Ideology

Design Thinking is essentially a problem solving mindset focused on human centered solutions. Some key themes include empathy with end-users, strong problem definition, diverse team collaboration, a tolerance for failure, prototyping and iterative testing.

PMP (Project Management Professional) is an internationally acclaimed certification for Project Managers issued by Project Management Institute (PMI), the world’s largest non-profit association for project management professionals. When applied to Project Management, Design Thinking contributions can be instrumental in achieving successful outcomes.

The PMI Journal (Apr 2016) published an article that highlights three key areas where Design Thinking contributes to effective Project Management:

• Managing the exploration phase
• Managing the involvement of stakeholders
• Managing a project in relation to the strategy

Design Thinking improves design outcomes because its tools and attitudes address and mitigate the cognitive biases that strongly impact any creative process, along with flaws that can result in failures.

Incorporating this approach into the fabric of Agile Project Management practices has resulted in groundbreaking innovations. Applied across an organization, Design Thinking can encourage teams to collaborate in remarkable ways to serve their end customers.

Contact DesignThinkingPMP to learn more.