Ep 33 Methodologies: Design Thinking P1 – Overview and Inspiration phase

Show notes

What’s going on, everybody? I’m back once again with Episode 33 of The Crazy One podcast. As always, I’m your host, Stephen Gates. This is the show where we talk about creativity, leadership, design, and everything else that matters to creative people.

This episode has been a long time coming because it’s about something I truly love and wanted to teach the right way: Design Thinking.

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Why Design Thinking?

Design thinking has been getting a ton of attention lately. Everyone wants to talk about it—even if they don’t really understand it. It’s become one of those buzzwords like “Kleenex” or “Xerox”—slapped onto any process remotely related to problem-solving.

Honestly, I get it. Design thinking can be hard to understand. The Wikipedia page is miles long and confusing—even to me—and I’ve been practicing it for nearly 20 years.

So this is your crash course. I’m breaking this down into a three-part series that walks through the three core phases of design thinking:

1. Inspiration

2. Ideation

3. Implementation

 

Normally, I teach this over one to five days. But I’m compressing the essentials into podcast-friendly form so you can learn and apply it effectively.

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A Quick History

Despite all the buzz, design thinking isn’t new. It was born in the 1960s and gained real traction in the early 1990s thanks to IDEO. So it’s been around for almost 60 years.

But here’s why it matters now:

Companies want to be more innovative, but they don’t know how to teach creativity. That’s where design thinking—and creative professionals like us—come in. It gives us the chance to lead, not just execute. And that can shift everything: perception, budget, team size, influence.

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What Is Design Thinking?

Design thinking is a methodology—a way to expose creativity, structure it, and invite everyone to participate in solving problems. It’s also called human-centered design because it puts people at the heart of the process.

But here’s the catch:

The biggest obstacle to adopting design thinking? The word “design.”

People assume it’s only for visual creatives. If we called it “creative thinking,” we’d have far fewer barriers. But don’t let that stop you—this methodology is for everyone.

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The Three Phases of Design Thinking

Design thinking is best understood as overlapping phases, not a strict linear process. But for the sake of teaching, we’ll present it in sequence.

1. Inspiration

This is where we open up the problem through research. We explore, investigate, and define the opportunity space.

2. Ideation

Here, we generate, prototype, and test ideas. This is where creativity comes alive.

3. Implementation

Finally, we take the ideas from concept to reality and launch them into the world.

Each phase overlaps in practice—but for clarity, I’ll walk you through them step by step in this series.

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Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking

At the heart of design thinking is the interplay between divergent and convergent thinking:

• Divergent: Go wide. Generate lots of ideas. Explore broadly.

• Convergent: Go narrow. Focus. Select the best. Discard the weak.

 

Great creative teams are ruthless here—pushing past obvious answers to find genuinely original, impactful solutions.

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Phase One: Inspiration

Let’s dig into the first phase: Inspiration. This phase is made up of three parts:

1. Design Challenge

2. Research

3. Synthesis

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1. The Design Challenge

You need a real problem to solve—not a solution to be vetted. Too often, teams start with execution (“We need a website”), not the underlying need.

Instead, start with a human-centered problem. Frame the challenge around a user or consumer need. Your job is to uncover and define that challenge clearly.

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2. Research

Design thinking starts with research to build empathy and understanding. The three types I use most:

• Immersion: Walk in your user’s shoes. Live their experience.

• Observation: Watch what people do. Actions speak louder than words.

• Interviewing: Talk to users. Hear their stories, struggles, and successes.

 

But don’t just talk to the middle 80%—talk to the extremes:

Those who never do the thing and those who do it professionally. That’s where you’ll find surprising insights.

What to Look For:

• Workarounds or adaptations

• What users are passionate about

• What’s missing or broken

• Anything that surprises you

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3. Synthesis

Now it’s time to make meaning from your research. Move from “what” (observation) to “why” (insight). This is where creativity kicks in.

An insight is a statement about behavior, values, or needs that reveals an opportunity.

Example (from IDEO):

People round up bill payments (e.g., $23.59 becomes $24) to make math easier and give themselves a cushion.

→ This insight inspired “Keep the Change” programs that auto-save the difference into a savings account.

What Makes a Good Insight?

• Reveals an unmet need

• Delivers an “aha” moment

• Inspires ideas (but doesn’t prescribe a single solution)

A good insight is not:

• A slogan

• A mission statement

• A solution

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Wrapping Up: Why This Phase Matters

Inspiration may not feel sexy—but great design is the visual expression of great thinking.

Without research and synthesis, your ideas won’t be differentiated, strong, or grounded in real user needs. This phase is the foundation of everything else.

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What’s Next?

In the next episode, we’ll cover:

• The bridge from insight to ideation

• How to brainstorm effectively

• How to pressure-test ideas and prototype with purpose

Until then, remember: This is just a methodology. It’s a tool. What you do with it is what matters.

Tagged as:
brainstorming techniques creativity design methodologies design process design thinking effective research IDEO-certified innovative problem-solving inspiration phase research Stephen Gates synthesis The Crazy One podcast user-centered design