Introduction

Extensive research conducted by the Hasso Plattner Design Thinking Research Program (HPDTRP) has yielded valuable insights on why and how design thinking works. Researchers have identified metrics, developed models and conducted studies that are featured in this book as well as in the previous volumes of this series. The HPDTRP research projects each have a problem-orientation strategy. The human-centered mindset is critical to design action, but biases are also inherently present. The solution is to UN-bias our thinking using an UN-design-thinking approach. The first part of the book, “Effective Design Thinking Training and Practice”, is dedicated to research projects exploring new and improved ways to train and apply design thinking. The second part of the book, “Understanding Design Thinking Team Dynamics,” compiles research projects that put the Design Team in the petri dish. In the third part of the book “Design Thinking in Practice—New Approaches and Application Fields” a variety of application scenarios for application of design thinking are showcased. The fourth part “Emerging of Neurodesign” also functions as an approach. Neurodesign is a novel field of research, education and practice that emerges as a cross-disciplinary initiative. Original research seeks to yield deep insights into the nature of human needs and the protocols that design thinking researchers might apply to achieve “insights” versus “data.” Researchers study the complex interaction between members of multi-disciplinary teams, with special regard to the necessity of creative collaboration across spatial, temporal, and cultural boundaries. They design, develop, and evaluate innovative tools and methods that support teams in their creative work. The research projects address questions of why structures of successful design thinking teams differ substantially from traditional corporate structures and how design thinking methods mesh with traditional engineering and management approaches.