Design thinkers’ profiles and design thinking solutions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how the profiles of design thinkers influence particular design-thinking solutions. It proposes to identify who (profiles), how (design-thinking methodologies) and what (outcomes as an innovation roadmap: process, product, business model, channel, brand, etc.), since the ways professional designers tackle a problem to reach an innovative solution is related to the designers’ profile. Design/methodology/approach The paper opted for an exploratory study using a focus group, composed of eight design thinkers and experts. An online survey was also sent to 123 DT leaders, with a return rate of 41 surveys, who worked on an end-to-end innovation project. The data were complemented by documentary analyses. Findings The paper provides empirical insights into the importance of selecting a diverse DT team. The team composition must be diverse because different profiles are required for different types of innovation and also for each DT phase to create value. Research limitations/implications Given the exploratory research approach being used in the paper, the research results may lack generalization to different contexts. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further, using a larger sample that includes designers from different countries and testing eventual hypotheses. Practical implications The paper includes implications to increase the success rate of business innovations, and to reduce the associated costs that continue to increase for trial and error methods. Originality/value The paper fulfills an identified need to study how the DT profile and phases, empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test, require the correct skills and leadership throughout the whole process for effective outcome implementation.