Design Thinking and the Design Process
The shape of the process
Candidates must be able to describe a design process as a purposeful, non-linear sequence: identifying a need or problem, researching and defining the brief, generating and developing ideas, refining and resolving a design, then producing, testing and evaluating it. Learn the language of each stage - brief, constraints, criteria, ideation, prototyping, iteration, refinement, evaluation - and be able to explain why a designer might loop backwards rather than move forward.
Concepts to know
- Human-centred design: empathy with the end user drives decisions.
- Divergent vs convergent thinking: opening up possibilities, then narrowing to a resolved solution.
- Design brief components: client, purpose, target audience, constraints, considerations.
- Iteration and prototyping: low-fidelity mock-ups for fast feedback, high-fidelity for resolution.
- Evaluation criteria: derived from the brief, not invented after the fact.
Common traps
Questions often ask you to justify a stage rather than name it, or present a scenario where a student skips research and jumps to a final idea - you must identify the consequence (unmet user needs, weak justification). Another trap is confusing the brief (given) with the design solution (produced). Do not describe the process as strictly linear; markers reward recognition of feedback loops.
Rule of thumb
Every design decision should be traceable to a brief requirement. If you cannot name the requirement a choice serves, the choice is decoration, not design.
Worked example
A school asks for a wayfinding system for new students. A weak answer jumps to signage colours. A strong answer defines the audience (first-time visitors, limited English), states criteria (legibility at distance, durability, low cost), prototypes two layouts, tests legibility with peers, and refines based on findings.