Extensive research conducted at the Hasso Plattner Design Thinking Research Program at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, USA, and at the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, Germany, has yielded valuable insights on why and how design thinking works. The participating researchers have identified metrics, developed models, and conducted studies, which are featured in this book and in the previous volumes of this series.
This volume provides readers with tools to bridge the gap between research and practice in design thinking, together with a range of real-world examples. Several different approaches to design thinking are presented, while acquired frameworks are employed to understand team dynamics in design thinking. The contributing authors introduce readers to new approaches and fields of application and show how design thinking can tap the potential of digital technologies in a human-centered way. The book also presents new ideas on neuro-design from StanfordUniversity and the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam, inviting readers to consider newly developed methods and how these insights can be applied to different domains. Design thinking can be learned. It has a methodology that can be observed across multiple settings. Accordingly, readers can adopt new frameworks to modify and update their current practices.
The research outcomes gathered here are intended to inform and provide inspiration for all those seeking to drive innovation – be they experienced design thinkers or newcomers. It is the last in a series of 14 volumes published over the past 14 years, reflecting the successes of the HPI-Stanford Design Thinking Research Program. Many thanks to the Hasso Plattner Foundation for its valued support.
Christoph Meinel is head of the Department of Internet Technologies and Systems at the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH (HPI), Potsdam, Germany, where he previously served as Director and CEO. A former Dean and Vice Dean of the Digital Engineering Faculty of the University of Potsdam, he currently teaches at the HPI School of Design Thinking and at HPI Internet Technologies and Systems. Meinel is an honorary professor at the Department of Computer Sciences at Beijing University of Technology, guest professor at Shanghai University and concurrent professor at Nanjing University. He is a member of acatech, the German “National Academy of Science and Engineering,” and numerous scientific committees and supervisory boards. Together with Larry Leifer, he was program director of the HPI-Stanford Design Thinking Research Program from 2008 to 2022.
Larry Leifer is a former professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, CA, USA. Dr. Leifer’s engineering design thinking research is focused on helping design teams to understand, support, and improve design practice and theory. Specific issues include: design-team research methodologies, global team dynamics, innovation leadership, interaction design, design-for-wellbeing, and adaptive mechatronic systems. Leifer has launched various design initiatives at Stanford including the Smart-Product Design Program, Stanford-VA Rehabilitation Engineering Center, Stanford Learning Laboratory, and most recently the Center for Design Research (CDR). Together with Christoph Meinel, he was program director of the HPI-Stanford Design Thinking Research Program from 2008 to 2022.
