---
title: How Does Design Thinking Lead to Innovation?
description: How Does Design Thinking Lead to Innovation?
---

[Business Innovation Blog](https://blog.peerinsight.com/blog)

# [How Does Design Thinking Lead to Innovation?](https://blog.peerinsight.com/blog/design-thinking-leads-to-innovation)

 Written by [Natalie Foley](https://blog.peerinsight.com/blog/author/natalie-foley) | July 22, 2013 1:00:00 PM Z

Photo by [Johan Larsson](http://www.flickr.com/photos/johanl/)

I often get asked the question, *“Whatis Design Thinking?”,* and maybe you do too.  Like many design thinkers, I struggled atfirst to explain what this term meant. And, like any design thinker who is navigating in ambiguity, I knew I had to throw a [prototype](https://peerinsight.com/musings/2013/7/9/innovation-for-the-public-sector) of my explanation out there and ask someone else to help me get to a better place. Slowly, after a few rounds of mental and visual iteration, my prototype became slightly more concrete as I pulled my thoughts together to create this diagram:

Unlike design thinking, other problem-solving tools are optimized for execution, butnot for [exploration](https://peerinsight.com/musings/2013/6/18/leading-in-uncertainty). Thus, design thinkingis an approach that is best used in the [unknown](https://peerinsight.com/musings/key-to-growth-unknown-unknowns).And because sustained growth requires venturing into the unknown, innovation is the natural path to organic growth.

Growth is often a financial-based metric. We also include impact,a human-based metric, as a desired outcome. Yes, growth can be acquired, and impact can be created temporarily. But organic growth and sustained impact requires the principles ofdesign thinking: human-centeredness, iteration, visualization &co-creation.

So tell me, what speaks to you in my prototype? What aren't you sure of or just don’t care for? I’d love if you shared a prototype of your own!

follow me: [@natalie\_s\_foley](https://twitter.com/natalie_s_foley)

[View full post](https://blog.peerinsight.com/blog/design-thinking-leads-to-innovation)

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