# Index:
1. What is Design Thinking
2. The Design Thinking process
3. What is a Design Thinking Workshop
4. The benefits of a Design Thinking workshop
5. Our workshops
6. Conclusion
\
# What is Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is an iterative process in which you try to better understand your users and/or customers, question your assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions. Following this process, it enables you to convert these solutions into working prototypes and test them with real users. The overall purpose of this is to identify and validate alternative strategies and solutions. Applying the Design Thinking method helps companies to quickly collect a lot of data, providing insight, which ultimately leads to saving time and costs.
\
Design thinking is more than just a process; it opens up a whole new way of thinking and it offers a collection of practical methods to help you apply this new way of thinking.
\
![Design thinking1.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-image-bucket/Design_thinking1_ef1fbb7283/Design_thinking1_ef1fbb7283.png)
\
The Design Thinking Process
Design Thinking is an iterative and not a linear process consisting of five phases:
1. **Empathize** - Creating Empathy for the End User
2. **Define** - Define the problem
3. **Devising** Solutions - Generating Ideas
4. **Prototype** - Create a prototype
5. **Test** - Test and optimize
\
![designthinking2.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-image-bucket/designthinking2_9e5db25a4e/designthinking2_9e5db25a4e.png)
\
Applying these five phases are essential to the Design Thinking process. These phases are the 3rd step in our **[app development process](https://www.octopusit.nl/en/app-development)** and area  crucial part of prototyping.

\
# What is a Design Thinking workshop?
A Design Thinking workshop is an activity-based session built around the Design Thinking process. Usually these workshops are conducted in person, but we also offer an online workshop that can be performed digitally.
\
Our workshops range from 4 hours, a day or even 4 days. That depends on the context and purpose of the project. These workshops are set up based on the 5 phases of the Design Thinking process mentioned above.
\
Design Thinking workshops are all about collaboration and problem solving. It enables us as a product team to create feasible and user-oriented solutions for your idea together with you. It gives a clear insight into the problems we are trying to solve and allows us to set the right goals.
\
![Mask Group.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-image-bucket/Mask_Group_70db38405c/Mask_Group_70db38405c.png)
\
# The benefits of a Design Thinking workshop are:
- Create innovative solutions that better meet your customers' needs and deliver a competitive advantage
- Develops a culture of innovation that creates empathy for the end user
- Ensures involvement, collaboration and co-creation
- Reduce risks
- Saves costs
- Enables you to set clear goals and provides action points
\
# Octopus IT’s workshops
Depending on the complexity of the project, we offer different Design Thinking Workshops to collect all this data in the best possible way. This is how we offer:\\

**Online workshop** (4 hours) \
Digital workshop in which we empathize with the idea and set goals.\\
**Idea Validation** (8 hours) \
A full day physical workshop where we validate assumptions, set goals and generate ideas.\\
**Design sprint** (4 days)\
A workshop from problem to a working prototype that can be tested with users.\\

# Conclusion
Conducting a Design Thinking workshop ensures that as a customer, you are involved in the entire product development process. It creates innovative co-creation which results in finding problems, understanding user needs, generating ideas and experimenting with them.
\
In short, it ensures perfect collaboration and that is why the Design Thinking process has become an integral part of Octopus IT’s work process.




large_Design thinking.png

medium_Design thinking.png

small_Design thinking.png

thumbnail_Design thinking.png

Design thinking.png

Design thinking is becoming an increasingly popular trend within the IT industry. It enables product teams to create feasible and user-oriented solutions to your idea or problem. Design thinking is an extremely effective way to design better products faster, reduce costs and increase profits. It enables everyone involved in the process to look at a problem in a creative way and to make improvements.

Design Thinking workshops

The reason why we do this is simple: A project often becomes cluttered and quickly runs out due to the amount of functionalities that are put into it. Are all these functionalities really necessary for a first phase and how do we keep the project manageable? The MoSCoW method is the most transparent way for us to gain structure and overview. 

\
# Index
1. [What is the MoSCoW method?](#moscow-what)
2. [The benefits of a MoSCoW list](#moscow-benefits)
3. [Conclusion](#moscow-conclusion)

\
# What is the MoSCoW method?
At its core, the MoSCoW method is nothing more than a prioritization method that can be applied to any project and provides a prioritized to-do list that is achievable, also known as a MoSCoW list.

The purpose of the process is to divide tasks into four categories; Must-haves, Should-haves, Could-haves and Won't-haves. As you will probably understand, Must has the highest priority and Won't the lowest. Now you probably also see where the capital letters in MoSCoW come from.

![Group 4714.png](https://storage.googleapis.com/strapi-image-bucket/Group_4714_9cf457b76b/Group_4714_9cf457b76b.png)
\
# The benefits of a MoSCoW list
One of the main advantages of a MoSCoW list is that important decisions must be made before a project that determines the direction that such a project will take. It will be determined together with the customer which functionalities are absolutely fundamental for the product (Must), which are of less importance (Should), and which are simply nice-to-haves (could), but also which offer absolutely no added value for the product. product (won't).
\
This whole process allows us to divide the project into three phases.\
**Phase 1** - An [MVP](https://agilescrumgroup.nl/minimum-viable-product/) to test the product.\
**Phase 2** - Make improvements and add new functionalities (Should haves).\
**Phase 3** - Again making improvements and adding new functionalities (Could haves).\
\
The advantage of dividing a project into these steps means that we can very quickly create a first version and test it with real users, which in turn allows us to generate feedback and make improvements where necessary, which in turn enables us to make better products.
\
In addition, there are many more advantages. Here are a few advantages:
\
- It gives a clear direction of the project
- It helps to estimate the value of a task or functionality
- It helps to divide the project and make it manageable
- It helps to prioritize tasks
- It increases productivity
- It avoids vague approaches to a project that leave tasks unclear
- It ensures involvement within the team
\
# Conclusion
In summary, the MoSCoW method helps us as a product team as well as the customer to make the right choices easily and efficiently and to set clear priorities. It gives a clear direction to the project and activates productivity. However, this method is not perfect. It requires a lot of attention and the right people to make the right choices. Nevertheless, the MoSCoW method is a powerful approach and we do not tackle a project without applying the method.



