Journal of Design Thinking
Volume:4 Issue: 1, Winter and Spring 2023

Today, acknowledging the significance of consumer behavior across diverse domains is unavoidable. The imperative to satisfy customers lies in meeting their needs and expectations comprehensively when making purchasing decisions. This research adopts a blended quantitative and qualitative approach within the realm of applied research, employing the analytical descriptive method. The initial phase involves identifying and categorizing existing gas stove brands in the Hamadan market through field research and interviews. Subsequently, the pivotal criteria for determining product positioning, guided by the Marketing mix 4Ps, were identified. To fulfill the research objectives, a questionnaire was developed using a 5-point Likert scale, separately assessing domestic and foreign brands. The study encompassed 224 women aged 30-50 from Hamadan city, selected through a non-probability sampling method. SPSS software facilitated the analysis of research results in two segments: descriptive statistics (frequency and data description) and inferential statistics (hypothesis validation through Friedman's test and dependent two-sample t-test). The test outcomes and perceptual maps revealed that domestic gas stoves outperformed foreign products in the price and distribution factors, lagged in the product factor, and stood equal in the promotional activity factor. Moreover, it was evident that women in Hamadan, aged 30-50, prioritize brand reputation when purchasing gas stoves.

The seamless interplay between art and technological advancement from the late 19th to the mid-20th century is the focus of this article, which examines the influences of pivotal art movements such as Cubism, Art Nouveau, Abstract Art, and Futurism on design inspiration. Through an analysis of the works and methodologies of notable figures like Pavel Janák and Giacomo Balla, the study highlights the symbiosis between the evolution of art and the innovations of the contemporary technological landscape. These movements mirrored their times, from Cubism’s analytical breakdown of form corresponding with industrial fragmentation, to Art Nouveau’s organic motifs that contrasted against mass production, and from Abstract Art’s introspective dive coinciding with psychological advances, to Futurism’s celebration of dynamism in tandem with the era’s mechanistic obsession. Insights gleaned affirm the integral role of technological progress as both catalyst and canvas for artistic expression, culminating in a legacy that provides a foundation for ongoing creative dialogue in the face of the digital age’s new technological frontiers. The article proposes that the narrative of Modern Art is not solely a historical recount but a continuous inspiration, influencing future design and innovation.

To increase productivity and consider people’s health and safety in the workplace, the science of ergonomicsattempts to design the environment based on human physical-mental abilities, limitations, and interests. Thepurpose of this study is to determine the significant environmental factors and design-based environment features inincreasing the level of pleasantness. In this cross-sectional research, ergonomic and hedonomic factors which are relatedto design and aesthetics were assessed among office employees. 248 participants responded to the questionnaires. Thefindings showed the items related to the workplace had a positive and significant relationship with job satisfaction. Theresults depicted that several factors, such as environmental ergonomic factors (including light, sound, temperature,optimal and customizable size of office furniture and equipment for each individual), were effective in creating an optimalenvironment for positive and constructive interaction. The mentioned outcome might be used in the design.

Chronic illnesses significantly impact children, necessitating frequent intravenous (IV) therapy interventions. This study explores the extensive implications for children aged 4 to 10, investigating their vulnerability to pain and negative emotions. These challenges extend beyond pediatric patients to healthcare professionals and parents. The primary objective is to thoroughly examine and propose effective solutions, employing a user-centered design approach and utilizing comprehensive methods such as secondary research, best practice analysis, interviews, questionnaires, and observation. Conducted across three hospitals, the investigation explores the requirements for improving children’s intravenous therapy experience by interviewing and questionnaires with parents and nurses. Results show a 60/40 gender split (girls/boys), with 60% facing recurrent injections. Findings emphasize parents’ prioritization of children’s physical and psychological safety, while nurses highlight the importance of child-friendly medical devices for distracting children from IV therapy discomfort. Observations consistently reveal children’s preference for colorful and interactive medical devices as effective tools for alleviating discomfort. The research recommends designing pediatric IV therapy devices with vibrant colors, interactive sounds, games, and the possibility of walking during the procedure to engage and entertain children, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions grounded in children’s preferences. This approach targets unaddressed pain consequences during interventions, aiming to advance the overall well-being of this vulnerable demographic.

