Managers face tough challenges every day. They need solutions that are creative, practical, and effective. Two great problem-solving methods are Design Thinking and Collective Intelligence. But which one should you choose? I'll explain both approaches, their purpose, and how you can use them to improve your team's problem-solving skills.

What Are Design Thinking and Collective Intelligence?

Design Thinking is a structured way to solve problems. It focuses on understanding users and their needs. The goal is to create solutions that are innovative and user-friendly.  

Collective Intelligence uses the knowledge and ideas of a group to solve problems. It thrives on collaboration and diversity. Everyone brings their unique perspective, making solutions richer and more effective.  

What are the Use Cases for Design Thinking and Collective Intelligence?

Before you start, knowing the purpose and use case for these two approaches is important. Both work, but they work differently. Here's how.

Design Thinking helps you solve problems in a structured way. It puts the user or persona at the center. The result? Solutions that are practical and tailored to real needs. The goal is to give the persona a great outcome (something better, cheaper, or easier to use)

Best Time to Use Design Thinking

• When creating new products or services  

• When solving user experience challenges  

• When improving workplace processes  

Design thinking works best when you need structured, user-centered solutions, typically used for product design, such as apps or services, and solution design, such as the company's customer service processes.

Collective Intelligence is about getting insights from the crowd (team or group). It works best when problems are too big for one person to solve. The power comes from the diversity of ideas and collaboration.  

Best Time to Use Collective Intelligence

• Brainstorming ideas  

• Crowdsourcing solutions  

• Solving complex or large-scale problems  

Collective Intelligence works great when the outcome may be big, unclear, or complex. It's brainstorming on steroids. Used to gather diverse ideas. And for looking for new industry disruptors or checking for unintended consequences.

How do Design Thinking and Collective Intelligence work?

The Step-by-Step Approach to Design Thinking

Design Thinking has a clear process. Start by building a team with diverse skills and perspectives. This team should include someone who represents the target user and team members tasked with creating the solution. If multiple departments are involved, they should also be represented. Create an open, collaborative environment where ideas flow freely.

Use tools like whiteboards, sticky notes, or digital platforms like Miro to capture and organize your thoughts. The key is to remain flexible, iterate quickly, and let creativity guide the process. Start small, test often, and refine as you go. Design Thinking Workshops are one of the most effective ways to approach the team meeting.

1. Empathize: Learn about your users.  

Focus on deeply understanding the user the solution supports—this could mean conducting interviews, observing behaviors, or gathering feedback. Document your findings in the form of the creation of one or more personas.

2. Define: Focus on the main issue.  

Clearly outline the problem you're solving based on user insights. Narrow your focus to a specific, actionable challenge to ensure solutions address the core need. A Good way to start is to understand the current process or tools and then define how improvements the user would like.

3. Ideate: Generate as many ideas as possible.  

While you may know the user's goal and requests, there may be more ways to resolve issues or improve the processes. Encourage brainstorming sessions where all ideas are welcome, no matter how unconventional. The goal is to generate a broad range of potential solutions without judgment.

4. Prototype: Create simple models or samples.  

Turn your ideas into tangible, low-cost prototypes that represent your solution. These models help you visualize and refine the concept before investing in full development. See the tools section below to map your ideas and document the proposed process flow.

5. Test: Gather feedback and improve the solution.  

Present your prototypes to real users and gather honest feedback. Use their input to refine and iterate, improving the solution to better meet their needs.

The Dynamic Approach to Collective Intelligence

Collective Intelligence is an attempt to gain the wisdom of the crowd. So, it needs to be more flexible in its approach. This is done for complex or high-stakes situations where the answer may need clarification. Share your goals. Then, provide the information and background needed to create a moonshot idea. Moonshots are big ideas that can change the shape of a team, company, or industry. Great ideas come from diverse people with different skills, experiences, and viewpoints.

1. Gather Input: Get diverse ideas and opinions.  

Connect a diverse team to address the objective and then collect input through brainstorming sessions and collaborative platforms to build a broad foundation of ideas. Brainstorming can be hard, so you may need to use the Creative Ideation playbook.

2. Discuss: Share and evaluate ideas.  

Encourage open dialogue to share thoughts and refine ideas. Ensure concepts include hard data and situational information such as geographical constraints, cultural requirements, and the organization involved. Use tools like Slack or Miro to facilitate discussions and weigh the pros and cons of each suggestion.

3. Spot Patterns: Find common themes or insights.

Analyze the gathered ideas to identify recurring themes or innovative connections. Highlight patterns that can lead to practical solutions or strategies. Look for idea "mashups," where two or more good ideas work together to become a great idea.

4. Implement: Use the group's ideas to move forward.  

Great ideas are just the start. Choose the most viable ideas and turn them into actionable plans. Ensure the implementation reflects the collective input, keeping the group engaged and invested in the outcome.

The Power of Combining Design Thinking and Collective Intelligence

Need the Best of both worlds? When Design Thinking and Collective Intelligence are combined, the result is a powerful synergy that enhances problem-solving and innovation. Collective Intelligence gathers diverse ideas and insights from a group, creating a rich pool of potential solutions. Design Thinking then structures this creativity, refining ideas into actionable, user-focused solutions. Together, these methods leverage the strengths of collaboration and structured innovation, making them ideal for addressing complex challenges in any organization.

This is exactly how we used the IBM Jam concept with our clients. As a partner in the digital business, I worked with Fortune 500 companies with huge issues and great opportunities. Jams were a way of defining the big questions and letting everyone take part in brainstorming solutions. This led to amazing teamwork and new collaborations that yielded practical improvements and big cost savings.

Tools to Help You Start Innovating

Ready to try Design Thinking and Collective Intelligence? Using tools can help you track and follow up with ideas and designs. See the chart to see which tool may be right for you. With these approaches, you'll help your team succeed every time.  

Transform Your Approach to Problem-Solving

By understanding and applying Design Thinking and Collective Intelligence, you can confidently tackle complex problems. These methods provide the tools and frameworks to create innovative, user-centered solutions while navigating challenges effectively.

For managers and leaders, mastering these approaches enhances your ability to make informed, strategic decisions. You'll solve problems and inspire your team to think creatively and take ownership of the process.

Finally, these methodologies improve teamwork and collaboration by fostering open communication and leveraging diverse perspectives. Together, they empower your organization to work smarter, innovate faster, and achieve better outcomes. Start integrating these strategies today to elevate your leadership and drive success in every project.

Have you used either of these tools? Comment below to let me know!