Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) Practice Exam

Design thinking is best defined as:

1. A process focused only on analytical thinking

2. A method that prioritizes intuition over analysis

3. A creative process centered around human needs

4. A technique limited to problem-solving scenarios

The correct answer is: A creative process centered around human needs

Design thinking is best defined as a creative process centered around human needs because it emphasizes understanding the user and their experiences, emotions, and challenges. This approach encourages innovation and collaboration, ensuring that solutions are developed from the perspective of those who will ultimately use them. It involves empathizing with users, defining problems, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing, creating a cycle of feedback that refines the outcomes based on user input. The focus on human needs means that design thinking is not just about solving problems; it's about creating solutions that are desirable, feasible, and viable. The centrality of empathy in this process allows teams to tailor their ideas more effectively based on real user insights, thereby enhancing the overall impact of the solutions derived. While some of the other options touch on aspects of design thinking, they do not encapsulate its essence. The process is not solely analytical, nor does it prioritize intuition over analysis; instead, it blends both to foster creativity. Additionally, it is not limited to problem-solving; it can also be used to innovate or improve existing products and services. Thus, the definition emphasizing human needs captures the fundamental principle of design thinking.