Design Thinking: Exploring Opportunities for the Design Industry and Business in Australia

Abstract

Design thinking has been explored internationally as a tool for business seeking innovation as documented by influential authors, practitioners and scholars across business, design, governments and academia. However, the adoption of design thinking in Australia appears to be lagging in comparison with those practising and investigating it globally. This research investigates how business and design in Australia are responding to design thinking, and also unveils the barriers and opportunities that exist for both design and business in this field. Semi-structured interviews conducted with professionals working in the design thinking space in Australia revealed that: a) Australian businesses are generally not aware of or adopting design thinking, b) the benefits of design and design thinking in the pursuit of innovation by business are poorly understood, and c) the design and business sectors, educational providers and the Australian Government have the opportunity to develop capabilities in delivering design thinking for greater business performance and economic outcomes. This paper provides insights into the way design thinking is perceived, understood and adopted in the Australian environment and therefore provides the platform for further research and discourse on the subject within the Australian context.

Keywords: Design Thinking, design orientation, business innovation, Australia