Introduction

Increased adverse effects of obesity among humanity have become severe and rampant over the last years due to the lack of necessary healthcare information. Patients suffering from chronic diseases are generally vulnerable to contacting obesity and are faced with various challenges that have to be controlled or managed to achieve better health among individuals. Health specialists have been trying to design certain specific methods aimed at reducing the incidents of overweight among human beings (Kelly, 2002). However, coming up with an appropriate design method that would successfully help in obesity management requires a thorough insight into some of the essential elements to be addressed to achieve the ultimate goal of obesity management. I looked into the idea of controlling obesity among individuals and decided to design a method that would adequately handle the health situation. A combination of my personal and professional skills was the chief reason for the successful design of the technique (Kelly, 2012). The creation of the method for controlling obesity followed several steps such as problem identification, validation of the problem, problem analysis, solutions, and implementation of the answers, which proved to be necessary for the completion of the design thinking.

Steps Followed to Achieve the Results

Problem Identification

Problem identification was the first stage of the design thinking process, which was facilitated by my professional skills. I had been observing various people falling victims of excess fatness, which was perceived as ignorance or lack of general knowledge on how such health conditions can be avoided. Consequently, it was a worthy idea to design thinking that would aim at sensitizing societal members on the various ways of preventing and managing excess weight gain (Robinson, n.d.). The idea of observation was the building block of the health problem identified. Identifying the obesity problem initiated the next stage of the design thinking since; the health problem needed to be validated by carrying out some research.

Validation of the Problem

During the problem validation stage, it was necessary to apply various research methodologies and professional skills to source for the required data. Both qualitative and quantitative methods proved to be crucial in the research phase of this process. Obtaining the necessary data on obesity involved interviewing individuals from different social classes and of different ages were interviewed and found that over 80% of the total population sample interviewed had unhealthy diets and were at high risks of contracting obesity. With the information in mind, defining the problem and stating relevant approaches for its solution was easy. The ultimate goal for this stage, which was to prove the validity of the existence of the identified problem was achieved.

Problem Analysis

The next stage of the design thinking was the problem analysis phase, which involved the use of the collected data in the validation stage, to deeply dig into the health issue. Under normal circumstances, analyzing health issues requires consultation of various sources of information about the particular health problem. Through this, one can learn the major causes of the problem and in turn, derive ways on how it can be solved. Similarly, borrowing the same idea and cultivating it in the design thinking assisted with the full analysis of the issue. First, obesity was found to be caused by several factors, not only nutritional elements, but also genetical factors. The health condition was detected to be inheritable and can be passed from a parent to offspring. Besides, poor diet characterized by the consumption of excess calories and sugar, and lack of regular exercise was another analyzed cause of obesity.

Solutions to the Identified Health Problem

The fourth stage of the design involved the identification of possible solutions to the identified health problem. One of the solutions proposed by the design thinking was organizing for a regular sensitization day where the societal members were to be educated on ways of maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a strategy of preventing and managing obesity. The solution is a good move towards achieving this health condition since; most people consume junk foods out of ignorance and without knowing the side effects of these foodstuffs. On the other hand, there was a need to involve every stakeholder in the obesity management process. Through this, every individual with relevant knowledge in health management was welcomed to offer their professional support with the aim of combating the health condition among individuals.

Implementation of the Solutions

Implementation phase was the last stage and entailed a combination of communicational strategies to ensure the intended health information and practice reach as many people as possible. In the quest to achieve this, a group of professionals was formed to carry out health lessons and practices among members of the public. Some of the activities that were carried out in schools, health centers, and other public institutions within the specific locality included organizing for sports activities and nutrition education. The main aim of the sports activities was to attain the ultimate goal of maintaining regular exercise geared towards preventing and managing obesity. The health professional provided a comprehensive health education that instilled the relevant knowledge of managing all chronic diseases.

Comparing the Steps Used to the Five Steps of Creative Design

The steps used in design thinking for obesity management can be compared to the five stages of creative design. The five steps of original design include Emphasizing on the Problem, defining the problem, ideating the problem, prototyping, and testing the applicability of the solutions to the identified problem (D.school, n.d.). Apparently, Comparing my design thinking to these steps of creative design, there is a close connection between the two sets of steps.

Putting emphasize to the problem is the first stage of the creative design process. The design thinking process utilized this tool since; there was the identification of the problem that came after putting a thorough emphasize on its existence, causes, and effects. On the other hand, the problem was well defined as per the second step of the creative design. In describing the problem, relevant information was collected through researches, which is the exact procedure under the define step of the creative design. The design thinking also agreed well with the third step of creative design, which is ideation (D.school, n.d.). Evidently, this stage is an equivalent of problem analysis that was characterized by generating ideas on how the health situation can be approached. Prototyping and testing steps, which are the fourth and fifth steps of creative design respectively, also aligned with the design thinking through the suggested solutions and their implementations. Precisely, design thinking was in line with the five steps of ensuring a successful creative design.

Conclusion

Creative design is a critical aspect that is applicable in all professions and can be used to solve various problems affecting human beings. The steps for effective original design are also vital aspects to be considered by any person wishing to explore their level of creativity by creating various methods and approaches to solving specific problems. Personally, the design thinking process aligned with the five steps of creative design.

References

D.school. (n.d.). Bootcamp bootleg. Stanford University.

Robinson, K. (n.d.). Do schools kill creativity? [Video.] Available from https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity#t-931452

Kelly, D. (2002, February). David Kelly: Human-centered design. [Video.] Available from http://www.ted.com/talks/david_kelley_on_human_centered_design

Kelly, D. (2012, March). David Kelly: How to build your creative confidence. [Video.] Available from http://www.ted.com/talks/david_kelley_how_to_build_your_creative_confidence