What is Design Thinking? A Practical Guide for Data Professionals.
Design thinking is more than a human-centered, solution-focused approach to problem-solving that is reshaping how data teams create business value. But what does it mean, and why should data professionals care?
What is Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is an iterative process rooted in empathy, experimentation, and feedback. Popularised initially by IDEO and Stanford, it helps teams uncover unmet needs and deliver desirable solutions (for people), viable (for business), and feasible (with technology).
The process typically involves five stages:
Empathise – Understand users and stakeholders.
Define – Synthesize insights into clear problem statements.
Ideate – Brainstorm and generate possible solutions.
Prototype – Create quick, low-fidelity representations of ideas.
Test – Gather feedback and refine the solution.
This is not always linear. Iteration and fluidity are core features of the approach.
Why it Matters for Data and Analytics
Data projects often fail not because of technical complexity but due to a lack of alignment with real human needs. Design Thinking changes that. It encourages teams to shift from “What can we build with data?” to “What do people need to make better decisions?”
For example, a finance dashboard may tick every box in terms of KPIs—but if it overwhelms business users or fails to guide action, it won’t deliver impact.
Key Principles Relevant to Data Work
Empathy over assumptions: Go beyond stakeholder briefs. Interview users, shadow their daily routines, and map their frustrations with current reports or systems.
Problem framing: Instead of asking, “How do we visualise this data?” ask “How might we help managers spot risk earlier?”
Rapid experimentation: Use whiteboards, paper sketches or low-fidelity wireframes before jumping into Power BI or Tableau.
Design Thinking in Practice
At Telstra Health, Design Thinking was used to co-create analytics tools with clinicians, resulting in more intuitive visualisations and increased adoption of digital reports.
Telstra Health Design Thinking Workshop Report, 2023