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How to Use Design Thinking to Solve Problems

Oliver Cooper July 18, 2025

Life is full of complex problems, and sometimes finding the best solutions can seem overwhelming. Whether it’s deciding what to eat for dinner, organizing your work-life balance, or planning a big event, we often encounter challenges that require creative and thoughtful solutions. One powerful approach to problem-solving is Design Thinking. This process has proven beneficial not just for businesses but for individuals looking to innovate and improve their personal lives. In this article, we’ll explore how to leverage Design Thinking in everyday situations to solve your problems efficiently and creatively.

What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a methodology for solving problems and creating solutions that are innovative and user-centered. It’s a process that begins with empathy—understanding the problem from the user’s perspective—and works toward building a solution that not only meets the needs of the user but also improves the overall experience.

The process is generally divided into five stages:

  1. Empathize: Understand the problem from the user’s perspective.
  2. Define: Clearly articulate the problem to address.
  3. Ideate: Generate a wide range of ideas and potential solutions.
  4. Prototype: Develop low-cost, scaled-down versions of the product or solution to explore ideas.
  5. Test: Gather feedback from users, refine the solution, and test again.

This method isn’t linear; you may need to revisit stages as new insights emerge, allowing for continuous iteration until the best solution is found.

How to Apply Design Thinking to Solve Lifestyle Problems

Now that we understand the framework of Design Thinking, let’s break down how you can apply it to tackle everyday problems in your personal life.

1. Managing Your Time More Effectively

Empathy: Start by assessing your daily schedule. What are the challenges you face when managing time? Are you constantly stressed because you overcommit or forget important tasks? Talk to friends, family, or colleagues to understand how they handle time management and learn from their experiences.

Define: The problem could be something like, “I often feel overwhelmed because I don’t prioritize tasks well and don’t have a clear plan for the day.”

Ideate: Come up with several solutions:

  • Creating a daily planner
  • Breaking tasks into smaller chunks
  • Using apps like Google Calendar or time-blocking techniques
  • Setting reminders for key tasks

Prototype: Try using a new planning system for a week. Maybe you’ll test using a paper planner one day and a digital app the next to compare efficiency.

Test: At the end of the week, evaluate your stress levels and productivity. Did the new approach help you manage time better? Make adjustments based on what worked.

2. Solving Financial Challenges

Empathy: Take a step back and analyze your financial situation. Are you constantly in debt, struggling to save, or unsure of how to budget? Talk to people who have a good grasp of personal finance or consult financial advisors.

Define: A possible problem could be, “I don’t have a clear savings plan, and I often live paycheck to paycheck.”

Ideate: Generate ideas for possible solutions:

  • Setting up automatic savings deposits
  • Using budgeting apps like Mint or YNAB (You Need a Budget)
  • Cutting unnecessary expenses, such as subscriptions you don’t use

Prototype: Create a simple budget plan for the month or set up an automatic transfer to a savings account.

Test: After a month, evaluate how much you have saved and whether you felt less stressed about money. Adjust your plan as needed.

3. Overcoming Health and Fitness Challenges

Empathy: How do you feel about your health and fitness? Are you struggling with motivation, time, or setting realistic goals? Speak to others who have successfully adopted a healthy lifestyle and find out what works for them.

Define: A typical problem could be, “I want to get fit, but I never find the time to exercise, and I get discouraged easily.”

Ideate: Solutions could include:

  • Setting small, achievable fitness goals
  • Finding a workout routine that fits your schedule (like a 15-minute home workout)
  • Joining a fitness group for motivation

Prototype: Begin with a fitness goal—like walking 10,000 steps a day—and try it for a week. Track your progress.

Test: At the end of the week, assess how you felt physically and mentally. Did the routine fit into your life? Was it sustainable? Adjust accordingly.

4. Improving Your Social Life and Relationships

Empathy: Think about your current relationships. Are you finding it hard to connect with friends or family? Are you struggling to balance social obligations with personal time? Speak to loved ones to get their perspectives on your relationship dynamics.

Define: A common issue could be, “I feel disconnected from my friends and family because I don’t spend enough time with them.”

Ideate: Solutions could include:

  • Setting regular meet-ups or virtual hangouts
  • Prioritizing meaningful conversations over small talk
  • Reaching out to a friend or family member once a week to stay in touch

Prototype: Organize a dinner with close friends or set a weekly video call with a family member.

Test: After a month, reflect on how these connections have impacted your happiness and emotional well-being. Adjust the frequency or method of communication as necessary.

Benefits of Using Design Thinking in Your Lifestyle

Using Design Thinking in your daily life offers several advantages:

  1. Creativity and Innovation: Design Thinking encourages you to think outside the box and generate unique solutions, helping you tackle problems from different angles.
  2. User-Centered Focus: Whether the problem is related to time management or health, Design Thinking ensures that the solutions you generate focus on your real needs and priorities.
  3. Flexibility: This method allows for continuous iteration. If your first solution doesn’t work, you can go back to the drawing board and try again without feeling discouraged.
  4. Practicality: The approach ensures that you test your solutions in real-life settings, which means you’re more likely to implement sustainable changes in your life.

Conclusion

Design Thinking isn’t just for businesses or tech startups. By adopting this methodology, you can solve personal problems creatively and practically, making your life more manageable and fulfilling. Whether it’s improving your time management, resolving financial challenges, or enhancing your relationships, Design Thinking offers a structured approach to find solutions that truly work for you. Start applying these principles today and watch how it transforms your daily life for the better.

References

  • Brown, T. (2009). Change by Design: How Design Thinking Creates New Alternatives for Business and Society. Harper Business. Available at: https://www.harperbusiness.com (Accessed: 18 July 2025).
  • Liedtka, J. (2018). Design Thinking: What It Is and Why It Matters. In: The Business of Design Thinking. Columbia Business School Publishing. Available at: https://www.amazon.com (Accessed: 18 July 2025).
  • Johansson, S., & Kaysen, J. (2015). “The Role of Design Thinking in Solving Complex Problems”. Journal of Design Science, 1(2), pp. 123-135. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org (Accessed: 18 July 2025).