The Promise and Pitfalls of Design Thinking

Design thinking emerged as an innovative methodology aimed at democratizing problem-solving across various sectors, including business and education. This six-step process focused on collaboration, empathy, and creativity, using tools like Post-It notes to encourage participation from a diverse group of stakeholders. However, real-world applications have shown that while the method encourages brainstorming and novel ideas, it often fails to ground these concepts in the actual contexts and experiences of the communities it aims to serve. Notably, critiques have surfaced around the potential of design thinking to reinforce existing inequities rather than address them effectively.