Creative Thinking for Innovation and Strategy

Introduction

In today’s dynamic and fast paced world, creative thinking is termed as essential for the formulation of strategy and to drive innovation. The primary purpose of the reflective report is to analyse the brief understanding and application of principles of design thinking to solve the challenges of real-life. Key points include the description of experiences and action plan based on addressing the challenges. Multiple principles of design thinking along with the methodologies and tools are included in this assessment. In order to evaluate own experience gibbs reflective model will be used. This six stage model provides high level of assistance in reflecting experiences, challenges and improvement measures effectually.

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Main Body

Description of Experience

Challenge

Design thinking refers to the cyclical, people centered approach resulted in the innovative solution to problem. It is considered as a powerful approach to problem solving (Interaction Design Foundation, 2021). On the basis of gibbs model, at the very first stage, I faced the real life challenge in relation to poor work-life balance (WLB). In this line, I experienced poor work-life challenge, leads to juggle among the home and work demands. This resulted in the decreased efficiency and productivity, resulted in reduced performance. At the second stage, I found that due to poor work-life balance, I faced mental health issues such as stress, hypertension and mental fatigue. This leads to reduce my overall performance and rate of productivity. In addition, I am unable to fulfill the emotional needs of my family due to increased work pressure. This results in conflicts, misunderstanding and negative environment, has an adverse impact on my mental and emotional health.

Reason behind the requirement of innovative solution

The primary reason behind the requirement of innovative solution for the challenge situation related to poor WLB as it helps to improve the mental and physical health (Dell'Era et al, 2020). At the third stage of Gibbs model, I assessed that due to poor WLB, my work performance and efficiency has adversely affected, leads to stress and tension. There is a need of innovative solution which helped me to overcome this challenge through the innovative solution. Furthermore, for the betterment of my mental health, there is a need of innovative solution, helped me to get rid out of this challenge. In addition, an innovative solution by design thinking assists me to improve personal relationship with family. This leads to foster the sense of positivity and work commitment, helped me in achieving the personal and professional objectives.

Design thinking is required to provide innovative solution to the challenge has positive influence and motivates me to put my best efforts to maintain personal and professional relations, leads to drive commitment and satisfaction. If challenge related to poor balance between work-life has not addressed then it has an adverse impact on my mental, physical and behavioral health. The poor balance among work life leads to increase stress, headache, reduces productivity and performance and has negative impact on personal relations (Nakata and Hwang, 2020). Therefore, the situation of poor WLB needs an innovative solution, or else, it has negative impact on the mental, behavioral and physical health.

Actions Taken and Outcome

Actions taken to address the challenge related to poor WLB

The design thinking provides various actions, aimed to successfully address the challenges related to poor WLB (Verganti et al, 2021). An action based on the improvement in the skills of time management helped me to manage time in both places, at office and home. With the help of daily time planner and by setting the time reminders helped me to organised time in effective manner. In addition to this, action related to flexible schedule has adopted which helped me in creation of scheduling of tasks based on priority and urgency. This action allowed me to make flexible and quick changes, leads to facilitate better balance between work-life.

Outcome of solution

An action related to improvement in skills of time management offers vital success in managing effective balance between work-life. These skills assist in effective management of time between the activities of office and work, lead to foster positivity and increased satisfaction (Tahir, 2024). Effective time management skills provides high success rate in managing balance in work-life by minimizing the distraction, leads to improve balance. However, poor planning in the skills of time management leads to failure in balancing work-life. In addition, an action based on the flexible scheduling of task provides the successful outcome by prioritizing the activities of personal and professional life. This action offers the increased focus on the crucial and prioritised tasks, leads to provide successful outcome.

Implications of Outcomes

There is a positive implication of strategic outcomes of positive work-life balance as it leads improvement in my productivity and efficiency as well as provides positive outcomes. Effective time management skills helped me in creating connections with the customers and colleagues, results in fostering a sense of collaboration and trust. In addition, with the systematic time management, I was able to accomplish my daily professional tasks and activities, leads to increased performance and motivation. Action of flexible scheduling of task has a positive implication on the adverse situation of poor WLB as it offers the systematic arrange of tasks as per the requirement and priority (Lee et al, 2020). Furthermore, stakeholders include management, colleagues and customers are satisfied as it assists me to fulfil the tasks before deadline.

Emotional Response

Reflection about feelings during the process

During the process of implication of design thinking actions to mitigate work challenge related to poor WLB, I had mixed feelings. When the process of time management and flexible work scheduling was implemented, I was frustrated and confused as I was unable to decide the personal and professional tasks based on urgency and priority. There are multiple challenges emerged during the implementation process such as lack of focus, unclear objectives and inconsistency (Magistretti et al, 2021). This leads in frustration due to unable to cope with the strategic actions to overcome the challenge of poor WLB. I worked on my analytical and creative skills to improve the balance by accomplishment of tasks before time. Daily activity planner and reminder helped in completion of tasks on time, to foster satisfaction and motivation towards work and personal life. I experienced high satisfaction during the process of balancing work life with the implementation of different actions.

