To find the best solution, we must first understand the problem. Design Thinking is another option used to understand and find the best way to solve the problem.
If we “get the problem wrong, life changes”, we may get lost and cannot find a solution. Not only that, we get lost, we waste a lot of time, causing most people to become discouraged and run away from the problem.
No matter what we start doing or what problem we solve, the first thing we should do is not to think of an answer yet and not necessarily to think of a solution.
Start by taking a step or two away from the problem at hand and understand the bigger picture and context of the problem.
Saying this sounds easy, but in reality, it is very difficult. Because in our general behavior, we tend to make hasty decisions, rush to find answers or methods to solve the problems we are facing immediately. As a result, the problem may be solved, but it is a perfunctory or temporary solution.
Making the same old problems happen over and over again, as many people often complain that they encounter the same old problems or cannot escape them.
“It’s us who are the cause of our problems.”
Let me explain more about the natural mechanism of humans. We tend to get lost in our own mental traps (lost in the same frame of mind and the same old experiences that we have accumulated). As a result, no matter what our decision is, we will use the information in front of us, which may be superficial information, which we do not know whether it is right or wrong, true or not, plus the experiences that we have had, to use in making decisions. This causes the results of the decision to not be as desired.
This also results in a solution (that we think is good) that may actually make an already bad situation worse. Many times, this is like the monkey catching a net: the more you solve the problem, the more you get caught in the net.
But that doesn’t mean that we can’t find the best solution.
If we want to solve the problem completely, what should we do?
What you should do is to spend the most time in the beginning focusing on understanding the problem, not on finding a solution.
If we spend as much time as possible in the first period on the most important thing, which is to understand the situation or problem we are facing, the chances of getting the best solution will be much higher.
Sometimes, rushing to solve a problem immediately may be selfish. Therefore, do not only consider the impact on the situation for yourself, but also consider the impact on others who have the same problem as you.
We need to look deep and far to understand the feelings of those around us who are facing problems, how they feel the same or different from us, what they are thinking, etc.
“Our problems are not any one person’s problems.”
As mentioned above, problems do not usually affect just one person or person. Problems often affect many people, but the degree of impact may not be the same.
Because in that situation, there are always people who are affected. We and they are both part of that problem. In terms of solving problems or finding the best solution, the majority of people in that situation should receive benefits together, not choosing a solution that benefits only some people or some groups.
And to find the best solution, we need to understand the clear root cause of the problem, which is a problem that has a mutual impact. That is what will create a Win-Win for all parties if the problem is solved. And don’t forget that if it is not a true Win-Win solution, it will be difficult or almost impossible to get everyone to cooperate and join forces to solve the problem.
EMPATHIZE is therefore the first very important process of Design Thinking.
It is the most important process that requires attention, determination and quality in doing it, similar to buttoning the first button. If you are too hasty or do it wrong from the beginning, the consequences will be long-lasting, wasting time, losing opportunities or it may be too late to find a solution.
It’s like living or doing business in this era. Of course, we’ve all been affected by COVID. And it’s in times of crisis that we’ll see our potential: how much time do we give to understand our problems and how much we experiment with solutions?
“Those who take the time to understand a problem will always find the best solution.”
Problems don’t just happen on their own. There must always be a cause.
Problems do not just happen out of nowhere. In fact, there must be a warning sign or they are caused by small problems that have been accumulating for a while. When they are small problems, we may not see them or we may not care or neglect them (some people overlook them because they think they are not a problem. People like this are scary because they tend to neglect solving problems and also like to accumulate problems).
Therefore, if we do not take the time to understand the festering problems or the problems that have been accumulating for a long time, coupled with us rushing to solve the problems, it may make the situation worse. This can be seen from the examples of many large companies that rushed to solve the problems but solved the wrong problems, causing many to collapse. There are many examples, especially during COVID, where many companies had to close down.
“Problems are there to be solved, not to be run away from.”
If we run away from the problem for a while, the problem will catch up with us anyway. Let’s say that since we’ve already been hurt by it, let’s end the problem.
Design Thinking tools are another tool that we can use to solve complex problems, whether they are personal or public problems. I personally like to do Qualitative Research and Case study. Therefore, the Design Thinking process is a part of my research and always extends to using it to solve various problems.
Especially the EMPATHIZE step, this step always surprises me because the assumption that we have initially understood the problem to some extent, but when entering the EMPATHIZE process , it turns out that we still do not understand the problem well enough or sometimes we find clues of new opportunities or new approaches to solving the problem from this process.
In addition, the advantage of doing EMPATHIZE is that it is a check to see if we understand the problem or details of the problem well, understand completely and truly understand or not. Because if so, taking the information from this step to find a solution in the IDEATE process will result in many alternative solutions and lead to the right method in the end.
However, even though the Design Thinking process is good, it does not always guarantee results or success. We must know how to apply it to suit our own context and approach.
Let’s say that whoever is good at what, no matter what tool you use and it works, then continue to use it.
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