a business perspective, it is design thinking that distinguishes Apple from its competitors, although the functionality of its products is largely the same.

Design Thinking is an approach where professionals immerse themselves completely into absorbing and understanding the requirements of the organization they are working with, their values, intended audience and underlying messages in order to come up with the most efficient designs. The idea behind design thinking is to create minimal designs with powerful undertones that can create a positive, highly appealing brand image.

“It’s About Finding Fresh, Creative Solutions To A Problem, But In A Way That Puts People And Their Needs First”.

At Scketch, we don’t just listen to your problems. We understand them, do a thorough analysis and then work on developing a solution. A pinch of innovation is added to ideas and an altogether novel befitting product is created as a result. Our entire design process can be captured as shown:

• Discovery: Choosing an affirmative and strategic approach which involves understanding and empathizing with the brand requirement.
• Framing Opportunity: Looking for patterns and insights to give a complete scope definition.
• Incubate: Feeding the brain with diverse stimuli to give room for innovation and technique.
• Illuminate: Exploring possibilities and experimenting with different ideas: The basic structure of the design usually takes shape at this stage.
• Evaluate: Refining ideas in accordance to their viability and desirability.
• Deliverance: Testing the designs produced for approval and launch.
• Iteration and Scaling: Bringing about any required changes and scaling them accordingly.

A Perfect Sports Partner

We recently began work on a mobile app designed for hobbyists/enthusiasts to connect with each other for a common cause. The app is primarily targeted at people who are new to a city and want to pursue their passion. We identified user experience (UX) as the most critical area of the app and eliminated registration forms which greatly reduced the number of clicks for a first time user. Good design and ease of use is appreciated by almost all smartphone users and getting it right is the key for a successful app. The app also detects the user’s location automatically so that he/she can connect with like-minded folks in the neighbourhood. The user can also apply filters like type of sport, gender, budget, etc to get a more relevant list of results. Simplicity and focus on the primary functionality, combined with a unique design is what we believe will make this app a hit among users.

As a budding UX Design Studio, Scketch aims at creating revolutionary digital user experience and design solutions. Our team of young, passionate designers and developers are constantly in a work-learn-create cycle to produce the best possible work for our clients.

Blog originally taken from SCKETCH BLOG