Many of the world’s most successful companies, such as Apple, have achieved their iconic status by understanding that success does not just come from technology or products.
Instead, they have utilized design thinking — a way of thinking and a process that focuses on customer needs, creativity and problem solving. Design thinking has been a decisive factor in how these companies have built ground-breaking innovations and maintained their competitive advantage.
In my opinion, all successful organizations utilize design thinking as part of their success. It gives them the tools to deeply understand their customers, solve complex problems, and create products that really resonate with people.
Design thinking as a tool for understanding the customer
Successful organizations like Apple are masters at understanding their customers’ needs. They don’t just research what the market wants, they seek a deep understanding of why customers behave the way they do and how products can enrich their lives. This customer-oriented approach is at the heart of design thinking.
Apple, known for its intuitive and user-friendly products, is a good example of how design thinking is integrated into the company’s operations. During the Steve Jobs era, Apple utilized the principles of design thinking with a strong focus on how people use technology and how it could simplify and improve their daily lives. For example, the design of the iPod and later the iPhone was a perfect demonstration of how user-oriented thinking can lead to market-changing products.
Creativity and innovation are the engines of success
Design thinking encourages creativity and the search for different solutions, and this is another significant factor in the story of successful organizations. Apple is not the only company that has used design thinking as a source of creativity. Companies like Google and Airbnb have also applied design thinking to create unique products and services.
Innovation doesn’t happen out of nowhere. It needs a structure and a process that supports the development of new ideas. Design thinking offers exactly this process: it encourages Teams to break traditional ways of thinking, to come up with ideas freely and to boldly try new solutions. This culture that nurtures creativity is central to the success of organizations.
Google, for example, uses design sprints, which are short, intensive design thinking applications. These sprints allow teams to quickly innovate and test their ideas. Such an agile and creative approach helps Google to constantly stay one step ahead of competitors in developing technology and improving the user experience.
Solving complex problems
All organizations, even successful ones, have challenges. Design thinking helps companies solve complex problems in a systematic and customer-oriented way. The process starts with empathy, which aims to understand what problems the customers face. After that, solutions are devised, prototyped and tested until the best possible option is found.
Airbnb is one of the best-known examples of how design thinking can help solve complex problems and create success stories. The company was struggling in its early years, but the founders turned their eyes to the principles of design thinking, focusing deeply on the needs and experiences of users. They started interviewing their users, researching their needs in more detail and developing solutions that made using the platform easy and smooth. This user-oriented thinking was central to Airbnb’s rise to a global success story.
Design thinking improves teamwork
Many successful organizations have adopted design thinking as the basis of their teamwork as well. This process brings together experts from different fields and encourages them to work together to solve problems. Multidisciplinary cooperation enriches the quality of ideas and ensures that solutions are looked at from several different perspectives.
Apple is known for the fact that its product development has always been strongly based on teamwork. Steve Jobs often emphasized the importance of creativity and collaboration – he believed that the best innovations are created when different people bring their perspectives and expertise together.
This core aspect of design thinking — cross-disciplinary collaboration — enabled the tremendous success of Apple’s product development.
Design thinking enables continuous development
One of the central principles of design thinking is an iterative process. This means that ideas are never considered finished, but are constantly being developed and improved. This mindset is vital for companies looking to maintain their competitive edge in a rapidly changing market.
Apple has been an excellent example of this continuous improvement. Each new iPhone version has been the result of countless iterations and improvements based on user feedback and market research. Thanks to the design thinking process, Apple has not been satisfied with just creating one successful product, but has been able to continuously develop new versions that better meet the needs and wishes of customers.
Design thinking is the backbone of successful organizations
Design thinking has clearly been a key factor in the journey of many successful companies such as Apple, Google and Airbnb.
It is a process that does not focus only on technological solutions, but starts from deep understanding of customers and empathic problem solving. It gives organizations the tools to innovate, solve complex problems and stay ahead of the competition.
Success is not just luck or chance. Successful organizations use design thinking as a strategic tool that helps them listen to customers, find creative solutions and build the future by constantly evolving. This way of thinking is not only behind the success stories of the past – it is also the key to future success.
