What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a problem-solving approach that puts people first. It’s not about guessing what your customers want—it’s about understanding their needs deeply and building solutions around that.

In simple words: instead of starting with the business, you start with the user.

So… What is Design Thinking?

Imagine you want to open a lemonade stand. You could just make the lemonade and hope people buy it.

But what if… you first asked your neighbors what kind of lemonade they like?

Maybe they want:

Less sugar
More ice
Or even mango flavor!

You wouldn’t know that unless you asked first. That’s design thinking!
It’s about asking questions, testing ideas, and learning fast—so you can make something awesome.

The 5 Easy Steps of Design Thinking

Let’s go back to our lemonade stand idea. let’s explore how design thinking would help:

1. Empathize – Feel what others feel

Talk to people. Ask them what kind of lemonade they like. What do they usually drink on a hot day?
Example: “Hi! Do you like sweet lemonade or sour? What’s your favorite flavor?”

You’re trying to understand their problems and their likes/dislikes.

2. Define – Figure out the real problem

After talking to 10 people, you learn:

Some don’t like too much sugar.
Some want it to be cold all the time.
Some want fun flavors like strawberry or mint.

Now you know the real problem: People want tasty, cold, not-too-sweet lemonade with flavor options!

3. Ideate – Come up with lots of ideas

Now, let your brain go wild! No idea is silly here.

You can think of:

Different flavors (lemon-mint, mango, strawberry)
Fun cups with names
Ice cubes made from lemon juice
A cute little umbrella on each cup!

Just write down all your cool ideas—this part is FUN!

4. Prototype – Make a small version of your idea

You don’t have to make 100 lemonades. Just make 2-3 versions:

One with less sugar
One with mango
One with extra ice and mint

Show it to your family or friends and ask what they think!

5. Test – Let people try it and give feedback

Now let your testers (friends, neighbors) taste the lemonade.

Ask:

“Did you like it?”
“Too sweet?”
“Would you buy it?”

Based on their answers, you can improve your lemonade again.

Why is This So Important for Entrepreneurs?

If you’re starting a business, you shouldn’t just guess what people want.
Design Thinking helps you:

✔ Know your customers better
✔ Make smarter products or services
✔ Save time and money
✔ And create things that people love!

Whether you’re starting a lemonade stand, a toy shop, a website, or a digital company—Design Thinking will help you build it better.

In Real Life: Look at Apple or YouTube Kids!

Steve Jobs (the founder of Apple) used design thinking to make iPhones super easy for everyone—even kids and grandparents!

Or think of YouTube Kids — it was made just for children after listening to what parents and kids needed. That’s design thinking in action.

Final Words

Design Thinking is like being a super smart problem solver. It teaches you to:
👂 Listen
💡 Think
🎨 Create
🧪 Test
🔁 Improve

👉 laxmithami.com.np/category/entrepreneur-journey-strategy

What is Design Thinking? — updated 2025 | IxDF