“When I refer to good design, I mean it as a method of strategic problem-solving, not something that simply looks good.”
Design thinking used in management learning is a methodology deployed in the effective development of solutions to complex problems.
There is a myth that great ideas appear fully formed, ready to go, in a feat far beyond the non-creative types. But great design solutions are not delivered in a lightning strike: they are the result of much hard work, first through creative discovery then a methodology of understanding, developing, testing and refining.
This ‘design thinking’ methodology is a proven problem-solving process that any business can employ to achieve extraordinary results. It is a team process – better answers result when five people work on a problem for one day than one person for five days.
At Vi we call this the 4Ds process:
The project begins with an initial discussion informing the discovery phase. This could include market/competitive, product and service research information. It is important that the process is broad to allow for the greatest number of ideas to be captured.
The second phase is the definition stage and is a filter for review, selection, and discarding of ideas. This is where the discovery stage is analysed and refined. The particular emphasis at this stage of the process will contribute to the overall success of the design process.
The third phase marks the period of development. The design team, together with the client, refine one concept that best address the defined brief. The process will reach the stage where the project is ready for production.
The final phase is the delivery stage, where the project is finalised and delivered to the relevant stakeholders. The key activities and objectives of this stage are to deliver and complete the production and deliver to its final destination.
The 4Ds describes a unique creative technique to deliver results that exceed expectation. It is an important methodology for any business to employ in all solution finding to complex problems.
Good design is always worth the investment and Visual Identity uses the 4Ds process to ensure that the design solutions we deliver work as hard as possible for the particular needs of your business, brand or organisation.
