What are the 5 stages of Design Thinking Process?

Design thinking is an iterative process and a solution-focused methodology used to solve complex problems. The model proposed by Hasso-Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford consists of 5 stages namely; Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test.

• Empathize: This stage requires you to keep aside your assumptions and gain an empathetic view of the problem at hand
• Define: All the information gathered during the first stage is compiled and assessed to identify the main problem that needs to be solved
• Ideate: In this stage, the design thinkers use their understanding of the problem statement to come up with some out-of-the-box ideas to tackle the problem at hand
• Prototype: In this experimental phase, the team’s objective is to find best possible solution by generating several scaled-down and inexpensive versions of the products/services
• Test: Design Thinkers use an iterative process to test the best solutions identified in stage 4 and refine them further to achieve the best possible results.