What is Design Thinking?

Design thinking is an important term commonly used here at Anchal. It is an approach to problem solving that has allowed us to develop into the organization we are today and how we continue to expand and formulate new ideas. It is innovation at its finest. It is a collaboration. It is a process.

Idris Mootee, defines design thinking as, "the search for a magical balance between business and art; structure and chaos; intuition and logic, concept and execution; playfulness and formality; and control and empowerment." In truth, there are endless interpretations & applications of design thinking, adding to its beauty and effectiveness.

Design thinking combines analytical thinking and creativity to develop a perfectly balanced idea. This "perfectly balanced idea" meets the goal of being feasible in technical terms, viable in business terms and desirable in consumer terms. The most important outcome of design thinking is that it is working towards fulfilling a need. Design thinking, also known through Human Centered Design, place the need at the center of the process & work through a continuous cycle of observation, collaboration, experimentation & evaluation until a holistic solution is discovered.

How does Anchal use design thinking?

Here at Anchal, we use Design Thinking as a creative approach to problem solving. Whether we are developing curriculum for a design workshop, creating an info-graphic, designing a new product or evaluating our artisan program structure, we us a collaborative process that evaluates and composes a well-formed solution based on human needs. As trained designers and experienced practitioners,we use design thinking to create unique economic solutions, develop textile compositions and craft effective design training curriculum. We are addressing the exploitation of women around the world by creating a "magical balance between business and art."

The Anchal team uses Design Thinking to...

1. Innovate non-profit business strategies

2. Design smart products for market & maker

3. Understand issues systematically & implement multi-faceted solutions.

4. Create inventive services for target population

5. Employ new strategies of awareness & advocacy

Our unique strategy of using design thinking as a vehicle for social change has proven to be successful in so many ways. The next time you are faced with an unfamiliar problem, consider solving it with Design Thinking & join Anchal in designing change in the lives of our artisans!