Design thinking organises creative work into stages that keep people at the centre. Teams first build empathy with the people they serve, then frame the problem precisely, then explore many possible solutions before committing to one. Prototyping and testing turn ideas into evidence early and cheaply.
The approach deliberately separates exploring the problem from choosing a solution. This rhythm of opening up and narrowing down keeps teams from locking onto the first idea. It suits ambiguous challenges where the real problem is unclear at the start.