Design Thinking: A Fresh Way to Spark Innovation and Fuel Your Career

Execution is still important—but it’s no longer the whole story. More and more, organizations are looking for employees who can solve problems creatively, adapt quickly, and bring ideas to life.

• 74% of employees say they’re not reaching their full potential due to a lack of development opportunities.¹ 

• 58% believe they’ll need new skills to stay effective in their roles.² 

• And 46% worry their current skill set could become outdated within just five years.³

Those are big numbers—and they show that employees aren’t just thinking about the present. They’re thinking about staying relevant in the future.

To support that, many companies are putting serious energy into upskilling efforts. According to LinkedIn, organizations that prioritize employee development see a 30% higher employee engagement rate.⁴ That kind of investment can create stronger, more capable teams—and open doors for individuals ready to grow.

Let’s be honest: coming up with a great idea at work is one thing. Turning it into something real? That’s where things usually fall apart.

Traditional processes tend to focus on speed and execution—which can leave little room for exploration, iteration, or testing. Design Thinking changes that by offering a flexible, yet structured path to innovation.

Here’s the framework in a nutshell:

1. Empathize with users
2. Define the right problem
3. Ideate potential solutions
4. Prototype quickly and cost-effectively
5. Test and refine based on feedback

Design Thinking isn’t just about solving problems—it’s a way to build essential skills that help you grow as a professional.

Here’s how:

• It sharpens critical thinking by encouraging you to dig into root causes, not just surface-level issues.

• It normalizes experimentation, so you can test ideas in low-risk ways and learn through iteration.

• It boosts adaptability—a top leadership quality, according to Harvard Business School, with 71% of global executives calling it the most important trait.⁵

• It adds business value. McKinsey also found that design-forward companies outperform competitors by 32% in revenue growth.⁶

Think of some of today’s biggest brands—they didn’t just invent cool ideas; they brought them to life by thinking differently:

• Airbnb changed the lodging game by making stays more personal and flexible.

• Netflix left the DVD queue behind and led the charge into streaming and on-demand content.

• Uber made rides trackable, reviewable, and available with a tap.

• Apple created a seamless product ecosystem that just works.

• Spotify nailed music discovery and made personalization the standard.

These aren’t just stories of creativity—they’re examples of innovation in action. And that’s exactly the kind of thinking Design Thinking supports.

Innovation isn’t just for leadership or product teams anymore—it’s for anyone looking to make an impact.

When you bring a Design Thinking mindset to your work, you can:

• Break down complex problems

• Offer up ideas that create real value 

• Strengthen your creativity, collaboration, and adaptability

• Take a more strategic role in your organization

• Expand your opportunities for growth

Whether you’re just starting to explore innovation or ready to take your skills further, Design Thinking gives you a toolkit to think bigger—and a process to back it up. 

If you’re curious about how structured innovation training could help fuel your personal and professional growth, check out the Graduate Certificate Program in Innovation Flyer to see how DeVryWorks is helping employees across industries upskill, reskill, and take on what’s next.