Design thinking: a creative life process that centers on human needs, absorbs conditions and situations, and possesses a continuous cycle of development. Design is a creation process that exists in every phase of our lives. This concept has long been an essential thought process, particularly in the development of new ideas and products. This process can follow specific stages or arise from the harmony of independent situations in chaos. Although the method may be unique to the individual, guiding it around certain fundamental points can both accelerate the emergence of new ideas or products and contribute to eliminating the resistance and problems the process may create. However, this process also contains its own challenges and the problems that arise when these challenges seem insurmountable. Examples of issues that may arise in the design thinking or innovative thinking process include being trapped within one’s own field of expertise, being unable to leave the comfort zone, getting lost in a pile of information, fear of change, and most importantly, isolation. The solution lies fundamentally in the concept of freedom. It is essential to engage in idea exchange, analyze information, and continuously develop by interacting with different disciplines and technological changes throughout the process. This approach allows for the development of much more innovative and precise ideas.

On the other hand, guiding the design thinking process and determining its steps is crucial. If we list these steps sequentially, they are empathy, ideation, optimization, integration, new ideas, testing, and continuous development. To elaborate, in the design thinking process, the individual should first immerse themselves among people, empathize, observe, and most importantly, accurately identify why people need what they do. Then, starting entirely from scratch, they should identify the problems, design everything from the beginning, and while doing so, think outside the box, even going a bit beyond reality. In this direction, the individual can harmoniously use and integrate many elements such as art, science, and technology.

Finally, another critical point to understand is that the design thinking process must be entirely free from prejudice, fear of error, or fear of making mistakes. Prejudice and fear of error are the greatest enemies of free thinking and creativity. In such situations, people tend to focus on the outcome of the process at hand or the emotions that the outcome will bring. This leads to the brain’s operational mechanisms being activated. However, the most valuable mechanism in the creativity process is the activation of the brain’s emotional and artistic mechanisms. This is only possible when the individual feels mentally relaxed and free at that moment. Therefore, the individual should continuously experiment, receive encouraging feedback when mistakes are made, and support themselves with feedback.

In conclusion, whether innovating, developing a new product, or even making decisions in everyday life, we unconsciously engage in the design thinking process. The decisions we make and the methods we apply impact the outcome of the situation, either positively or negatively. It is up to us to determine the direction of this impact. For the right impact, we must start, follow the steps, and design.