Entrepreneurs are always looking toward the horizon. Anticipating the future is in their blood; a core component to the way they think. One of the biggest emerging trends of 2009, and one which is sure to continue well into the next decade, is the fairly new concept of “design thinking.”
Design thinking incorporates right brain creativity and emerging technology to arrive at simple solutions to modern problems. It is the opposite of analytical thinking, because it strives to discover solutions by placing creativity and rationality ahead of the pack.
This in many ways lies at the heart of the entrepreneurial spirit.
Entrepreneurs are rarely timid, and are often willing to bypass the baby steps of slow, incremental improvements in favor of the quantum leaps that can spur evolutionary change.
There has been a tremendous amount of hype surrounding design thinking, and for good reason. The fusion of design principles, emerging technologies, and consumer needs may fundamentally alter the way many successful entrepreneurs approach their business.
Looking at the examples of innovative companies using design thinking to maintain their lead over the competition, it is clear that they continue to invest in change, while consistently taking advantage of cutting edge design processes and methodologies.
Design thinking is more than a fad. For many entrepreneurs, it will be an entirely new way of thinking about their business. By considering design from the beginning of a product’s cycle, and understanding how it can make a good product great and a great product indispensable, it can allow the smart entrepreneur to not only pull ahead of the pack, but stay there as well.
