The processual approach of design thinking is supposed to lead to a profound understanding of complex problems as well as to creative solutions. The philosopher Henri Bergson understands life as a creative evolution and defines process and change as the foundations of reality. The goal of this thesis is to find out if design thinking can be understood from a Bergsonian perspective. To date, research has merely elaborated on the link of management and innovation with Bergson’s philosophy, however, the link to the quite new approach of design thinking has never been addressed. Therefore, the author conducted an empirical study with design thinking practitioners and systematically related its findings to Bergson’s philosophy. The consolidation of both perspectives allows for an alternative understanding of intuition, of the comprehension of problems, of creativity and of the notion of time.
Especially in the last decade, design thinking has developed as a problem solving tool for companies which aim to solve complex issues in a creative way. Design thinking is gaining more and more popularity in management practices. Tim Brown, the CEO of the design firm IDEO and a leading advocate of design thinking, states that the reason for this lies in the user centric approach of design thinking which allows for innovative solving of problems. Because of its human focus, empathy and intuition play a large role in the approach. Furthermore, design thinking has a processual character, and is often marked by iteration. So why should this thesis relate the practical approach of design thinking when applied in management to Bergson’s philosophy? The answer is that the author feels that in particular intuition and time are neglected dimensions in the literature of design thinking to which Bergson’s thought can attribute knowledge and explanation
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. Relevance of research
1.2. Structure
2. Theoretical foundations
2.1. Design thinking
2.1.1. Notion of design thinking
2.1.1.1. From design to design thinking
2.1.1.2. Process View
2.1.1.3. Fields of application
2.1.2. Thinking processes
2.1.3. Empathy and intuition in design thinking
2.1.3.1. Empathy
2.1.3.2. Creativity
2.1.3.3. Intuition
2.1.3.4. Designing with time
2.2. Bergson’s philosophy
2.2.1. From instinct and intelligence to intuition
2.2.2. Forms of knowledge
2.2.3. Duration
3. Methodology
3.1 Research design
3.2 Data collection
3.2.1 Problem-centric interview
3.2.2 Selection of interview partners
3.3. Data formatting
4. Results
5. Theory building
5.1. Notion of design thinking
5.1.1. Objectives of design thinking
5.1.2. Fields of applications
5.1.3. Design thinking – what is it?
5.1.3.1. Design thinking process
5.1.3.2. Design thinking mind set
5.2. Intuition
5.2.1. Ungraspable intuition
5.2.2. Intuition in design thinking
5.2.2.1. Intuition in the process
5.2.2.2. Intuition in the method
5.2.3. Analysis vs. intuition
5.2.4. Experience and intuition
5.3. Problem understanding
5.3.1. Empathy and observation to view the problem from the inside
5.3.2. Problem definition
5.3.3. False problems
5.3.4. Complexity in problems
5.4. Creativity
5.4.1. Creativity in the design thinking process
5.4.2. Memory and creativity
5.5. Notion of time
5.5.1. Iterations in design thinking
5.5.2. No finality
5.5.3. Multiplicity and process ciew
6. Conclusion and implications
6.1. Summary of findings
6.2. Limitations
6.3. Implications for practitioners
6.4. Implications for researchers
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary goal of this thesis is to investigate whether the processual approach of design thinking can be understood through the philosophical lens of Henri Bergson. By analyzing the work of design practitioners, the research seeks to fill the gap in current management literature regarding the neglected dimensions of intuition and time in design thinking.
- Exploring the philosophical alignment between Bergson’s process philosophy and design thinking practices.
- Examining the role of intuition in problem understanding, ideation, and decision-making within corporate environments.
- Analyzing the processual nature of design thinking, particularly the concepts of iteration, duration, and multiplicity.
- Bridging the gap between empirical practitioner insights and theoretical philosophical concepts of time and creativity.
