Developing design thinking metrics as a driver of creative innovation

Abstract

The creative behaviors that underpin design thinking are difficult to measure. This is problematic because people who have a desire to practice design thinking in an organizational context are often assessed only on their ability to execute via traditional metrics. Therefore they have less incentive to work in a creative way. In order for organizations to fully support and incentivize design thinking, they must measure creative behaviors as much as they do executional behaviors. This chapter highlights a suite of initial metrics that arose from research on d.school alumni and organizations applying design thinking as a core driver of their innovation strategy.