Understanding Design > What Is Design?

The Design Mindset

The design mindset focuses on engaging people early and throughout the process of developing solutions. Design seeks to rapidly move from insights to action by translating learning into concepts that can be tested, adapted, and improved directly with end users. The goal is to create solutions that satisfy people’s needs and shift behaviors towards better outcomes.

Graphic of mindset built on process, built on skillset steps

In global health, design often incorporates a systems approach to problems by facilitating collaboration among stakeholders. In this way, the design mindset has much in common with the core principles of global health. Design amplifies these principles by actively engaging target audiences to uncover root causes, generate ideas, and test prototypes.