Introduction

This research addresses the concept of design thinking as a strategic tool in business leadership. The design thinking concept and general process is introduced along with market examples of its implementation. A critical analysis including positive and negative implications of the concept on the market is provided in this research. The study also discusses case study of the Nestle Company's design thinking process. It draws some conclusions based on the literature review and the author's perception of the concept of design thinking.

Design Thinking

Deign thinking is an abstract concept that has existed in the business world since centuries. Analysts and researchers have defined this concept at places however there is no full-scale definition that covers all aspects of this process. According to Brown (2008), the process of design thinking is a human centered and collaborative attitude towards problem solving that is creative, repetitive and implementable (Brown, 2008).

According to Owen (2006), design thinking is a forward approach that not only solves a present day problem but addresses a possible future concern as well (Owen, 2006).

The term design thinking is self-explanatory as it implies the tailoring of the 'thinking' process towards 'designing' a solution. It is a process that uses both analytical and intuitive thinking to reach a product design as explained in the figure below (Howard, 2013).

Figure 2.1: Design Thinking

Analytical Thinking

Design

Thinking

Intuitive Thinking

The Design Thinking Process

There are three primary steps involved in the design thinking process within an industry or business. These are discussed below:

Inspiration

Inspiration is necessary to generate idea(s) that will eventually form the basis of a business model or provide for the revamping of an existing idea (School of Education (SUSE), 2012). Using imagination is a pre-requisite to the entire process. In order to brainstorm for...