Overview: Discover the fundamentals of design thinking, its misconceptions, and its role in innovation. Get a sneak peek at sample questions from leading design entrance exams. Curious? Dive in. Master your design exam prep with our comprehensive guide!

Design thinking is a term used to represent a set of cognitive, strategic, and practical processes by which design concepts (proposals for products, buildings, machines, communications, etc.) are developed.

Studies across different domains of design cognition and design activity in laboratory and natural contexts have identified many key concepts and aspects of design thinking.

Top design entrance exams like NID, NIFT, UCEED, and others prioritize assessing candidates' design thinking awareness.

In this article, we will examine design thinking, some of the design thinking awareness objective questions and answers, and more.

Download Free Practice Question Papers for NID Exam by CreativeEdge

What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a human-centred approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate people's needs, technology's possibilities, and business success requirements.

It is characterized by five key phases:

• Empathize: Understanding the needs, experiences, and emotions of the people for whom you are designing. This involves direct observation and engaging with users to gain deep insights.
• Define: Clearly articulate the problem you want to solve based on the insights gathered during the empathize phase. This stage involves synthesizing information to create a meaningful and actionable problem statement.
• Ideate: Generating a wide range of ideas and potential solutions. Creativity is encouraged, and brainstorming sessions are used to explore various possibilities without judgment.
• Prototype: This phase involves creating tangible representations of ideas, from sketches and models to digital interfaces. It allows for hands-on experimentation.
• Test: Evaluating prototypes with users, gathering feedback, and refining solutions. This iterative process helps to identify what works, what doesn’t, and why, leading to more user-friendly and effective solutions.

Importance of Design Thinking Awareness

Design thinking is a powerful methodology transforming how we approach problems and create solutions. Its impact spans industries, from technology and business to healthcare and education.

Leading design colleges in India greatly emphasize design thinking. Let's have a look at the importance of design thinking -

Fostering Innovation

Design Thinking encourages out-of-the-box thinking and experimentation. Awareness of this methodology can drive innovation by enabling individuals and organizations to develop creative solutions to complex problems.

Enhancing User Experience

By prioritizing empathy and user needs, Design Thinking leads to solutions that are more aligned with what users actually want and need. This results in products and services that provide better user experiences and satisfaction.

Encouraging Collaboration

Design Thinking promotes interdisciplinary teamwork. Awareness of its collaborative nature can break down silos within organizations, leading to more cohesive and effective problem-solving processes.

Driving Business Success

Design Thinking can help businesses create products and services that stand out. It aligns innovation with customer needs, increasing customer loyalty and business growth.

Empowering Individuals

Awareness of Design Thinking empowers individuals to tackle problems creatively and effectively in their personal and professional lives. It equips them with a mindset and tools to approach challenges methodically and innovatively.

Design Thinking Awareness Sample Questions

To help you understand the questions asked in the design entrance exams, we have provided a few sample questions curated from the previous year's question paper for NID.

Enhance your NID Exam Preparation by understanding the concepts below. 

Question 1: Design Thinking is:

(a) Thinking about Design

(b) Designing ways in which people think

(c) Asking users to solve problems

(d) Defining, framing, and solving problems from users’ perspectives

Answer: (d) 

Check: Best Design Schools In India

Question 2: What are the steps of the design thinking process?

(a) Understand > Draw > Ideate > Create > Test

(b) Empathise > Define > Ideate > Prototype > Test

(c) Empathise > Design > Implement > Produce > Test

(d) Understand > Define > Ideate > Produce > Try

Answer: (b) 

Question 3: Design Thinking is a Linear Process. True or False?

(a) True

(b) False

Answer: (b) 

Question 4: A college is redesigning its website. Current students are the main users of the website. Which one of the elements below should definitely be on the website?

(a) College rules and regulations

(b) Information on faculty members

(c) Information about courses

(d) Alumni details

Answer: (c) 

Check: NID Syllabus

Question 5: Aravind Eye Care System (AECS), an Indian eye care provider for millions of low-income people, has long used design thinking in its approach. Which of the following statements are examples of design thinking at AECS?

(a) AECS provides buses from remote locations to the AEC centre to provide transportation to its users, the poor people, as they can't afford these

(b) AECS has developed a manufacturing facility that enables providing lenses at a fraction of the cost of the market price

(c) AECS has been using telemedicine trucks to enable expert advice from doctors at hospitals

(d) All of the above

Answer: (d) 

Check: NID Online Coaching

Question 6: Which of the below firms is associated the most with Design Thinking?

(a) Ikea

(b) Ideo

(c) Idea

(d) Ikei

Answer: (b) 

Question 7: Design Thinking typically helps in _______

(a) Innovation

(b) Data Analytics

(c) Financial Planning

(d) Operational Efficiency

Answer: (a) 

Question 8: One needs to have professional training in design to become a design thinker True or False?

(a) True

(b) False

Answer: (b) 

Check: NID Interview Questions With Answers

Question 9: Which of the following well-known consulting firms offer Design Thinking as a solution?

(a) Mckinsey and Co

(b) BCG

(c) Bain and Co

(d) All of the above

Answer: (d)

Question 10: Which of the below is incorrect?

(a) PepsiCo has turned Design Thinking into its strategy

(b) GE Healthcare has built an MR scanner for children using Design Thinking

(c) Airbnb avoided bankruptcy and turned profitable using Design Thinking

(d) Google has a 3 step process to bring about new innovations

(e) All of the above are correct

Answer: (e) 

Check: NID Sample Papers

Question 11: What is the first step in the Designing Thinking Process?

(a) Empathise

(b) Define

(c) Ideate

(d) Prototype

Answer: (a) 

Question 12: After you empathise, the next step is to ……

(a) Prototype

(b) Define

(c) Test

(d) Ideate

Answer: (b)

Check: NID GAT Important Questions

Question 13: After you define the problem, the next step is to…

(a) Test

(b) Prototype

(c) Ideate

(d) Empathise

Answer: (c) 

Question 14: After you Ideate, the next step is to…

(a) Test

(b) Prototype

(c) Define

(d) Empathise

Answer: (b) 

Check: NID CAT Important Questions

Question 15: After Prototype, the next is to…

(a) Test

(b) Define

(c) Ideate

(d) Empathise

Answer: (a) 

Question 16: You would interview people to gain an understanding of how they feel during the … Stage of Design thinking

(a) Prototype

(b) Define

(c) Ideate

(d) Empathise

Answer: (d)

Download Sample Design Thinking Awareness Questions PDF

Check the questions below.

Check: NID Mock Test Series

Key Takeaways

• By cultivating design thinking awareness, you can unlock your creativity, approach problems with fresh perspectives, and ultimately positively impact the world around you.
• Design thinking melds cognition with innovation. As we've explored its facets and relevance in entrance exams, it's clear that this approach is a cornerstone for aspiring designers.
• Embrace its principles; you'll be well-equipped for academic and professional challenges.

Check: Design as a Career