Design Thinking as an enabler of change in the technological market. A practical case study of company’s innovation and differentiation

Design Thinking is among the most debated topics of the last 20 years. Although in the early years, its importance was relegated to the boundaries of the Design discipline, it has subsequently become an integral part of the management world debate as well. This is because different studies demonstrated how using Design Thinking in companies can generate a competitive advantage, produce customer orientation, support better decision-making, and thus contribute to innovation in organisations and to their transformation. Several scholars have also discussed how adopting Design Thinking in a company can facilitate the achievement of radical business innovations. This study shows a practical case of a leading international electrotechnical company that decided to approach Design Thinking to differentiate itself. They had realised that their technological innovations were taking a long time to find their place in the market. The article will show and discuss the different steps of the intensive (theoretical and practical) Design Thinking course and the results achieved (and declared) by the company thanks to the change of mindset undertaken to update and differentiate its offer.