Design Thinking vs. Lean UX Canvas

Design Thinking
  1. Empathize: Understand the user through research and observation.

  2. Define: Synthesize research to define the core problem.

  3. Ideate: Generate a wide range of ideas and solutions.

  4. Prototype: Create low-fidelity prototypes to explore solutions.

  5. Test: Test prototypes with users to gather feedback and iterate.

Lean UX Canvas
  1. Business Problem Statement: Define the business problem you are addressing.

  2. User Segments: Identify the target user segments.

  3. Outcomes and Benefits: Specify the desired outcomes and benefits for users.

  4. Solutions: Propose potential solutions to the problem.

  5. Hypotheses: Formulate hypotheses to be tested.

  6. Assumptions: List assumptions that need validation.

  7. Experiments: Design experiments to test hypotheses.

  8. Results and Insights: Collect and analyze results to gain insights.

Key Differences
  • Focus: Design Thinking emphasizes understanding and solving user problems through empathy and creativity, while Lean UX Canvas focuses on validating business hypotheses through iterative testing and learning.

  • Process: Design Thinking follows a more linear process from empathy to testing, whereas Lean UX Canvas is cyclical, emphasizing continuous iteration and feedback.

  • Tools: Design Thinking uses tools like empathy maps, personas, and journey maps, while Lean UX Canvas uses structured templates to capture and test assumptions and hypotheses.

Key Similarities
  • User-Centric: Both methodologies prioritize the needs and experiences of the end-user.

  • Iterative: Both involve iterative processes to refine and improve solutions based on user feedback.

  • Collaboration: Both encourage cross-functional collaboration to leverage diverse perspectives.