The Design Thinking Mindset: An Assessment of What We Know and What We See in Practice. (1st March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schweitzer, Jochen; Groeger, Lars; Sobel, Leanne
• Is Part Of: Journal of design, business & society. Volume 2:Number 1(2016)
• Page Start: 71
• Page End: 94
• Publication Date: 2016-03-01
• Subjects: Design -- Periodicals; Graphic design -- Periodicals; Branding (Marketing) -- Periodicals; 741.605
• DOI: 10.1386/dbs.2.1.71_1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2055-2106

Abstract

We review the design and management literature to identify and define key components of a design thinking mindset and report initial findings from fifteen in-depth interviews with innovation managers, who reflect on their practices while implementing design thinking in their organizations. Our study confirms a set of commonly understood and applied mindsets, but also reveals organizational constraints on translating cognition into behaviour. We argue that further mapping of design thinking mindsets and linking them to leadership theory provides a suitable point of departure for the study of design thinking and its role for innovation.