Before we commence our design thinking, here are a few useful tactics to help you move smoothly through this process and achieve the best outcome:
Sketching: Drawing out rough ideas on paper is a really good discipline to get into before you go anywhere near a computer. It doesn't matter if it is on the back of a beer mat, on a white board, or in a beautiful portfolio pad, try to sketch out your thoughts and concepts in order to download those ideas floating around in your mind. This is shown in the following screenshot:
This is especially invaluable if you are collaborating with others and the creative process is a shared experience. Doing this could save you a lot of time clarifying and formalizing your collective thoughts. It will also be a safeguard against the risk of forgetting those great initial sparks of creativity that came to mind when the project was first triggered. It will also enable you to quickly refine and change direction, if necessary, without having...