Design Thinking as a Tool for Dealing with Fear of Uncertainty

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Design thinking is a methodology focused on problem solving with an emphasis on user needs. This approach can be applied in a wide range of fields, from travel planning to the development of complex technical solutions. The core idea of ​​design thinking is to overcome stereotypes and conventional methods, enabling innovative solutions and the creation of products that truly meet user needs. Applying design thinking principles promotes a deeper understanding of problems and improves the quality of the final product.

In this article, we will introduce the concept of design thinking and examine its key stages in detail. Design thinking is a methodology aimed at solving complex problems and creating innovative solutions through a deep understanding of user needs. This approach involves several sequential stages, such as empathy, problem definition, idea generation, prototyping, and testing. Understanding these stages allows you to effectively apply design thinking in various fields, from business to education, which leads to the creation of more effective and in-demand products and services.

This year, many have faced uncertainty. Outdated behavior patterns are no longer effective, causing confusion and fear. We discussed ways to apply design thinking in times of crisis with Alina Ermakova, Head of Research and UX Lead at SberDevices. Design thinking helps you find innovative solutions and adapt to changing conditions, which is especially important in challenging times. Alina shared key approaches and tools that can help you create effective strategies and improve user experiences in uncertain times. This article will cover key aspects to help you better understand the topic. We'll cover key points and provide helpful tips to help you effectively apply the knowledge you've gained in practice. This text will help you deepen your knowledge and master the necessary skills.

• how to move towards your goal;
• how to reduce anxiety;
• the benefits of sports;
• how to survive in the information field;
• where to draw strength.

User experience (UX) specialist at SberDevices and Research Competency Development Evangelist at Sber. She teaches UX/UI programs at the British Higher School of Art and Design and Bang Bang Education, and lectures at the Higher School of Economics (HSE). She conducts training sessions on research and design thinking and also acts as a facilitator and neurocoach.

One of the key questions coaches and psychotherapists recommend considering when discussing the future is whether I can influence it. It's impossible to simply sit and reflect on the future without gathering all the necessary data that will form the basis for an effective strategy. Understanding your role and opportunities in creating the future allows you to make more informed decisions and move towards your desired goals.

Life is constantly undergoing changes, course changes, and unexpected troubles that cause fear and anxiety. The reasons for anxiety can be varied, but it is especially difficult for people who lose loved ones or face serious illnesses. In such situations, important questions arise: how to continue living, how to find new motivation, and what steps to take to formulate a future strategy. It is important to find ways to adapt to new conditions and maintain emotional health during difficult times. Fear for safety is embedded in our subconscious, in the reptilian brain. Stressful situations become an excellent opportunity to form new neural connections. These moments help us develop adaptive skills and strengthen our psychological resilience. By using stress as a tool, we can not only overcome difficult circumstances but also improve our ability to cope with future challenges. Design thinking is a methodology for working under uncertainty, making it particularly useful for stress management. Design thinking principles are ideal for solving problems based on uncertainty, as they promote the development of creative and effective solutions. This approach allows us to adapt to changing conditions and find optimal solutions to difficult situations. Using design thinking in stress management helps not only identify the root causes of the problem but also develop strategies for overcoming them. As a result, this method becomes a powerful tool for personal growth and increasing resilience in the face of uncertainty.

Design thinking often uses a persona to represent the target audience and serve as the team's focus. This composite image helps to better understand user needs. However, today, the emphasis can be placed on a self-image, which allows for a deeper analysis of one's own experiences and needs during the product creation process. This approach fosters a more personal perception and allows for the identification of important aspects that may be missed when working with an abstract persona.

To effectively introduce yourself, you need to focus on key aspects of your personality and professional activities. It's important to clearly outline your skills, experience, and achievements so that potential employers or partners can quickly understand how you can contribute. Start with a brief introduction about yourself, mentioning your strengths and professional interests. Highlight the unique qualities that set you apart from others. It's also worth adding information about your career goals and aspirations to demonstrate your determination and desire for development. Include examples of successful projects or achievements that highlight your experience and qualifications. End the description on a positive note, expressing openness to collaboration and new opportunities.

• Who I am;
• Where I live;
• What I do in life.

Creating an empathy map is an important step in self-analysis. It should be focused on you. The classic version includes aspects of what you think, feel, say, and do. However, I recommend adapting this approach and focusing on a specific task you have set for yourself. This will help you gain a deeper understanding of your motives and reactions, as well as identify how your emotions and thoughts influence your actions. This approach will allow you to more effectively achieve your goals and develop personal skills.

For effective planning, you need to divide the sheet into three sectors. The first sector is dedicated to describing yourself, where you should indicate your strengths, skills and interests. The second sector should contain the resources needed to achieve your goals, including training materials, tools, and support from others. The third sector focuses on potential obstacles that may arise when completing tasks, such as lack of time, motivation, or necessary skills. This approach will help you better organize your thoughts and create a clear action plan to achieve success.