Influence of emotions on problem solving and decision making approach

I faced multiple emotions related to happiness, satisfaction, overwhelmed and frustration. Emotions play a vital role in influencing the approach of problem solving and decision making. It influences the judgments and choices, acts in a manner of guide during the period of uncertainty or confusion. Happiness leads to the rapid decision making and easier the problem solving approach due to positive state of mind (Interaction Design Foundation, 2021). On the contrary, frustration leads to complex the process of problem solving and decision making due to the negative and confusion state of mind. Satisfaction is considered as appropriate emotion, has a positive influence as the satisfactory state of mind resulted in productive and well-informed decisions. Moreover, the approach of problem solving was highly effective on the satisfied individual, results in the creation of strategic and creative solution to the problem. Therefore, I experienced mixed emotions, resulted in positive influence on these approaches leads to fruitful outcomes.

Application of Design Thinking Principles

Difference in approach due to application of design thinking principles

The application of the principles of design thinking resulted in massive difference in the approach of decision making and problem solving. Principle of define enables the collection and organization of information in a strategic manner (Stevens, 2020). This helps in the identification of issue and problems and helped in analysing the impact on the user (Dell'Era et al, 2020). This principle of define might affected my approach of problem solving and decision making as it facilitates more clarity in observations. This helped in making well-formed decision to overcome the challenge of poor personal-professional life balance. In addition to this, the principle of Ideate helped in the assumption of challenge and assists in the creation of innovative and creative ideas. My approach might be different with the application of Ideate principle as it helped me to create more innovative ideas, such as use of technologies and tools in the improvement of skills related to time management.

Identification of specific methodologies and tools of design thinking

The methodologies and tools of design thinking that could have been used in the situation of poor WLB was identified as interview and guiding criteria. Obtaining information and feedback helped in analysing the improved performance to overcome the adverse situation of WLB (Designorate, 2022). In addition to this, tool of guiding criteria helped in the determination of tasks and activities limitations, results in high focus on the individual. Apart from that, brainstorming method leads to provide high visualise and helps in setting the time limit to fulfil tasks, can be utilized for the improvement of time management skills.

Justification based on the adoption of design thinking for effective solution

The adoption of the design thinking facilitates clear understanding to the individuals by challenging diverse range of assumptions. It redefines the issues and assists in the creation of creative and innovative solution, leads to effective solution to the identified challenge. It allows working in the dynamic process which results in the launch and development of innovative ideas (Tahir, 2024). The adoption of design thinking assists in the tacking of complex challenges in effective manner, therefore, it was justified that the adoption of design thinking leads to different and effective solution.

Conclusion

The key insight gained from reflection was based on enhancing the approach of problem solving and decision making. Principles of design thinking of define and ideate were summarized, helped in the identification of the issue and proposed innovative solution in design thinking was summarized. Furthermore, it has a significant importance in driving innovative solution was concluded in this reflective report.

References

Books and Journals

Dell'Era, C., Magistretti, S., Cautela, C., Verganti, R. and Zurlo, F., (2020). Four kinds of design thinking: From ideating to making, engaging, and criticizing. Creativity and innovation management, 29(2), pp.324-344.

Interaction Design Foundation, Dam, R.F. and Siang, T.Y., (2021). What is design thinking and why is it so popular?.

Lee, J.H., Ostwald, M.J. and Gu, N., (2020). Design thinking: creativity, collaboration and culture (Vol. 12). Cham: Springer.

Magistretti, S., Ardito, L. and Messeni Petruzzelli, A., (2021). Framing the microfoundations of design thinking as a dynamic capability for innovation: Reconciling theory and practice. Journal of Product innovation management, 38(6), pp.645-667.

Nakata, C. and Hwang, J., (2020). Design thinking for innovation: Composition, consequence, and contingency. Journal of business research, 118, pp.117-128.

Tahir, R., (2024). Work–life balance: is an entrepreneurial career the solution?. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 16(4), pp.845-867.

Verganti, R., Dell’Era, C. and Swan, K.S., (2021). Design thinking: Critical analysis and future evolution. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 38(6), pp.603-622.

Online

Designorate, (2022). Design Thinking Tools and Methods. [Online]. Available through: <https://www.designorate.com/design-thinking-tools-and-methods/>.

Stevens, E., (2020). What is design thinking, and how do we apply it? [Online]. Available through: <https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/what-is-design-thinking/>.