Design thinking is an innovative problem-solving process rooted in a set of skills. The approach has been around for decades, but it only started gaining traction outside of the design community after the 2008 Harvard Business Review article titled “Design Thinking” by Tim Brown, CEO and president of design company IDEO.

At a high level, the steps involved in the design thinking process are simple: first, fully understand the problem; second, explore a wide range of possible solutions; third, iterate extensively through prototyping and testing; and finally, implement through the customary deployment mechanisms.

The skills associated with these steps help people apply creativity to effectively solve real-world problems better than they otherwise would. They can be readily learned, but take effort. For instance, when trying to understand a problem, setting aside your own preconceptions is vital. This method once learned can even be applied to everyday life problems.