• The first sector is about the user. Here are some general things. They are needed so that the brain builds a character and begins to perceive itself more specifically. That is, it is no longer just a conditional "I", but directly specific points: who I am, where I live, what I do, what are my hobbies.
• The second sector is the current state and state of affairs. What do I have to solve the problem? What am I doing? What resources and opportunities do I have? What connections and social circle do I have? What help can I get from this circle? Here you write down everything related to resources, in the broadest sense.
• The third is fears and obstacles. What emotional blocks are there? Perhaps there are some physical limitations or legal complications, for example, with documents or obligations.

Now, based on the three sectors in which you analyzed the current state of affairs, you need to begin the process of ideation. This will help you identify new opportunities and strategies for further development. Use the data obtained to form creative solutions that will help you adapt to changes and respond effectively to challenges. Start with a brainstorming session to collect a variety of ideas, and then select the most promising ones for further development.

Goal setting plays a key role in achieving success. The goal formulation should be clear and specific. For example, instead of a general phrase, "I'm starting to live differently," you should specify specific actions, deadlines, and results. It is important to ask yourself the question "Why?" - this will help you understand your true motives and desired results. A clear understanding of your goals and their significance contributes to more effective planning and implementation.

At the initial stage, it is important to write down all the ideas that come to mind. The brain prefers simple and familiar solutions because it doesn't want to waste a lot of energy on complex thinking. Initial ideas are usually based on previous experience or simple options, as they require minimal resource expenditure. This approach allows you to quickly create a foundation for further analysis and refinement of more complex concepts.

Under stress and uncertainty, standard approaches may prove insufficient. To effectively cope with the situation, it is important to generate ideas in several stages. Approach this process from different angles and don't set any limits: write down all your thoughts, even the most unusual or absurd ones. This approach will help unleash your creative potential and find unconventional solutions.

Once the list is complete, and it can contain up to a hundred items, it is necessary to select them. Effective selection will help you identify the most important elements and focus on them. This will optimize the process of further work, improve the quality of the result, and increase efficiency. Proper organization of the list and careful selection of items will ensure the achievement of your goals and the successful completion of tasks.

Design thinking incorporates various variables that help me determine the optimal approaches in my personal practice. These variables allow me to more deeply understand user needs, identify key problems, and develop effective solutions. The main aspects I focus on include empathy, problem definition, idea generation, prototyping, and testing. Each of these stages plays a vital role in creating innovative and practical solutions that meet the expectations of the target audience. The right combination of these factors contributes to the successful implementation of projects and an improved quality of the final product.

• First is time to market. This is an idea that can be quickly implemented and tested. You need to give yourself a certain time frame—for example, a month or even two weeks—when you want to make a real change.
• Second—I call this "obvious." These are the things that need to be done anyway, a kind of minimum. The foundation on which further steps will be based.
• Third is "wow." This is something truly cool, something that's taken out of context. Implementing such ideas can require a lot of effort and resources, and you may not even be ready for it, but it's really cool—it's what you truly want. These ideas could have existed before, unrelated to recent events. They were simply put off, and now there's finally a reason to do them—that's what's happening now for many.

From the three lists presented, we can draw conclusions:

• What needs to be done in any case—the ideas in the "obvious" section will form the basis of the future MVP, the solution to the problem.
• The marked ideas from the time to market are what can be implemented in the foreseeable future. What features will the "product" have, what actions, and what needs will it be able to address. When choosing these ideas, you need to clearly understand that once they've been selected, you intend to implement them within the designated timeframe.
• Usually, "wow" ideas require time, resources, and a schedule to guide us toward this goal. I would work with them separately, starting again with empathy. The first questions will be the same: What do I need to implement this idea? What resources do I need to do this? Do I have them? If not, how can I get them? Working with ideas from the first two categories and the "wow" category are two parallel activities. This way, you work both for the here and now and for the future. To make your dream come true in a year, you need to start working on it today.

It's important to focus on developing product metrics that will help evaluate the effectiveness of your product. These metrics are key indicators that allow you to determine whether the product's quality has improved and in what ways. They will vary depending on the specific idea or concept, allowing you to clearly understand whether you've achieved your goals and how successful your path to them is. Proper use of metrics will not only help you analyze the current state of the product but also identify areas for further improvement and optimization.

This effective practice involves making a decision and setting a deadline for yourself (or your therapist) – to present the results in a week. The process is similar: after analyzing the problem and defining actions, you move on to prototyping, testing, and validation. Metrics play a key role in allowing you to evaluate the results achieved and adjust next steps. Using clear metrics will help you not only track progress but also make the necessary changes to achieve your goals.

The next stage involves prototyping and testing. During prototyping, teams implement ideas, conduct iterative tests, and analyze the results. This allows you to identify successful solutions and identify areas requiring improvement. During the testing phase, it becomes apparent that important details may have been missed or the development direction requires adjustment. This approach helps improve the final product and increase its quality.

