Innovation can occur when things come together that aren’t expected to come together. Here, at the University of Minnesota, we are uniquely positioned to cross disciplines and expertise, from design to health care. Forming connections between different fields of study can lead to creative solutions. Design thinking is about taking problems in the real world and using creative methods to uncover new opportunities. It’s a process much like the scientific method.
When people think of design, there is often the assumption that it is simply making things beautiful. Design is much broader and, if done well, can be beautiful but it is also about making things people will find useful. This is true whether it is a tool, a process, a website interface, a report, or a customer experience, all of which have applications in health care.
Design should be about the user and not the designer. Design process begins with extensive information gathering in order to understand what the end user is thinking and feeling, as well as understanding the viewpoint(s) of people who are on the delivery side of the equation. Throughout the process, designers test ideas with users to gather insights to improve their design.
Placing the end user first is a practice in empathy. We can collaborate with our University design programs as we look for solutions to our problems, “wicked” or otherwise, and find better ways to deliver healthcare.
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