Market share has always been a hot topic of discussion in the business world, and the constant push and pulls of it is a characteristic of the business world. Companies are constantly looking for strategies that give them an edge in such a dire situation. Smart businesses are looking for strategies that provide higher customer-centricity. Businesses are focussing on providing the best experience for customers and clients.

Customer-centricity has improved the business propositions widely and has provided a different perspective to approaching decision-making processes, product creation, and customer service. Such a thought process has led to the creation of design thinking. Design thinking is a comprehensive approach to designing processes with customer experience as key.

The Emotion Build-Up

Implementation of design thinking strategies requires empathy. It means that to address the customer’s problems effectively, it is necessary to understand the problem from their perspective. Assumptions and preconceived notions should be set aside as they are hurdles to the business’ true growth and expansion. Businesses have to understand the build-up emotions in their customers and take time to engage with them to understand their motivations and desired experiences.

Approaching Solutions

Design thinking is not a radical approach to business. It was designed initially for product-based businesses. However, service-based businesses such as Google soon found their application elsewhere in designing innovative and industry disruptive solutions for clients. The traditional approach to communicating with clients was too transactional, reactive, slack, and lethargic. The new approach tackles this problem head-on by developing strategies that are proactive and value-adding that aims to sweep the clients’ off of their feet by demonstrating a never seen before understanding and care for their problems.

Client Centricity

The traditional approach to dealing with client problems included solving issues, was based on listening to the client problems and looking for ways to meet in the middle. However, such an approach affected both parties and mostly left the client unsatisfied. With design thinking, engagement and retention of clients are reverse-engineered with special consideration to all the touchpoints. Such an approach identifies all the woe points of the client and helps the business develop new value-added services.

Conduit for Innovation

Innovation doesn’t need to be a revolutionary app or platform. Sometimes ground-breaking innovation is simply the one that addresses the client needs effectively. Design thinking helps you solve customer problems and stand out from the crowd. When you do this, customers cannot help but love your business.

Final Word

Design thinking is an iterative process that seeks to understand the user, their challenges and redefine their problems. It aims to look at alternative methods to find better solutions to common problems. It is a solution-based approach that solves problems with solutions that are not apparent with the initial level of knowledge. Though the theory has been practised mostly in the innovators’ landscape, it has increasingly found popularity in the business world. Understand design thinking and implement the same in your business processes. Empathise with your clients and customers and watch your business grow.