Studio Matrx Monthly · Volume 1 · Issue 2 · July 2026
Amogh N P
✦ In loving memory of Amogh N P — Architect · Designer · Visionary ✦
A foam-board scale model of a room interior beside a material and mood board with fabric, timber and paint samples on a studio desk, sketches and a marker alongside — interior prototypes built to learn, no people, no legible text.
Unit IIIDesign Thinking

Techniques by Stage

The working methods of each mode — from user interviews to testing.

≈ 45 min + studio taskByAmogh N P· Architect & interior designer

Each mode has its own toolkit. Empathize is research, not guessing; Define turns it into a point-of-view and “How Might We” questions; Ideate generates widely under rules; Prototype builds to learn — low-fidelity first; and Test puts the prototype in front of real users. Learn the techniques that make each mode actually work.

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to — mapped to the course outcomes for Design Thinking:

1
CO4 · Apply

Use interviews and observation to empathise — research rather than assume.

2
CO4 · Apply

Write a point-of-view statement and How-Might-We questions.

3
CO4 · Apply

Run divergent ideation under brainstorming rules.

4
CO4 · Apply

Choose an appropriate interior prototype and test it with users.

Research → framed problem

Empathize & Define

Ask the right questions and observe; then synthesise into a point-of-view statement and open it with How-Might-We questions.[1]

Empathise: research, don't guess what people SAY (interviews) says does · thinks · feels (observation reveals this) Ask open, 'why' questions;use the 5 Whys.Then WATCH what people do —the worn path, the clutter,the workaround. People cannot always articulate their needs — behaviour shows what words miss.
DiagramEmpathise by observing behaviour, not only asking — much of what users need is unspoken

Research, not guessing

Ask open, 'why'-driven questions and use the '5 Whys' to reach real motivations; avoid leading questions. Interview people in context and ask for STORIES and specifics ('tell me about the last time…'), not opinions or hypotheticals. Crucial correction: Empathize does NOT mean guessing what users want — it means researching and observing them, and setting your own assumptions aside.[1, 2]

From POV to 'How Might We' [user] needs [need] because [surprising insight] A family of six needs a room that flexes between dining, study and a festival gathering, because the fixed layout forces daily conflict. How might we let the dining table disappear when it is not in use? HMW is optimistic and open — neither a smuggled-in solution nor too broad. (Basadur; popularised by IDEO.)
DiagramA point-of-view statement — user needs need because insight — opens into How Might We questions
Generate → build to learn → test

Ideate, Prototype & Test

Brainstorm under rules, prototype at the right fidelity (for interiors: sketches, boards, models, mock-ups, 3D), and test with real users.[1, 4]

Prototype to learn — low-fidelity first low-fi (cheap, fast) high-fi (detailed) sketch mood board scale model 1:1 mock-up 3D walkthrough A prototype is a question made tangible. Each should state what it is built to LEARN.
DiagramInterior prototypes from low to high fidelity — sketch, mood board, scale model, 1 to 1 mock-up, 3D walkthrough

Rules make it work

Divergent generation aims for VOLUME — quantity breeds quality. Run it under Osborn's rules: defer judgment, go for quantity, welcome wild ideas, build on others ('yes-and'); plus stay on topic, one conversation at a time, be visual. Deferring judgment is the key — evaluating too early kills the ideas that lead to breakthroughs. Then converge (dot-voting, bundling) to 2-3 concepts.[1, 4]

Capture test feedback in a grid I like… what worked I wish… what to change What if… new ideas Questions? what is unclear Observe behaviour, not just verbal approval — then iterate on what you heard.
DiagramThe feedback-capture grid — I like, I wish, what if, and questions
Myth vs reality

At a glance

AspectOne sideThe other
EmpathizeMyth: guess what users wantReality: research and observe them
FidelityLow-fi: cheap, fast, invites honestyHigh-fi: detailed, for validated concepts
IdeationDefer judgment, go for quantityThen converge to 2-3 concepts
Prototype purposeMyth: a mini-final productReality: a question built to learn from
TestingMyth: ask if they like itReality: observe behaviour + capture structured feedback
Vocabulary

Key terms

5 Whys

Asking 'why' repeatedly to reach the root motivation behind a need.

Point-of-view (POV)

[user] needs [need] because [insight] — the framed problem.

How Might We (HMW)

An open, optimistic design prompt from the POV (Basadur; popularised by IDEO).

Build to learn

A prototype is a question made tangible — its purpose is learning, not polish.

Low- vs high-fidelity

Rough/quick to test big questions vs detailed to test specifics.

Feedback grid

Likes / criticisms / questions / ideas — a structured way to capture test feedback.

Apply it

Studio task

Interview one person about how they use a room, then write a point-of-view statement ([user] needs [need] because [insight]) and three How-Might-We questions. Sketch two quick low-fidelity prototypes for one HMW, and note what each is built to learn.

Check your understanding

Self-assessment

1. In the Empathize mode you should mainly —

2. A point-of-view statement follows the template —

3. Early prototypes should usually be —

In a nutshell

Recap

Empathize is research, not guessing — ask open questions, observe behaviour, immerse in context.
Define writes a POV ([user] needs [need] because [insight]) and opens it with How-Might-We questions.
Ideate generates widely under brainstorming rules (defer judgment, quantity), then converges to a few concepts.
Prototype builds to learn — low-fidelity first; for interiors: sketches, boards, models, mock-ups, 3D walkthroughs.
Test with real users, observe behaviour, capture structured feedback (I like / I wish / what if), and iterate.
The evidence

References & further reading

  1. [1]Stanford d.school, Bootcamp Bootleg (method cards for empathy, define, ideate, prototype, test).
  2. [2]Eli Woolery, Design Thinking Handbook, InVision (interviews, prototyping, testing).
  3. [3]Jeanne Liedtka, Andrew King & Kevin Bennett, Solving Problems with Design Thinking, Columbia, 2013.
  4. [4]Alex F. Osborn, Applied Imagination, Scribner's, 1953 (brainstorming rules).

Further reading

  • Stanford d.school — Bootcamp Bootleg.
  • Eli Woolery — Design Thinking Handbook.
  • Liedtka, King & Bennett — Solving Problems with Design Thinking.

Sources gathered and fact-checked June 2026. Published values vary by source, sample and method — treat as indicative and confirm against the cited standard before structural use.

A

The author

Amogh N P

Architect, interior designer, and creative polymath. Studio Matrx began in his notebooks — his vision of design made honest, useful, and open to everyone. Its Academy is written and taught in his memory, and free, forever.

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