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Example: The team reflected on how internet access varied by region and how trust in technology was
a hurdle. They realised the importance of involving local female nurses as trusted intermediaries.

7. Iterate / Repeat as Needed
Design Thinking is not a linear process. Based on your reflection, revisit earlier stages if necessary.
Improve your prototype and test again.

Example: After reflection, the team reworked the app’s UI for low literacy users and added an offline
feature. They then retested in more villages and refined the process again.

8. Implement – Bring the Solution to Life

Once the solution is tested and refined, implement it on a larger scale. Ensure support systems are in
place for sustainability.
Example: This process led to the successful development of Sehat Kahani, a real telemedicine platform
in Pakistan, providing remote access to female doctors for thousands of underserved women.

DESIGN THINKING AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Design Thinking is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs. It’s not just about solving problems creatively—it’s
about putting the customer at the centre of every business decision. In entrepreneurship, design thinking
helps build products, services, and experiences that meet real human needs, not just market trends.
Example: A young entrepreneur wanted to tackle food waste in urban areas. By understanding
both restaurants' excess food and communities’ hunger needs, she launched a solution connecting
restaurants to NGOs using an app—built using design thinking principles.

Applying Design Thinking as an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs can use design thinking at every stage of launching and growing a business to create
solutions that truly address customer needs. The step-by-step approach that show how it can be
applied are as follows:

1. Empathise: Understand Your Customers

Engage with real customers to learn about their struggles, habits, and needs. This helps you gain deep
insights into the problems they face.
Example: Interview small shop owners in Karachi to understand why many avoid using digital payment
systems.

2. Define: Clearly Identify the Problem

Use the information gathered during empathy to create a precise problem statement that reflects your
customers' real challenges.

Example: Small retailers avoid digital payments because they fear transaction failures and don’t fully
understand how to use the technology.
3. Ideate: Brainstorm Creative Solutions

Encourage wild and diverse ideas without judgment. The goal is to generate as many solutions as
possible.

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