Design thinking offers a unique advantage: the ability to return to any of the previous stages of the process. Having a finished prototype significantly clarifies the situation. This allows you to revise and refine ideas, as well as delve into details at the early stages of development. This approach contributes to a higher quality result and increases the likelihood of project success.

As a result of the work performed, you will receive:

• your own profile, where the current state is analyzed, resources, fears and barriers are separately identified;
• a formulated idea;
• an understanding of what to take into account for the near future as time to market, what to work with as an MVP, and what the big goal is for the future;
• metrics have been formed through which it becomes clear what works and what doesn’t, whether it is worth continuing or whether you need to go back in circles.

The result will be clear thanks to the use of design thinking and product methods. You may realize that you're struggling to form concrete ideas and it's unclear why you need to make changes. This is also a significant finding.

One of the main challenges associated with stress is the ability to separate logic from emotion. Emotional states can fluctuate wildly, and we often overreact, wasting significant energy on them. In situations of uncertainty, it's important to avoid hysteria or inaction. It's essential to maintain a clear mind and be prepared to make decisions at a moment's notice.

The first stage of working with design thinking principles is empathy. At this stage, it's important to conduct research into the current situation to understand the real problems and needs of users. Understanding the current state of affairs helps identify key aspects that require attention and lays the foundation for further steps in the solution development process.

It is necessary to ask yourself a number of important questions:

• What is happening now?
• What resources do I have?
• What can I afford?
• What are my great qualities?
• What are my hindering qualities, but are also great? It is also important to record the negative and disadvantageous ones.

This exercise is very useful, as it helps you recognize the changes that have occurred and look at the situation from a more objective point of view. By analyzing the circumstances, you can better understand the reasons for what happened and find solutions.

Dividing a sheet of paper into four quadrants is an effective method of organizing information. Each quadrant can be filled with unique content, which helps structure the data and makes it easier to perceive. This will help you focus on key aspects and improve overall productivity. Dividing into quadrants also promotes deeper analysis and allows you to identify the relationships between different elements. Using this approach, you can optimize your work process and make it more focused.

• What I influence;
• Who influences me;
• What I can influence;
• What I cannot influence.

The answers will help you understand what changes have occurred at the moment. Often it turns out that there are not really that many changes.

Decision-making is impossible if we succumb to emotions. When we experience fear, our brain can switch off, and we fall into a stupor. However, a person is able to control their emotions on a physical level, using the body. Managing your emotions helps you regain clarity of thought and make informed decisions.

To reduce levels of cortisol, known as the "fear hormone," it's important to increase physical activity. Running, jumping, and strength training help eliminate this hormone from the body. Use this time to start exercising if you haven't already. Regular physical activity will not only help you cope with stress but also improve your overall health.

In ancient times, survival depended on a person's ability to quickly react to threats, and even the slightest movement of a branch could indicate the presence of a predator. Because of this, our neurons developed a particular sensitivity to negative information. This mechanism was beneficial for survival, but in modern society, it often has negative consequences, especially in the context of content consumption. Our tendency to focus on the negative can lead to stress and anxiety, making it important to take a mindful approach to the information we consume. Understanding this aspect of human psychology can help us more effectively manage our attention and emotions in the information age. Mindfully processing information and acting mindfully are key to personal development. If you feel like you're overwhelmed by a situation, it's important to take responsibility and take steps to change your state. Only then can you make informed decisions about how actively you want to participate in current events and how far you're willing to go in your interactions with the world around you. Constantly receiving negative information and suppressing emotions can seriously impact your mental state. As a result, your brain may begin to block all information until more favorable conditions arise, ultimately leading to an emotional outburst. Alternatively, you may find yourself in a state of complete apathy, drained of energy and finding it difficult to get up and continue. It's important to be aware of the impact negative content has on your psyche and find ways to minimize it to maintain your emotional health and well-being.

The more you read and analyze, the more your perception of the world can become distorted—you might start to feel like everything around you is bad. It's important to be able to disconnect from negative thoughts. Music, movies, and books can be a great way to do this. It's recommended to choose positive or safe themes, as well as works you're already familiar with. Knowing in advance the emotions they evoke creates a sense of stability and comfort. This doesn't mean you should ignore reality; rather, it's an opportunity to give yourself time to recover and replenish your internal resources.

Another important topic is what fills you with energy. There's a common misconception that after five days at work, spending a weekend with your family is enough to recharge. However, this isn't always the case. Family is wonderful, but it also comes with responsibilities, household chores, and caring for children that you've been putting off all week. As a result, you don't get the proper rest. To truly recharge, it's important to find time not only for obligations but also for activities that bring joy and inspiration. Psychologists say that devoting 30% of your time each week or month to yourself is crucial for personal well-being. The key question to ask yourself is: what exactly fills your life with energy and joy? It's essential to find time for yourself, ideally by turning this into a regular ritual. Maximum fulfillment occurs when you focus on your interests and hobbies, rather than on the needs of others. If you only give away your energy, you'll soon have no energy left for anything important. Taking care of yourself and doing what you truly enjoy promotes harmony and inner balance.