Design thinking can be applied across many industries and disciplines, including HR. Design thinking is also useful for non-designers, too. Community and connection are central to the Airbnb brand, and being mission-driven means that we design for a world where social inclusion and trust is at the heart of everything we do. Published in First Round Review, this article — “How Design Thinking Transformed Airbnb from a Failing Startup to a Billion Dollar Business” —outlines how the famed start-up went from $200 a week profit to the “unicorn” it is today. Understand how the design thinking process works by looking at two case studies from Disney (Pixar) and NASA. We're lucky because design thinking has been part of Airbnb since day one, which makes things somewhat easier. Note: I do not work for, nor am I affiliated with, Airbnb. Thanks for reading! In 2009, Airbnb was close to going bust. If you liked this study, I encourage you to watch this interview. Tweet Share Post Save. Related articles: 11 great UI designs Design Thinking - Case Studies 1. Like so many startups, they had launched but barely anyone noticed. 1. Design Thinking for Business Innovation Case Study Assumption Testing: The tool: Assumption Testing How I used it: This one was also from my experience in a Co-Innovation Program for a large Banking customer. Airbnb. This case provides an insight to Design Thinking and the various techniques involved like brainstorming, body storming, prototyping, and testing to arrive at a solution to a problem. Watching Brian Chesky speak at TC Disrupt in SF. If you are an Airbnb host or just thinking to become one, please feel free to reach out to me. Airbnb is transforming travel, the hero of the collaborative economy. Airbnb’s story is very inspiring in design, tech and most importantly, social value. Airbnb was ‘Design Thinking’, a design practice which valued the user experience above everything else. I did this UX case study as I am a product designer who likes to solve problems. Really glad I read this case study first - it really puts everything in perspective. This article originally appeared in net magazine issue 287. The company’s revenue was flatlined at $200 per week. how design thinking works at airbnb David M. Kelley, the founder of the design consultancy IDEO, adapted design thinking for business purposes in the early 1990s. The other thing is to make sure you don't consider 'design thinking' as something that exclusively resides within the discipline of design. He is talking about how AirBnB puts users first and how they handled … How Design Thinking Transformed Airbnb from a Failing Startup to a Billion Dollar Business.