Design Thinking Workshop Case Studies That Inspire

Meet Jane Marie Chen, who used a design thinking approach to solve a $20B critical problem in rural India, saving the lives of thousands of infants. In rural Nepal and India, high infant mortality rates were alarming due to a lack of affordable and accessible incubators. Hospitals were struggling to provide life-saving warmth for premature and low-birth-weight babies. Jane Marie Chen and her team at Embrace Global saw a need for life-saving care in rural areas that couldn’t be ignored. Driven to make a difference, they turned to design thinking to reimagine a solution that could save lives. They developed an affordable, sleeping bag-like infant warmer called “Embrace infant warmer” that operates without electricity. Using a paraffin-based pouch maintains a steady temperature, ensuring newborns in remote areas can survive. They have saved more than 700,000 lives across 20 countries since its launch in 2011. Now, let’s use the design thinking approach to understand the cultural context: In settings without reliable electricity, traditional incubators are expensive and culturally inaccessible.  Embrace designed a non-electric baby warmer resembling a simple swaddle familiar to mothers.  This easy-to-use solution fits seamlessly into existing caregiving practices, overcoming barriers of cost, complexity, and cultural acceptance. 3 takeaways from this story: - Reframe Problems: Design thinking means redefining challenges to fit real-world needs. - Simple Accessible Solutions: Even a basic, accessible design, like Embrace’s warmer, can drive a life-changing impact. - Empathetic Approach: Understanding cultural context makes innovation sustainable and impactful. Sometimes, the simplest solutions create the biggest impact. Have you encountered any other design thinking solutions that have impacted lives like this? Share them in the comments! #designthinking #Socialinnovation #innovation

Real Case Study: IBM Design Thinking Transformation (2012-2015) Source: "The Power of Design Thinking in Business Transformation" - Harvard Business Review, 2016   Challenge: - Complex software development processes - Declining user satisfaction - 18-month development cycles   Design Thinking Implementation: 1. Trained 10,000+ employees in design thinking 2. Conducted 1,000+ user empathy interviews 3. Created rapid prototyping framework 4. Established design thinking studios globally   Results: - Development cycles reduced to 6 months - 301% ROI on design thinking investment - 75% reduction in design/development rework - User satisfaction increased by 42%   🗝️ Key Learning: Design thinking shifted focus from feature development to user experience, transforming both process and outcomes. I'm curious what success stories you have seen or experienced with implementing a design thinking transformation? Share below!   #ChangeManagement #DesignThinking #Innovation

This is my 4th year teaching at DePaul, and each time, I learn more about myself and the importance of being a constant practitioner. This group of students was particularly committed, driven, and passionate; reinforcing my optimism about people's desire to improve themselves and the world around them. This class explored core concepts like sensemaking, small data, biomimicry, nature-based solutions, Indigenous wisdom, doughnut economics, and social enterprise. These lenses are crucial for understanding and addressing real-world issues. One of the best quotes from Christian Madsbjerg that we all must reconsider is that we must "go to the savannah and not the zoo." This is a reminder to spend time with our end users in their element and not assume we have all the answers within a simulated environment. Our class dove into three final projects using the UNLEASH design thinking method.  Below is a short snippet of the high-level insights. 1. Pulaski Pedestrian Safety Project Problem: Addressing the alarming pedestrian safety issues on Pulaski Street in Chicago. Challenges: Resistance from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and increasing pedestrian accidents. Solutions: Community engagement, increased enforcement, and advocating for infrastructural changes. Impact: Highlighted the critical role of grassroots efforts and the power of community voices in pushing for change. 2. Combating Food Deserts in Englewood Problem: Tackling food scarcity and poor nutrition in the Englewood area. Challenges: Limited access to fresh produce and educational resources. Solutions: Planting fruit trees, educational programs on healthy eating, and creating urban gardens utilizing church lands. Impact: A holistic approach that combines education with practical solutions, aiming to improve the community's physical and mental well-being. 3. Electric Vehicle (EV) Feasibility Study Problem: Enhancing the adoption of electric vehicles by addressing battery life, range, and charging infrastructure. Challenges: High costs, long charging times, and limited charging stations. Solutions: Implementing battery swapping technology to reduce charging times and improve convenience. Impact: Promoting environmental sustainability and making EVs more accessible to middle and low-income consumers through innovative technology and public-private partnerships. I am grateful to all my DePaul students over the years! Please let me know if I can ever be of assistance. Onward ;) Bruce Leech Emily Doyle Alyssa Westring Melissa Rountree Maija Renko Zoharia Drizin Joona Mikkola Gretchen Shuler Lisa Gundry Katie Morris Amy Marie Amaon Al Parkalob Dan Morgan Marzena Fiolek, MBA Caitlin Fuller Makayla Read, MSSM Brady Furleigh Kathia Hernandez Ryan H. George Brigandi Nicole Laumer Jean-Stéphane Naas Joseph Knight Alejandra Pineda Hajarah Ashraf Michael Wiencek Virginia Head Preeti Iqbal Natalie Probstein David Townsend, MBA Rachel Habegger Olawale Babatunde (MS)

There are times where the best ideas don't even seem possible at first. That's how it started with the Verge Washbar. This concept emerged from one of Beyond Design, Inc.'s SDP Workshops as what felt like pure science fiction. Imagine a seamless system that could wash, soap, and dry hands without the usual cluster of separate fixtures. 🧼💧💨 Cool in theory, but could we actually build it? That's where our partnership with Bradley Corp became essential. We brought the industrial design vision and they brought the engineering expertise to turn this "impossible" idea into reality. Through close collaboration we were able to figure out the best working mechanics and assembly strategies to accomplish the job. It took sweat and tears, but thankfully, we could wash all that off with the finished product 👏 🫧 The result was a new type of breakthrough product that proves the most ambitious concepts can become game-changing products when the right teams collaborate. Sometimes the ideas that seem too bold are exactly the ones worth pursuing 💡 #IndustrialDesign #ProductDesign #Innovation #DesignThinking #ProductPhotography