The Design Thinking Process

Dec 5, 2024Design5 min read

Design thinking is not just for designers. Here is how marketers can use it to build better messaging, offers, and funnels—with less guesswork and more signal.

Why marketers should care

Marketing problems are rarely just channel problems. They are usually people problems: unclear needs, unclear value, unclear trust. Design thinking helps you replace assumptions with evidence.

Common use cases

Positioning: find the true job-to-be-done and the language users actually use
Landing pages: improve clarity, hierarchy, and message match
Lifecycle: map friction points and build helpful automation

The 5 stages (with a marketing lens)

Empathize: interviews, support tickets, call transcripts, on-site recordings
Define: one clear problem statement (and a success metric)
Ideate: generate angles, hooks, and offers (quantity before quality)
Prototype: draft copy, page wireframes, email sequences (fast)
Test: run experiments and learn—then iterate

Quick checklist

Start small: one journey, one audience segment, one KPI
Document learnings so you do not retest the same ideas
Ship weekly to build momentum