Book Excerpt
2.1.1.1. From design to design thinking
Design thinking begins with skills designers have learned over many decades in their quest to match human needs with available technical resources within the practical constraints of business.” (Brown, 2009, p. 4)
The beginning of the concept of design thinking is often associated with the movement of design methods in the 1960s, which was arguing for rational or scientific methods to designing (Rith & Dubberly, 2006). Thereby, problems were decomposed into their subcomponents. Herbert Simon (1969) in his book The Sciences of the Artificial built the grounds for such a science of design, which he regarded as intellectually complex, analytic, and teachable design process. However, in the 1970s design moved away from this scientific approach and advocated the acknowledging of satisfactory solutions (Cross, 2007). In this sense, design thinking evolved to a “participatory process in which designers are partners with the problem owners” (Cross, 2007, p. 2). Such doubts of this generation moved towards a period of consolidation of design research in the 1980s (Jacques and Powell, 1981). In this time, first academic journals of design research emerged and Rowe in his book Design Thinking (Rowe, 1987) advocated the introduction of design as a discipline of study, which it in fact still became in that decade. Cross states, however, that then “design research came of age in the 1980s, since when we have seen a period of expansion through the 1990s right up to today” (Cross, 2007, p. 4). Nowadays, design thinking is not only applied in design and architecture any more, but also in education, business and society (Glen, R., Suciu, C., & Baughn, C., 2014). Why the fields of applications of design thinking vary that much, can be explained by its problem-solving approach. Thereby underlying problems are often complex and depict so-called wicked problems (Dunne & Martin, 2006). The term “wicked problem” was especially shaped by Buchanan (1992) who suggests in his article “Wicked Problems in Design Thinking” to use design to solve extraordinarily persistent and difficult challenges. Mostly, these problems are related to a social system within the fields of application. They involve “misconception, confusing information, stakeholders with conflicting values” (Churchman, 1967). Schön even calls these wicked problems messy, indeterminate situations (Schön, 1983).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the research relevance, focusing on the lack of philosophical engagement with intuition and time in design thinking literature.
2. Theoretical foundations: Provides a comprehensive review of design thinking literature and an introduction to the process philosophy of Henri Bergson.
3. Methodology: Details the choice of Grounded Theory as the research method and explains the empirical approach using problem-centric interviews.
4. Results: Presents an extract of the data gathered from interviews with ten design thinking practitioners.
5. Theory building: Synthesizes the empirical findings with Bergson’s philosophical concepts across five core dimensions: design thinking, intuition, problem understanding, creativity, and time.
6. Conclusion and implications: Summarizes key findings, acknowledges study limitations, and provides implications for both practitioners and researchers.
Keywords
Design thinking, Henri Bergson, Intuition, Process philosophy, Duration, Problem understanding, Creativity, Innovation, Grounded Theory, Management, Empathy, Temporalization, Multiplicity, Action-oriented, Empirical study.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this master thesis?
The work focuses on understanding design thinking from a philosophical perspective, specifically utilizing the philosophy of Henri Bergson to analyze design thinking practices.
What are the primary thematic fields addressed in the thesis?
The core themes are the notion of design thinking itself, the role of intuition, how problems are understood, the nature of creativity, and the philosophical concept of time.
What is the ultimate research objective?
The goal is to determine if design thinking can be grounded in a Bergsonian perspective, particularly regarding the neglected dimensions of intuition and time in business literature.
Which methodology was selected for this study?
The author employed Grounded Theory to conduct an empirical study involving ten interviews with experienced design thinking practitioners.
What is covered in the main section of the thesis?
The main section (Theory Building) consolidates empirical findings with Bergson’s concepts, specifically looking at how design thinking relates to intuition, problem-posing, and processual change.
How would you describe the key terminology?
The key terms include Bergsonian duration (psychological time), élan vital (creative impulse), intuition (direct grasp of reality), and iterative problem-solving.
How does the author define the "wicked problems" encountered in design?
Based on Buchanan and Schön, these are described as messy, indeterminate situations characterized by confusing information and conflicting stakeholder values.
Does the thesis suggest that design thinking is purely analytical?
No, the research argues that while analysis is useful for validation, design thinking relies heavily on intuition to handle the complexity and uncertainty inherent in the process.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Julia Stadler (Autor:in), 2017, Can design thinking be understood in a Bergsonian way?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/369547
