By Bipasha Roy. Managing Director, Mobius Space Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
Design Thinking has emerged as a transformative methodology for addressing various kinds of “wicked” problems that characterize the social sector. These types of problems are complex and unstructured & do not have ready pathways towards a sustainable solution. In India, as in many parts globally, development sectors grapple with myriad challenges, ranging from poverty and educational inequity, to issues around healthcare accessibility and environmental sustainability. Moreover, organizations in the social sector frequently struggle to capture and to manage multiple stakeholder perceptions with the latter’s ever evolving needs, expectations and even criticisms. Hence, innovation, collaboration, and continuous adaptation are imperative.
Traditional problem-solving approaches, are optimized for “tame” problems (those that are well structured) which are linear, clear-cut, go around expected “well behaved” paths even if they are mega projects, and are easily quantifiable. These are mostly based on predictability and control. However this is also why they may fall short in the dynamic, layered and unstructured social contexts where causes and solutions are deeply interwoven and ever-changing. Design Thinking offers a more flexible, human-centred process that embraces these kinds of ambiguity and complexity, making it an ideal approach for creating sustainable solutions in the social sector.
Design Thinking, starts with a deep understanding of real people rather than relying on broad demographic segments. Practitioners engage directly with the people affected by the issues, through ethnographic research and qualitative methodologies. Questioning assumptions and keeping one’s own biases aside during this phase, help to understand stakeholder perspectives better, leading to deep empathy for the users. For instance, this phase has helped organizations working on menstrual health to understand the deep-rooted cultural taboos and affordability barriers faced by women in rural India.
Unlike traditional approaches that address problems based on macro-level data, design thinking requires defining the issue based on real insights. This often causes the initial problem definition to shift and get re-framed in ‘human’ terms. For example, while working on empowerment, an NGO realised that vocational training and job opportunities do not address the core challenge urban poor women face. They cannot go out for the jobs if their homes and children are not being taken care of.
Instead of presenting a single, fixed solution, design thinking encourages generating multiple ideas; this approach that ensures no single solution is forced upon the community; rather, several ideas are prototyped and tested through cycles of real-world experiments. The iterative nature of design thinking ensures that solutions are continuously refined based on direct user feedback, rather than solely relying on historical or secondary data. NGOs working on financial inclusion have applied this by brainstorming multiple ways to introduce digital banking to illiterate populations, leading to the development of voice-based banking solutions.
The core principles of design thinking - empathy, re-defining, and iteration, contrast sharply with the rigid, top-down methods of traditional approaches. Design Thinking is optimistic and possibility-driven; it asks, “What if anything is possible?” (Liedtka: Design Thinking for Greater Good) and invites diverse stakeholders to contribute ideas, thereby creating a collaborative atmosphere that is essential for addressing social challenges. For example, in healthcare, NGOs have employed design thinking to develop telemedicine solutions tailored to the needs of rural populations in India. By engaging with patients and healthcare workers directly, they have iterated digital platforms that overcome local challenges such as language barriers and connectivity issues. Similarly, in the education sector, EdTech start-ups have used design thinking to reimagine remote learning by collaborating with teachers and students to develop digital tools that are responsive to real classroom needs. This co-creation process not only improves learning outcomes but also fosters a sense of ownership among stakeholders. Organizations like SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association) have applied design thinking to create community-led interventions that directly involve women in crafting financial literacy programs and vocational training courses. These efforts ensure that the solutions are culturally relevant and address the specific challenges faced by women in various communities. Meanwhile, social enterprises working with artisans have leveraged Design Thinking to test and refine new market models before scaling them, thereby ensuring long-term impact while preserving cultural heritage.
To conclude, Design Thinking offers a robust framework for addressing the wicked problems of the social sector in India. It departs from traditional approaches by engaging directly with the community, generating a range of creative ideas, and refining these solutions through real-world testing, providing flexible, adaptive, and human-centric solutions. Furthermore, by encouraging collaboration and breaking down silos, design thinking enables organizations to navigate the complexities of multiple stakeholder scenarios effectively. This inclusivity not only leads to more innovative solutions but also helps build a shared vision that can drive sustainable social change.
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