Design Thinking is not just a methodology; it is a mindset that puts human needs at the center of innovation. In business and society, products and services fail when they are built for numbers instead of people. But when empathy becomes the anchor, possibilities expand. A farmer struggling to access markets or a student seeking affordable learning becomes the focal point of ideation, prototyping, and testing.
Through this lens, innovation ceases to be about abstract technology but about solving real frictions with practical elegance. That is the power of design thinking—humanity first, solution second.
Innovation thrives when design thinking is infused into the DNA of organizations. Companies that endure are those that constantly reimagine themselves, not because the market asked, but because they anticipated unmet needs. Apple designed the iPhone not as a phone but as a lifestyle device. Tesla built a car, but more critically, it redesigned the idea of mobility. These breakthroughs came because leaders refused to treat innovation as a department; they made it a culture. When design thinking converges with bold leadership, the results become market-shaping and industry-defining.
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In Africa, design thinking holds even more promise. Our challenges—energy access, financial inclusion, healthcare, education—require fresh models anchored in context. A solar company designing pay-as-you-go systems or a fintech simplifying savings for market women are clear examples.
By observing, prototyping, and iterating within the peculiarities of our markets, we can create innovations that are not copies but authentic solutions for our people. As an African proverb says, a child is nurtured according to the environment of birth. So must our innovation be nurtured with empathy, design, and context. That is how great firms emerge.
Join us today at Tekedia Mini-MBA as Aderinola Oloruntoye educates on design thinking and innovation:
Tue, Sept 23| 7pm-8pm WAT | Design Thinking and Innovation – Aderinola Oloruntoye – SAP | Zoom link in classboard.
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