Design thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues.

The stages of this process are suggested as:

Define | Research | Ideate | Prototype | Choose | Implement | Learn

Within these seven steps, problems can be framed, the right questions can be asked, more ideas can be created, and the best answers can be chosen. The steps aren't linear; they can occur simultaneously or be repeated.

Although design is always subject to personal taste, design thinkers share a common set of values that drive innovation: these values are mainly creativity, ambidextrous thinking, teamwork, end-user focus, curiosity.

There is considerable academic interest in understanding design thinking or design cognition, including an ongoing series of symposia on 'research in design thinking'.