large_Group 4655.png

medium_Group 4655.png

small_Group 4655.png

thumbnail_Group 4655.png

Group 4655.png

We work on a wide variety of digital products and we often tailor our approach to the type of product we need to develop. That said, there are a number of steps in our app development process that we always apply. A part that we never skip in this process is a MoSCoW list, also called the MoSCoW Method.


A MoSCoW list, what is it and what is it good for?

# What is a prototype?
Prototyping is a process in which development teams come up with ideas, experiment with them, and bring concepts to life. At its core, a prototype is an early example of a product that allows you to test an idea with real users before developing a final product.
\
An important feature of prototyping is that prototypes are created without applying a single line of code, also known as, “No-code”. It enables developers to link designs together with different transitions, creating an interactive clickable environment without the need for a developer. This helps to save costs by allowing early testing with stakeholders and users to make improvements, without requiring a huge investment in building the product — a key element in cost saving.
\
Prototypes can be used in different stages of product development. Prototypes are a necessary tool to validate ideas, whether in the early stages of the design or halfway completed the project. By testing prototypes, you can determine the practicality and processes involved before moving on to the development phase.
\
\
# Types of prototypes
There are different types of prototypes that you can use:
1. **Low-fidelity prototyping:** A cost-effective and agile variant that allows you to quickly make a blueprint of your idea or product. This is also known as wireframing. It is essentially a line drawing that can be made digitally or on paper, giving you a quick overview of the product to map out the structure, flow and design, and technical solutions.
2. **High-fidelity prototyping:** This method involves a realistic representation and a product that functions like the product that will be eventually launched. It is an interactive product that would be like the real product, while no code is involved. It allows you to test the product with real users to collect user feedback. In addition, this variant is also good for demonstrating the final product to potential investors or interested parties.
\
# Why is prototyping important?
One of the most essential aspects of prototyping is that, when done right, it creates a lot of empathy for the end user. This enables you to think from the user's point of view and their needs, enabling you to make better choices. In that respect, you could compare it to an architect who has to design a house for the people who would have to eventually live in it.
\
As an architect, you are required to take into account the needs of your end user. Questions such as:
- What style do they prefer?
- Should there be multiple rooms? 
- Should it be a well-illuminated house?
- How big should it be? and most importantly, 
- What is the budget available?
\
This process ensures that an architect can look much more objectively at the ultimate goal of the product. This process is very similar to when a developer goes through the prototyping process.
\
Further, this process ensures the involvement of the entire team working on the product. It gives a clear picture of what the product should ultimately do and what it takes to realize the end product. Empathy plays a key role in ensuring that the end product not only looks exceptional on the outside but also ensures that it is functional on the inside.
\
Some of the main advantages of prototypes are:
- It provides a solid foundation from which improvements can be made early in the process.
- You can test the prototype with your users so that they can gain immediate feedback.
- It creates empathy for the end-user.
- Since no code is applied, costs are saved since nothing has actually been built yet.
- Enables the development team to connect with stakeholders and users so that everyone is involved in the process.
- It gives an obvious picture of the end product.
- It takes away a lot of risks.
\
We can safely assume that making a prototype benefits everyone involved as highlighted by the positives in this article. This mainly applies to the development team, as well as to the customer and the end-user. Making a prototype makes the product process understandable, insightful, and engaging.


large_prototyping.png

medium_prototyping.png

small_prototyping.png

thumbnail_prototyping.png

prototyping.png

Many questions arise when developing an idea.  Will potential customers enjoy the product? Does it fill a specific need as we think it would? Is it user-friendly? And so on.

In short, many uncertainties that you want answers to and ideas that you want to validate are answered with prototypes.


V-ZUG

Getting control over repair processes.

JDT

Get a grip on all your tasks, anytime anywhere.

Iedema forms

Collect all job data with an easy to use intake app.

DESIGN AND SOFTWARE AGENCY

Octopus helps companies to reduce costs and grow their business with software.

WHAT WE DO

We solve tomorrow's problems today.

Our customers

More then development

Software partner.

Strategy

Design

Technology

Support

Selected projects

Some of our favourite App development projects.

“We aim to make software work in a way that saves time and costs“

Joeri Scheerhoorn

From the blog

Design Thinking workshops

A MoSCoW list, what is it and what is it good for?

What are prototypes and what are the benefits?

From idea to software in two weeks.

Joeri Scheerhoorn

Let’s chat about the possibilities

Thank you for reaching out!

Joeri Scheerhoorn

How would you like to be contacted?

(multiple options possible)

By mail

By phone

By pigeon

We create software that works.

About us

App development

Terms and Conditions