Thinking Outside the Box: Using Design Thinking to Solve Small Business Problems

Thinking outside the box is key to solving small business problems.

4/20/20233 min read

Picture this: You've always been a coffee lover and decide to open your own coffee shop. You start off strong, but soon notice that customers are often in a rush and can't wait for their coffee to be brewed. As a small business owner, you're looking for ways to meet their needs and create a positive customer experience. This is where the first principle of design thinking comes in - empathy.

1.Empathy:

Involves putting yourself in your customer's shoes and understanding their needs, wants, and pain points. By observing your customers and listening to their feedback, you can gain valuable insights into what they are looking for. You may discover that your customers are not just in a rush, but also looking for a high-quality cup of coffee at an affordable price. By empathizing with your customers, you can design solutions that meet their expectations and create a positive customer experience. For example, you could offer a quick and easy pre-order system for busy customers, or introduce a loyalty program to reward frequent visitors.


2. Define:

The second principle of design thinking is defining the problem. This involves identifying the problem you want to solve and understanding the underlying causes. By defining the problem, you can create a clear focus for your design thinking process and avoid getting sidetracked. Continuing with the coffee shop example, let's say you have identified that the problem is the time it takes to brew coffee. You can then dive deeper to understand the underlying causes. Perhaps your coffee machines are outdated, or your baristas need more training to increase their speed. By defining the problem, you can develop a clear understanding of what needs to be solved and create a roadmap for your design thinking process.

3. Ideate:

The third principle of design thinking is ideation. This involves brainstorming and generating ideas for potential solutions. By creating an environment that encourages open-mindedness and experimentation, you can generate new ideas and solutions that can help your business thrive. For our coffee shop example, you could brainstorm potential solutions such as upgrading your coffee machines or introducing a new brewing method. You could also consider outsourcing your coffee production to a local roaster or introducing a grab-and-go option for customers in a rush. By using ideation, you can create a variety of potential solutions and evaluate their feasibility and impact.

4. Prototype:

The fourth principle of design thinking is prototyping. This involves creating a tangible representation of your ideas to test and refine them. By prototyping, you can identify potential issues and refine your solutions before implementing them in your business. In the coffee shop example, you could create a prototype of a new brewing method or a grab-and-go station. You could then test these prototypes with a select group of customers to gather feedback and make improvements. By prototyping, you can reduce the risk of implementing solutions that may not work and refine your ideas before investing time and resources into implementation.

5. Test:

The fifth and final principle of design thinking is testing. This involves testing your prototypes with real users to gather feedback and refine your solutions further. By testing, you can gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn't, and make improvements accordingly.

For the coffee shop example, you could test your new brewing method or grab-and-go station with a larger group of customers to gather feedback and refine your solutions further. You could also gather data on customer satisfaction and usage to evaluate the success of your solutions.

By testing, you can ensure that your solutions meet the needs of your customers and create a positive customer experience.


Conclusion:

Design thinking is a powerful methodology that can help small businesses thrive in today's market. By prioritizing customer empathy and user-centric solutions, you can create solutions that meet the needs of your customers and set you apart from the competition. By following the five principles of design thinking - empathy, define, ideate, prototype, and test - you can develop innovative solutions that can help your business grow and succeed.

Starting a small business is challenging, with a high failure rate. According to a Deloitte survey, almost 50% of Gen Z and millennial small business owners report that their businesses are struggling or failing. However, by embracing design thinking, small business owners can improve their chances of success by creating solutions that meet the needs of their customers and adapt to the changing market landscape.

In the end, design thinking is all about putting your customers first and creating solutions that meet their needs. By empathizing with your customers, defining the problem, ideating potential solutions, prototyping and testing them, you can develop innovative solutions that can help your small business thrive in a competitive market. So, if you're a small business owner looking to stand out from the crowd and create a positive customer experience, design thinking might just be the key to your success.