Page 44 - Transforming an Idea Into a Business with Design Thinking

Chapter 3

Stage 1: Understand Problem
to Grasp Desirability

The first stage is the most important stage of any endeavor. It is the crux
of your endeavor. This stage will help you have a clear vision as to WHY
your idea is important and WHO the primary beneficiary of your solu-
tion is. Answers to questions raised in this stage help in setting the vision
and rationale behind your quest. Unless you have a clear idea of who
the stakeholders are for whom you are solving a problem and what those
problems are, it is impossible to envision a solution that would benefit the
stakeholders.

By following the subsequent steps, you will develop a solid understand-
ing of why the problem is worth solving. That is, the “desirability” of solving
the problem for the user.

3.1 Step 1: Stakeholders

The first step is to have a clear understanding of the stakeholders involved
around your problem statement. Stakeholders are all the persons who would
be the direct beneficiaries of your solution or would be directly or indirectly
affected by your idea. Think about the people who have a problem that you
are solving, or those who would be paying for the solution or who will be
directly or indirectly impacted by the problem you have identified or the
solution that you would propose. All those are stakeholders for your idea.

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