For over twenty years, Design Thinking has been the foundation of human-centered innovation. Its principles of empathy, co-creation, and quick prototyping changed how organizations solved problems by shifting attention from processes to people.
However, the world design thinking was created for has evolved. Today’s landscape is uncertain, complicated, and interconnected. Systems do not follow a straight path, technology advances quicker than teams can adjust, and issues like sustainability and AI ethics require long-term thinking.
It’s time to rethink design thinking. This is not about replacing it, but about expanding it.
What is the design thinking process and why is it important?
At its core, design thinking is a structured process for solving complex problems in a creative, user-centered way. It typically follows five iterative stages:
- Empathize: Understand people’s needs and contexts.
- Define: Reframe insights into a clear problem statement.
- Ideate: Generate a wide range of possible solutions.
- Prototype: Bring ideas to life in tangible form.
- Test: Learn from user feedback and iterate.
Design thinking works because it starts with real human needs, not assumptions. By blending analytical thinking with creativity, teams figure out what truly matters to users and how to deliver value efficiently.
It’s important because it helps organizations remain innovative and flexible. In a world of fast change, design thinking allows for continuous learning and fosters connections between business, technology, and human experience.
Where and when was design thinking invented?
The idea of design thinking started in the 1960s and 1970s. Design pioneers like Herbert Simon, along with David Kelley from IDEO and Stanford’s d.school, began using design methods in areas beyond traditional product design. They explored business and innovation.
It became widely recognized in the 2000s when companies such as Apple, IBM and SAP included it in their strategies and transformation efforts.
Today, design thinking applies whenever organizations face complicated, human-centered challenges. These challenges include improving healthcare systems, designing digital experiences, and rethinking sustainability strategies. Its lasting importance comes from its ability to adapt; the mindset changes with the times, while the core principles remain the same.
From human-centered to system-aware design
Design thinking starts with empathy and continues in that way. Throughout the process, from understanding needs to testing solutions, the user stays at the center. Teams observe, interview, and work together with people to uncover pain points, validate ideas, and improve solutions based on real feedback. It’s a continuous conversation with the user, not a one-time task.
Why systems thinking matters today
However, just focusing on individuals isn't enough anymore. We live in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) or BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible) world. Every local solution influences a global system.
This is where Systems Thinking comes into play. It helps teams understand the larger context, recognize interconnections, and handle unintended outcomes. Instead of developing isolated solutions, innovators can find key leverage points. These are places where small changes can lead to significant, long-term effects.
How design thinking and systems thinking work together
Design thinking begins with empathy for the user, while systems thinking adds empathy for the entire system. Together, they provide a broader view for innovation. This approach focuses on human needs while also considering the broader impact of each solution.
In practice, this means:
- Reframing the problem: Before jumping into brainstorming, teams examine the relationships, structures, and mental models that shape the issue.
- Balancing perspectives: User insights are combined with maps of stakeholders, policy frameworks, and environmental factors to uncover hidden connections.
- Designing at multiple levels: Instead of just addressing symptoms, teams look for areas where small changes can impact the system. This includes incentives, processes, culture, and infrastructure.
- Managing consequences: Prototypes are tested not only for usability but also for possible side effects in other parts of the system.
So, how does design thinking relate to complex systems?
It succeeds when teams blend deep user empathy with a grasp of systemic dynamics. This balance allows them to consider local solutions alongside their global effects and create changes that benefit the whole system.
Designing for the present and the future
Traditional design thinking often focuses on solving today’s problems. But without looking ahead, even the most creative solutions can quickly become outdated as circumstances change.
That’s why top innovators now combine design thinking with strategic foresight, a field that examines trends, uncertainties, and possible futures.
How design thinking and scenario-based foresight work together
Foresight identifies possible future contexts and challenges current assumptions. Design thinking takes those insights and turns them into real, testable innovations. Together, they help organizations create solutions that are both strong and flexible, built to adapt rather than become outdated.
By using scenario thinking, teams can test prototypes against various possible futures. For instance, how would this product or service perform if regulations, technology, or consumer behaviors changed significantly?
This expands on our approach to Scenario-Based Strategizing, where foresight helps create more flexible strategies and innovations. It also relates to the concept of future-focused innovation described by Tobias Heger in Future-Centricity: A New Generation of Business Building. This approach weaves together foresight, human-centered design, and AI in every stage of innovation.
Design thinking emphasizes what users need today. Foresight predicts what they may require tomorrow. The outcome is solutions designed for longevity, not just novelty. These solutions are based on empathy and can withstand change.
Driven by humans, powered by AI
No discussion about the evolution of design thinking is complete without mentioning artificial intelligence. AI has become a powerful tool in the design process, but only when used responsibly.
How AI supports the design thinking process
- Empathize: AI can analyze social data, reviews, and trends to identify user needs.
- Define: It groups insights and patterns from large datasets.
- Ideate: Generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Midjourney can create variations of ideas and visual concepts.
- Prototype & test: AI speeds up wireframing, content creation, and A/B testing.
AI improves design thinking by adding speed, scale, and analytical power. However, it cannot replace human qualities, such as intuition, ethics, and emotional understanding.
Balancing human and machine strengths
As Bluemorrow’s Innovation and Venture Design expert, Linda Armbruster often emphasizes that “the greatest value of AI lies in complementing human creativity, not replacing it.” This principle guides our work: we use AI to improve empathy and creativity instead of automating them.
The future of design will be driven by humans and supported by AI. Here, technology serves as a tool for imagination and responsible innovation, not as a substitute.
AI in innovation: the bigger picture
This viewpoint is based on the method described in our article AI in Innovation. It discusses how merging human creativity with AI’s analytical strength produces businesses that are prepared for the future and have a significant effect.
The future of design will be led by people, with AI offering support. Technology will act as a tool for imagination, ethics, and responsible innovation instead of replacing them.
Can design thinking succeed in your organization?
Absolutely, but only if it’s more than a workshop.
Design thinking works best when it becomes a mindset within the organization. It needs support from leadership, integration into the culture, and a combination with other skills like systems thinking, foresight, and data literacy.
To make it work, organizations need:
- Leadership support to sustain experimentation.
- Collaboration among strategy, design, and technology.
- Time and space for iteration and learning.
In short, design thinking succeeds when curiosity meets commitment. It’s not a quick fix; it’s a continuous journey toward creating more adaptable, human-centered organizations.
Design thinking, evolved
So, is design thinking still relevant? Yes, but it’s evolving. .webp?width=866&height=625&name=Design%20Thinking%205%20(1).webp)
The next chapter of human-centered innovation
The next chapter focuses not only on empathy for users but also on understanding systems, anticipating future needs, and using AI responsibly. It connects what people need today with what society and the planet will require tomorrow.
At Bluemorrow, we believe the future of design thinking is interdisciplinary. It combines systems awareness, foresight intelligence, and human creativity to create lasting solutions.
Designing with empathy was a significant change. Designing with foresight and responsibility will be the next major shift.
Curious how Design Thinking can evolve in your organization?
Book a chat with Linda to explore how systems thinking, foresight, and AI can make your innovation process more future-ready.
