Design thinking and traditional engineering design are different in some important ways. These differences can change how we solve problems. Let’s break them down in a simple way.

1. Understanding People:

   • Design thinking really cares about the user. It’s like stepping into their shoes to see what they need and what problems they have. On the other hand, traditional engineering often starts with technical details instead of thinking about the people who will use the product.

2. Creating and Testing:

   • In design thinking, you make a model early on and keep building on it. This means creating, testing, and improving your ideas based on what users say. In contrast, traditional engineering usually plans everything in detail before making any models, which can take more time.

3. Working Together:

   • Design thinking loves teamwork. When people from different fields come together, everyone’s ideas are important, and this sparks creativity. Traditional engineering can sometimes be more separate, where specialists work alone and then come together later to combine their work.

4. Being Flexible:

   • Design thinking is open to changes during the process. If you find something new, you can switch directions easily. Traditional engineering, however, often sticks to strict rules, which can limit creativity when surprises come up.

In short, design thinking focuses on people and flexibility, while traditional engineering pays more attention to structure and exactness.