Session topic: Design thinking – what is it

and who shall drive it?

Harri Pendolin

Prodman

ProductCamp Helsinki

18.4.2015

Just a little bit about me…

Harri Pendolin

Founder and Managing

Director of Prodman

15+ years in product

(management) business

Personal growth path from

tech to product to

business orientation

Product

manager

Is design

thinking a

friend or an

enemy?

Our target is to be agile…

Picture source: www.abacom.it

Is it business

that serves

processes or

vice versa?

We want to be lean…

Picture source: freakingnews.com

Perhaps we

should not try

to fix

something that

is not broken?

Design thinking?

Picture source: www.graphixmedia.net

The questions we wanted to answer:

What is design thinking?

Why it matters for me (or anybody)?

Who would benefit from design thinking?

How shall companies implement “design

thinking processes”?

Who shall drive design thinking?

What is Design Thinking?

It is …

Culture

Ideology

Proven and repeatable problem-solving protocol

Process

different things for different people!

Design Thinking Process(one example of it)

Discover

• Learn about the audience for whom you are designing

Define

• Construct a point of view that is based on user needs and insights

Ideate

• Brainstorm and come up with creative solutions

Prototype

• Build a representation of one or more of your ideas to show to others

Test

• Return to your original user group and testing your ideas for feedback

Why does it matter for me (or anybody)?

The answer we came up with:

It may be a good asset where completely

new kind of a solution is sought.

Who would benefit from design thinking?

The answer we came up with:

Companies and communities starting from

the green field, not the ones doing iterative

development.

How shall companies implement “design

thinking processes”?

The answer we came up with:

Starting from the groups working with new

products and solution.

Who shall drive design thinking?

The answer we came up with:

If the adoption doesn’t happen in all the

layers the culture will never change.

Alternative solution: Hire high-paid

consultants to do it

Conclusion

Is design thinking a friend or an enemy for a

product manager?

Voting results:

No 2

Yes 3

No opinion A LOT!