Innovation doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of deliberate, strategic thinking. In a recent CSUF Startup Incubator workshop, Jarazet Altamirano, a seasoned Digital Marketer and Innovation Strategist, led an engaging session that broke down design thinking into practical steps that anyone can apply to unlock creativity and solve complex problems.
Whether you’re launching a startup, leading a business, or looking to improve your decision-making, this workshop delivered powerful insights to help you think outside the box. Let’s explore the core concepts of design thinking and how they can empower you to innovate effectively.
What is Design Thinking?
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that encourages creativity, experimentation, and empathy. It’s widely used by companies like Apple, Google, and IDEO to develop breakthrough products and services. But design thinking isn’t just for tech giants—it’s a powerful tool for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and professionals in any industry.
Jarazet outlined the five key steps of design thinking:
- Empathize – Understand the user’s needs and challenges.
- Define – Clearly articulate the problem you’re solving.
- Ideate – Brainstorm and explore creative solutions.
- Prototype – Build simple models to test your ideas.
- Test – Gather feedback to refine and improve your solution.
These steps empower innovators to focus on the people they are designing for, resulting in solutions that are not only effective but meaningful.
Step 1: Empathize – The Heart of Innovation
“If you want to solve the right problem, you need to understand the people facing it,” Jarazet emphasized. Empathy is about stepping into your customer’s shoes to uncover their frustrations, desires, and pain points.
For example, a team developing a fitness app may think the biggest challenge is designing a sleek interface. But through empathy interviews, they may discover that users struggle to stay motivated long-term. This discovery would shift the focus from aesthetics to creating a motivational system that drives consistent exercise habits.
Pro Tip: Conduct customer interviews, observe behavior, and engage with your audience to gain meaningful insights before moving forward.
Step 2: Define – Pinpoint the Real Problem
Once you’ve gained insights through empathy, the next step is to define the core problem. Jarazet encouraged attendees to create problem statements that focus on the user’s true challenge rather than symptoms.
For instance:
“Busy professionals struggle to find time for healthy meal preparation, resulting in poor eating habits.”
By defining the problem clearly, you can ensure your solution addresses what matters most.
Pro Tip: Use the “How Might We…” format to frame your challenge:
“How might we help busy professionals eat healthier without sacrificing convenience?”
Step 3: Ideate – Unleash Your Creativity
This is where the magic happens! Ideation is about generating as many ideas as possible—without judgment.
“Think wild ideas, crazy concepts, even impossible solutions—sometimes those become the best ideas,” Jarazet encouraged.
For example, a team brainstorming customer loyalty solutions might suggest:
- A points-based reward system
- Surprise thank-you notes with discount codes
- A personalized “loyalty playlist” that matches the customer’s favorite music
The key is to go wide before narrowing your focus to the most promising ideas.
Pro Tip: Host brainstorming sessions where everyone is encouraged to think big before refining ideas.
Step 4: Prototype – Build Fast, Fail Fast, Learn Fast
“Prototyping is about creating something tangible that you can test,” Jarazet explained. These prototypes don’t need to be polished—they just need to demonstrate the core concept.
For example, a clothing company testing a subscription model might create:
- A basic website mockup
- A sample welcome box with curated items
- A brief customer journey simulation
By quickly prototyping, businesses can gather valuable feedback without investing heavily in development.
Pro Tip: Start with simple prototypes like sketches, role-playing, or clickable wireframes to gather insights quickly.
Step 5: Test – Improve Through Feedback
Testing is where your ideas meet reality. Jarazet emphasized the importance of actively seeking criticism rather than just praise.
“Don’t ask people if they like it,” she advised. “Ask what they would change or what doesn’t work.”
For instance, a coffee shop developing a mobile ordering app could test:
- How intuitive the interface is
- Whether wait times improved
- If loyal customers felt valued through the experience
Feedback gathered at this stage is invaluable for refining your solution before launch.
Pro Tip: Treat testing as an opportunity to iterate and improve—not to prove you’re right.
Why Design Thinking Matters for Entrepreneurs
For entrepreneurs, design thinking can be a game-changer. By placing customers at the center of the process, businesses can:
✅ Uncover unmet customer needs
✅ Develop innovative products and services
✅ Reduce costly mistakes by testing ideas early
✅ Build stronger customer relationships by understanding their pain points
Jarazet shared examples of startups that pivoted their entire business models after discovering surprising insights during the design thinking process. One startup shifted from selling workout gear to creating an accountability platform after learning that customer motivation—not equipment—was the biggest hurdle to fitness success.
Final Takeaway: Innovation Starts with Empathy
Jarazet’s workshop was a powerful reminder that true innovation starts with understanding people. Whether you’re building a startup, improving your current business, or just looking to solve problems creatively, design thinking is a framework that can transform your approach.
If you missed this inspiring workshop, keep an eye out for future CSUF Startup Incubator events designed to help entrepreneurs thrive.
For more updates on workshops, events, and resources, be sure to sign up for the CSUF Entrepreneurship Newsletter.
Unlock your creativity. Solve real problems. Drive meaningful change.