Design

Thinking

An example-led workshop
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Design a
Better
Bicycle
Is there a way to improve on the existing design for some new user?
Can we design a new bicycle for a user not well served by existing designs?
Evolution of Bicycles
Bicycles have been refined over generations towards a standard style with variations
Common Types of Bicycles
These standard designs have been largely unchanged since the 70’s and are suitable for most people

City/Hybrid Road

Mountain
Using Design Thinking

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The 5-Step Process
The basic approach in design thinking
Learn about users
through testing

Test feedback
generates new ideas

Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test

• Develop a deep • Identify the • Generate ideas • Create a • Test the key
understanding of problem, define on how to solve tangible, testable elements in
the target the boundaries the defined version of the users’’ hands to
personae and frame the problem using idea that can be figure out the
through core issues at different taken back to nuances
observation, stake ideation users
engagement and techniques
listening.

Tests reveal insights Use prototyping to

that redefine the refine ideas
problem
1. Empathise

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Empathise
Walk in your persona’s shoes and understand what needs are unmet and need innovation?

• Identify personas
that you want to
target
• Empathise with
their needs and
wants of your
target customer
personas
• Identify friction
points with current
offerings for that
customer persona
Target Personas
Who are you innovating for? Who the people who use or may want to use a bicycle and what are their needs?
Target Personas Today
These are the target personas we will innovate for

Raju
• Raju is a doodhwala who needs to carry a large number of
milk jars for delivery to customers

Seema
• Seema is a frequent traveler who enjoys cycling in
whatever city she travels to

Kabir
• Kabir is a competitive race cyclist who wants to go as fast
as possible and gain an edge over others
2. Define

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Raju Doodhwala
Raju needs a stable The bicycle should
way to fit the milk have low purchase
cans so that cost and be easy to
spillages do not repair with simple
occur tools

Raju needs to carry

Raju needs good to
heavy loads over
move at low
bad roads, so the
speeds through
cycle needs to be
crowded streets
very sturdy
Seema the Traveller
Seema wants to be
able to carry a few Seema wants to
bags on the bicycle cycle around with
for toolkits, picnics regular clothes
or shopping

Seema wants good

Seema needs a
gear rations, so that
bicycle that can
she can cover
easily be carried on
reasonable distances
airplanes
in and around cities
Kabir the Competitive Cyclist
Kabir needs an
Kabir wants high
aggressive stance
gear ratios and
that minimizes wind
wheels that
resistance and
maximise rolling
allows maximum
momentum
freedom to his legs

Kabir needs water

Kabir needs a bicycle
and small tools to be
that is as light and
carried but without
aerodynamic as
compromising
possible
aerodynamics
3. Ideate

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Idea Generation
SCAMPER is a method of focused brainstorming

Substitute

Reverse Combine

SCAMPER
Eliminate Adapt

Put to
another Modify
Use
Substitute
• Think about substituting part
of the product or process for
something else.
• What else instead? Who else
instead? What other
materials, ingredients,
processes, power, sounds,
approaches, or forces might I
substitute? Which other
place?
Combine
• Think about combining two
or more parts of the product
or process to make
something new or to
enhance synergy.
• What mix, assortment, alloy,
or ensemble might I blend?
What ideas, purposes, units,
or appeals might I combine?
Adapt
• Think about which parts of
the product or process could
be adapted or how you
might change the nature of
the product or process.
• Does the past offer a
parallel? What else is like
this? What other idea does
this suggest? What might I
adapt for use as a solution?
What might I copy? Who
might I emulate?
Modify, Magnify, Minify
• Think about changing part or
all of the product or process,
or distorting it in an unusual
way.
• Can I change the size factor –
magnify or minify. Does that
change its usage
characteristics
• What other meaning, color,
motion, sound, smell, form,
or shape might I adopt?
What might I add?
Put to Another Use
• Think of how you might put
the product or process to
another use or how you
might reuse something from
somewhere else.
• What new ways are there to
use this? Might this be used
in other places? Which other
people might I reach? To
what other uses might this
be put if it is modified?
Eliminate
• Think of what might happen
if you eliminated parts of the
product or process and
consider what you might do
in that situation.
• What might I understate?
What might I eliminate?
What might I streamline?
What might I make smaller,
lower, shorter, or lighter?
Reverse
• Think of what you might do if
parts of the product or
process worked in reverse or
were sequenced differently.
• What might be rearranged?
What other pattern, layout,
or sequence might I adopt?
Can components be
interchanged? Should I
change pace or schedule?
Can positives and negatives
be swapped? Could roles be
reversed?
4. Prototype

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Raju Doodhwala’s Bicycle
Move at low speeds through
crowded streets

Upright stance with high

visibility and manoeuvrability at
low speeds
Needs a stable way to fit the
Needs to carry heavy loads over milk cans so that spillages do not
bad roads, so the cycle needs to occur
be very sturdy
Carrier with hooks built to hang
Reinforced fork and frame milk cans

The bicycle should have low

purchase cost and be easy to repair

Steel frame, standard tires and no

gears make it cheaper to buy and
simple to maintain
 Seema’s Bicycle
Seema wants to cycle
around with regular
clothes
Seema needs a bicycle that can
High clearance and
easily be carried on airplanes
standard pedals allows
for regular clothing
The bicycle folds into a small
profile that can easily be carroed
or packed into a suitcase

Seema wants to be able to carry Seema wants good gear rations, so

Needs
a to carry
few bags heavy
on the loads
bicycle forover that she can cover reasonable
bad roads,
toolkits, so the
picnics orcycle needs to
shopping distances in and around cities
be very sturdy
Lots of places to fit bags and Choice of gears makes it suitable
Reinforced fork and frame
toolkits even for larger distances in and
around cities
Kabir’s Bicycle
Kabir needs an aggressive stance that
minimizes wind resistance and allows
maximum freedom to his legs
Kabir needs water and small
Needstotobecarry heavy Extremely aggressive riding stance
tools carried butloads over
without
bad roads, so the cycle needs to with aero bars to rest elbows
compromising aerodynamics
be very sturdy
Toolkit and water bottle
Reinforced into
integrated fork frame
and frame
aerodynamics

Kabir wants high gear ratios

and wheels that maximise
rolling momentum

Racing wheels with extra wide

rims have significantly more
rolling momentum

Kabir needs a bicycle that is as light

and aerodynamic as possible

Carbon frames may be expensive, but

they are incredibly light and can be
shaped into highly aerodynamic
shapes
5. Test
This one’s not covered in this virtual workshop

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