Twelve tips to stimulate creative problem-solving with design thinking

Abstract

Design thinking is increasingly applied in healthcare and health professions education to generate innovative solutions to difficult problems. The design thinking framework helps individuals approach problems with a user-centered focus; the emphasis is on understanding the user experience, their challenges, and possible design solutions that are aligned with their needs. In this twelve tips paper, we describe strategies that health professions educators can use to prepare for, conduct, and support design thinking. These strategies may also be useful to learners, practitioners, and organizations to address complex problems.

Keywords:

• Design thinking
• user-centered design
• creativity
• problem-solving
• innovation

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael D. Wolcott

Michael D. Wolcott, PharmD, PhD, is the Director of Educational Resources and Scholarship and assistant professor in the Division of Oral and Craniofacial Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States and an assistant professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.

Jacqueline E. McLaughlin

Jacqueline E. McLaughlin, PhD, MS, is the Director of the Center for Innovative Pharmacy Education and Research and associate professor in the Division of Practice Advancement and Clinical Education at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States.

Devin K. Hubbard

Devin K. Hubbard, PhD, MS, is the Lead Design Engineer for FastTracs within the North Carolina Translational Research and Clinical Sciences Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a teaching assistant professor in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.

Traci R. Rider

Traci R. Rider, PhD, MS, is an assistant professor of architecture at the North Carolina State University College of Design in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.

Kelly Umstead

Kelly Umstead, MS, MID, is the Director of Graduate Programs for Industrial Design and assistant professor of industrial design at the North Carolina State University College of Design in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.