Furniture products have reached a level of functional maturity. To draw the end user’s eye, designers must provide them with added value in the realm of pleasure called Supra-functional (S-F) needs. These kinds of needs are completely emotional and difficult to express and understand. Empathy is the common approach in the Design Thinking process to understand end-user’s needs and gain insight into them. This study investigates to determine the criteria of an alternative empathy research method to uncover Home Sofa End-user’s S-F Needs. The theoretical proposition is: "An alternative empathy research method can be constructed by understanding end-users’ affective preferences as the main S-F factor in home sofa furniture to predict user’s purchase decision". The home sofa is useful furniture as people have a prolonged and intimate sensory interaction with this product, making it a good case to study end-user’s S-F needs. The research team used a qualitative approach and applied twenty-seven face-to-face interviews to collect data from furniture designers, furniture producers and furniture sellers as the main stakeholders in the furniture industry. ATLAS.ti software was used for coding and analysing the data. There were three levels of analysis, open coding, selective coding, and theoretical coding. The significant finding is: Sixteen criteria have emerged for alternative empathy research methods to uncover user’s S-F needs which is better done with the categorization of style and S-F ranking task. Research findings show that an alternative empathy research method that uses online services (collecting user data in the virtual mood) and visual approaches (as a nonverbal technique), can uncover more end-user’s S-F needs and deliver more pleasure products. The focus of this research was on the first step of the identification of user needs process (collecting raw data from users) to know user’s S-F needs. Studying the other steps of the process of identifying user’s S-F needs can be investigated in future studies such as interpreting the raw data in terms of user’s needs.

This paper explores the transformative role of design thinking in education, exploring its evolution and practical applications. In the face of technological advancements and shifting job landscapes, design thinking emerges as a vital tool to align education with societal changes. Drawing from global examples, such as Denmark and China, where design thinking is integrated into education and policies, the article assesses its impact on modern learning. Through a literature review, the advantages, challenges, and practical applications of design thinking in diverse educational settings are examined. Trustworthy sources, including scholarly papers and research reports, inform a comprehensive research framework. The findings emphasize design thinking’s capacity to advance educational processes by fostering critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Rooted in domains like industrial design and architecture, design thinking enhances problem-solving and empathy, and is grounded in understanding subjects, user needs, and environments. In conclusion, the paper underscores design thinking as a catalyst for nurturing critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork in education. It highlights the significance of collaborative skills and feedback in enhancing design quality, showcasing design thinking’s potential in addressing complex issues and promoting individual development. Design thinking aims to innovate and effectively address complex issues by analyzing problems precisely. The article emphasizes teamwork’s significance in design thinking, as collaborative skills, ideas, and perspectives enhance design quality. Evaluation and feedback further enhance progress and efficiency. In conclusion, the article highlights the capacity of design thinking the paper highlights the significant role of design thinking in promoting required skills in the education realm.

This research is devoted to the exploration of Iranian cultural values within the historical context of the Constitutional Revolution (1905–1911). It aims to discern how these values can be conveyed through artifacts as a medium. The fundamental premise is rooted in socio-cultural awareness, asserting that products can serve as a conduit for consciousness rather than alienation. The impetus for this research lies in the need to address the potential misinterpretation or mistranslation of values, counter anonymity and anti-values, and foster cultural preservation. The study approaches this historical period from a cultural perspective with the help of design thinking, employing library studies and historical interpretations to devise a method that aligns designers with the cultural essence of that era. The outcome is a method that underwent evaluation by the authors and a focus group, demonstrating its viability and designers’ eagerness to employ this approach in culture-based projects to create meaningful and successful products.

In societies worldwide, the elderly are esteemed cultural assets, shaping their lives profoundly. Understanding their psychology and social dynamics becomes crucial with age, necessitating effective support systems. Urban areas must adapt to the demographic shift towards an aging population by providing welfare services, fostering engagement and social responsibility, and enhancing life satisfaction. Urban parks serve as vital spaces for seniors, greatly influencing their well-being. This research investigates the physical and mental conditions of the elderly, focusing on Alzheimer's prevention and social sustainability through appropriate environmental design. Integrating design elements fosters greater engagement among the elderly, which is pivotal for promoting the well-being and social sustainability of aging communities.This study investigates the physical and mental conditions of the elderly, focusing on Alzheimer's prevention and social sustainability through tailored environmental design. Integrating design elements encourages greater participation among the elderly and promotes the well-being and social sustainability of aging communities. Employing a descriptive case study approach, a virtual questionnaire was distributed among individuals aged 40 to 75. Four proposed designs were prioritized using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Analysis of 60 completed questionnaires revealed a significant correlation between intergenerational interaction and joint activities, particularly in childcare or joint activity with young people.

