Revolutionary Design Thinking Principles for Pharma’s HCP 360: Orchestrating Innovation

Gunjan Aggarwal
3 min readJun 23, 2023

Design thinking, a timeless methodology for problem-solving, has emerged as the forefront of innovation. It presents a non-linear, iterative approach that simplifies the resolution of complex and ambiguous challenges. By placing humans at the center, it empowers designers to minimize early-stage risks and achieve groundbreaking outcomes.

Five fundamental principles underpin the practice of design thinking, neatly categorized into two stages: understanding problems and identifying opportunities for your product.

During the initial phase, your focus shifts towards your users, empathizing with their experiences, observing their struggles, and gaining profound insights. By immersing yourself in their world, you uncover the precise pain points, setting the stage for the subsequent phase.

In the second stage, you embark on a journey of exploration and materialization. With a clearly defined problem in hand, you dive into ideation. Quantity reigns supreme over quality as you unleash your creative potential, capturing every idea that springs forth. Embrace the notion that the first idea may not be the optimal solution. Persistently document all ideas, for perseverance breeds success, ultimately leading you to the finest solution.

Once an idea takes shape, the next phase entails prototyping. Craft a minimum viable product (MVP) that embodies the envisioned functionality, aesthetics, and user experience. Introduce the MVP for testing, avoiding the temptation to wait for a complete product. This invaluable step allows you to observe user adaptation, gather feedback, and identify strengths and weaknesses. The feedback received serves as the foundation for refinement, elevating your product to its utmost potential.

Such is the essence of design thinking.

Guided by these transformative principles, envision the HCP 360 product for Pharma — an all-encompassing solution.

HCP 360: Harmonizing the Entirety

What does it entail?

Delve into the current reality of information available to sales representatives regarding individual HCPs. Create a customer board to discern their unique requirements. Harness the power of data, uncovering patterns and insights, and skillfully translating them into specific design criteria.

What if?

Embrace the spirit of possibility. Collaborate with the delivery team, employing the insights and criteria garnered during data gathering. Pose a series of thought-provoking questions, thinking beyond conventional boundaries, and eschewing assumptions.

What wows?

Only concepts that pass the initial litmus test have the potential to wow. These exceptional ideas deserve validation from actual users. Transform them into tangible prototypes, allowing customers to interact firsthand.

What works?

Craft low-fidelity prototypes and engage with real users. Release the prototype for initial testing, collecting valuable feedback. Continuously incorporate the feedback to refine the prototype and subject it to further user testing. Through iterative refinement, testing costs diminish, and early success becomes attainable.

Throughout this transformative journey, remain mindful of the commercial impact.

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