Design thinking has become a widely adopted approach for problem-solving in organizations of all sizes and industries. In some companies a design thinking coach is assigned to a design thinking coach up front to help set the stage for a successful project. However, there is an ongoing debate about whether applying design thinking is only useful for solving individual project problems or if it can shift organizational culture towards innovation and human-centeredness.

Firstly, applying design thinking to a project can result in a mindset shift towards a user-centered perspective. Design thinking requires teams to empathize with users, understand their needs and behaviors, and put them at the center of the solution. This shift from an inward-focused perspective to an outward-focused perspective challenges team biases and assumptions, ultimately leading to more relevant, usable, and valuable solutions for end-users.

Secondly, project-based design thinking promotes collaboration across multiple disciplines and stakeholders, leading to a more holistic understanding of the problem and better solutions. It requires continuous feedback and iterative testing, creating a culture of experimentation and learning that benefits not only the project team but also the broader organizational culture.

However, some critics argue that focusing on applying design thinking to individual projects may result in a project-based mindset and miss opportunities to create a lasting impact on the organization’s culture. In this case, design thinking should be applied more broadly across the organization to create a culture of innovation and human-centeredness. While this approach can lead to significant cultural changes, it requires significant investment in training, coaching, and change management, and may take years to implement.

In conclusion, starting with a project with design thinking can effectively shift the team’s mindset towards a user-centric perspective and promote collaboration. However, it is also important to consider the larger organizational culture and the practicality and cost-effectiveness of implementing design thinking more broadly. A project-based approach can demonstrate tangible results quickly and create champions for design thinking, which can help expand its application to other areas of the organization. Ultimately, building a culture of continuous improvement through design thinking benefits both the team and the organization in the long run.

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