Design Thinking in Action
Expectations from mission stakeholders and citizens are rising rapidly. The public and senior Government leaders expect modern, innovative solutions to long-standing problems. Traditional problem solving methods have not generated solutions that meet dynamic mission needs.
As our Government clients ask us for better, more effective problem solving techniques, Arc Aspicio set out to create a bold and repeatable approach to design powerful solutions. We started with Design Thinking, a fresh approach that puts the human element at the center of our solutions. We added our mission understanding and experience to tailor and adapt Design Thinking to the unique needs of Government stakeholders.
By focusing heavily on the needs, objectives, and motivations of Government stakeholders, our Design Thinking Method creates solutions that resonate with a diverse and demanding set of customers and users. We interactively prototype with users to model success in the field, implement ideas rapidly, and iteratively refine solutions to generate impactful mission results.
Traditional approaches are cumbersome and require extensive documentation, lengthy reviews, and a long time to develop. With Design Thinking, early prototypes let Government leaders and users take a hands-on approach, experience solutions, and help guide the project team from the earliest stages of the project.
Our project team members immerse themselves in the client’s needs, resolve issues, develop prototypes, and iterate with refinements. Continuous ideation helps identify and organize solutions. Key aspects of the method include empathy, rapid idea generation, and experimentation. Users are involved early and often so the end solutions better meet their needs.
Designers work in an innovation-friendly space and do not expect "perfect" solution on the first try. Each prototype brings the team closer to success.
Our Design Thinking Method includes five phases that build on each other:
- Empathize. Place yourself in your client’s, customer’s, or stakeholder’s shoes. View the mission from their perspective
- Frame and Re-Frame. Create context for the problem. What are the factors affecting the issue at hand? What are the desired outcomes?
- Explore. Create many possible ideas, even if they seem implausible. Does the issue relate to another agency’s problems? Who else has solved this problem?
- Prototype. Test the best ideas out in the field. Does it meet the needs of your client, customer, and stakeholder? What areas need further exploration and refinement?
- Implement. Use the prototype. What are the successes? What are the failures? Analyze, adapt, and reiterate the method by re-framing
We empathize with our clients and stakeholders throughout each phase. Our focus on the end-user and their needs drives the innovation and problem-solving process. This leads to solutions that are effective and impactful at every level. Ultimately, mission users receive solutions that meet their real needs, are easy to use, and are adaptable over time.
In the world of increasing demands for mission results with limited resources, Government agencies can rely on Arc Aspicio’s Design Thinking Method for innovative solutions that exceed the needs of their stakeholders.