This paper focuses on an exploration of the phenomenological aspects of human internal design activities thatprecede or transition into, conscious thought, creative ideas, decisions, feelings, words, body states andmovements, and actions that are the foundation of Design Thinking. These early stages in Design Thinking are importantbecause they are gatekeepers of what is envisaged and created by a designer, and also provide the foundation ofcommunication, decisions and actions. The study of these early stages and prior foundational phenomena of DesignThinking provides improved foundations for theories about Design Thinking. The relative lack of attention to thesephenomena in previous Design Thinking literature is at least in part because such exploration requires the designer toundertake significant additional training to acquire the necessary phenomenological skills of self-perception specific tothese phenomena. The paper reports the basis of exploratory research into these phenomenological foundations of DesignThinking undertaken by the author over a 4-year period. The paper includes a detailed description of the research methodand four findings that add to the theoretical foundations of Design Thinking.

This article investigates how moments of synthesis occur in a design process, since “synthesis” is a suggestive, yet ambiguous term. Due to this ambiguity, we require further investigation. The case study is the development of an integral landscape architecture vision for a municipality in Dutch Southern Limburg. The method used is auto-ethnography, or the description of design activities from a first-person viewpoint, which provides as it were “insight from the inside” by the designing mind. This method has the advantage that design thinking moves can be directly documented by the researcher-designer. Three specific drawings have been selected for analysis, as the processes of making them highlight how synthetic activities play out in the design process and how they influence thinking. The article identifies three moments of synthesis and highlights the contributing factors for each of them. One finding is that synthesis may be framed as the dynamic adaptation among design elements rather than an act of unification or assembly. The concluding section also critically reflects on the value of auto-ethnography for such processes and suggests further avenues of research.

As the global population ages, there is a growing need for technologies that improve the well-being and independence of older adults. This project investigates the development of a device following the principles of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) with a focus on optimizing usability for the elderly population. This approach aims to foster a sense of independence and well-being among the elderly and aligns technological advances with the diverse needs of the aging demographic. This study targeted 65-75 people (young and old) to investigate their perception of using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device. 26 participants, recruited through online platforms and healthcare centers and interaction with a 3D prototype, about various aspects of the device, including complexity, confidence with assistance, discomfort with technology-based devices, and learning time, they expressed confusion with features, concern about mistakes, clarity of instructions, anxiety, moderate perceptions of home-based medical technologies, and a preference for a simpler design.

In educational paradigms, particularly within the domains of art and industrial design, creative thought isheralded as a cornerstone for academic and professional success. Students in these disciplines are lauded fortheir ability to conceptualize new products and services through innovative ideation. A gamut of pedagogical strategiesand methodologies has been adopted to enhance and expedite the ideation process for aspirant industrial designers andarchitects. This scholarly treatise examines the discrete impacts that verbal and written creative techniques exert on theideation efficacy of students engaged in architecture and industrial design disciplines. The manuscript commences byestablishing the criticality of the ideation phase within the industrial design and architectural creation process, followedby an exposition on the integration of creativity-fostering instruments therein. Subsequently, the study expounds upon twopreeminent tools — namely, Brainstorming, a technique predicated on verbal creativity, and Brainwriting, a writtencreativity-facilitating technique—. These methods are identified as benchmark practices in workshops geared toward theforestation of ideas and product design. Empirical evidence from this study was garnered through the observation of 48students categorized into 8 distinct cohorts. These groups undertook the task of idea generation for two design challenges:crafting a game for visually impaired children and for individuals with paraplegia, utilizing the stipulated tools. Thefindings revealed that the Brainwriting technique yielded a higher quantity and variety of ideas compared to that ofBrainstorming. Nonetheless, the data suggests a parity in the caliber of ideas generated between the two methodologies.There was, however, a discernible predilection for the unique types of ideas that emanated from the Brainwritingapproach. In contrast, the Brainstorming technique was noted for fostering an environment rich in engagement andconviviality. The cultural and linguistic underpinnings that might influence these observed dichotomies remain areas ripefor exploration in subsequent research endeavors.