Quick guide to design thinking

Design thinking is an increasingly widespread approach. In recent years it has been launched as a method that enables even the most conservative company to adopt agile, innovative and entrepreneurial mindsets and to think outside the box. But what is design thinking, how did it emerge, and what does it do?

The book outlines the research behind design thinking and provides an overview of the many different professions, theories and methods that have contributed to developing and defining design thinking as a research and practice field. Further, it offers an introduction to current debates about design thinking and concludes in a call for design activism aimed at developing sustainable life cultures.

Ida Engholm is a professor of design theory and history at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design. She is the founder of the Diploma Programme in Design Management and the Master of Design programme at the Academy. She has published twelve books and is the author of more than ninety research articles on design and design-related topics.