This book was distilled from the feedback of students in the 2011–2012 Design for Service Innovation (DSI) course at Stanford Graduate School of Business and its DSI fellows. The book design is intended to encourage students, by giving them a supportive and friendly framework through which to progress, as they and their team grapple with appyling their abilites to research, problem solve and produce coordinated effort to solve assigned real world challenges.

Acknowledegments

Image: The 2011-2012 Design for Service Innovation teaching team—Ioulia Kachirskaia, Juilan Gorodsky, Jim Patell, Stafanos Zenios, Joan Dorsey, and Jenna Tregarthen.

Note About the Design Thinking Process and the central "Process Graphic"

"Design thinking is a methodology for innovation that combines creative and analytical approaches, and relies on the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team. The version of the process that we used in the DSI course emerged from Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (aka the “d.school”). As you learn about the process, take note of the colorful swirls. They look whimsical, but they have an important meaning! Design thinking is highly iterative, not linear. Be prepared to cycle through the various stages of the process as you gain more insights to refine your focus and ensure you’re tackling a core need head-on"

In Focus Features use excerpts from curricula as examples of what the students will be challenged to find real world innovative solutions for.

Stage 2: Understand (Gaining Empathy)

"A deep understanding of the stakeholders affected by a problem reveals unexpected and surpriging insights about their needs and can help you identify the right user to focus on for your innovation challenge."

Reflections on Design Thinking
Stage 3: Observe (Immersing Yourself in the Problem)

In Focus Feature illustrating the value of on-site observations and immersive research.

Reflections on Design Thinking
Stage 4: Point of View (Crystallizing the Need)

"Reframe your innovation challenge into an actionable problem statement by using the following format to capture the three key elements of a Point of View (POV): user, need, and insight."

Reflections on Design Thinking
Stage 4: Point of View (Crystallizing the Need)
In Focus Feature highlighting a service need challenge using a composite character or "persona" to stay focused on the core POV.

Reflections on Design Thinking
Stage 8: Implement (Launching Your Solution)
"As your idea is developed and validated through the design thinking process, you should be thinking about a stragety to stimulate its uptake by key stakeholders/users."

Reflections on Design Thinking
Stage 8: Implement (Launching Your Solution), Conclusion
"Having been through the design thinking process, you're almost certainly a more aware individual, a more thoughtful analyst, and a better designer."