Design Thinking has its roots in the design area and was introduced by the founders of the design and innovation agency IDEO. The research work done in relation to this concept and its implementation are sponsored by SAP founder Hasso Plattner. Since 2005, Design Thinking has been a subject at the D-School at Hasso Plattner Institute of the University of Potsdam, Germany.
The method combines the creativity of cross-functional teams to generate specific solutions to overarching issues. The user-centric approach in each phase of the innovation process is a trademark for this method.