Evaluation Essay on McDonalds Corporation: Aspects of Design Thinking

Introduction

Design thinking refers to a new strategy which organizations make use of in solving complex issues, finding desirable solutions for the consumers and its stakeholders. Therefore, design thinking involves a method used for discovering new opportunities as well as addressing issues. Design thinking is usually an approach which is drawn on the systemic reasoning, intuition, imagination, and logic. Design thinking concentrates on developing ideas through exploring of questions leading to the creation of outcome which is beneficial to the customer. This paper will discuss how McDonalds Corporation applied the five major elements that constitute design thinking and analyze their significance in innovation. Additionally, the paper will provide recommendations which can be used by McDonald's in enhancing innovation and design thinking.

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McDonald's usually understand the significance of what makes up innovation and how relevant it is to measure its success. The focal point of a business measure typically the current and the past innovation performance, potential of future innovation and the effective innovation capacity in realizing of the entire growth and innovative possibilities of the company. Design thinking involves a process that is iterative in which companies seek to understand the challenge assumptions as well as redefining issues with the aim of identifying the available alternative solutions and strategies which may not be immediately apparent with the first level of understanding. Furthermore, design thinking offers an approach that is solution-based in solving of issues affecting the organization. At McDonalds Corporation, design thinking strategy revolves typically around the broad interest of developing the understanding of the individuals that the company is designing the services and products.

Design thinking approach helps McDonald's in observing and developing empathy with its target customers. This is possible through questioning of the issues that arise, the implications and the assumptions surrounding the problem affecting the company. Design thinking is therefore much useful to McDonald's as it helps the organization in tackling of the issues which are unknown or ill-defined, through the reframing of the problem in the ways that are human-centric leading to the creation of several brainstorming ideas.

McDonald's apply the five major elements that constitute design thinking through the following ways; developing options, defining the problem, determining direction, execution and choosing the best solution.

Defining of the issues affecting the organization is mainly the effort of the team having an adequate amount of member participation. McDonald's identify the problems that affect its operations by taking cross-functional thinking when attempting to locate the causes of the problem. The preconceived judgment requires being abandoned when determining the correct question is being addressed, and at the end, there is a creative solution which is being attained.

The step that follows after defining of the issue is developing of options. The process of design thinking needs the establishment of various solutions to the problem to be considered. To attain this, different aspects and the team is critical to developing many solutions.

The third stage of design thinking entails determining direction. Determining of direction needs having solutions which have been thoroughly sustained and creation of an environment that is within the organization whereby every solution may grow (Brenner & Uebernickel, 2016). Choosing of the test solution is the next step of design thinking. This step involves selecting the best solution which can fit the organization which is reached after sufficient testing s done. The last stage of design thinking is the execution which consists of implementing the best solution selected.

For instance, the social issue affecting McDonald's is obesity among children as well as the company promoting unhealthy menu food choices. As a result of economic development and rising of living standards of the society in the past decade, most of the consumers have become more concerned about the food intake and their health. Many people agree that the fast foods are an unhealthy choice as it contributes to childhood obesity. Therefore, McDonald's requires continuing with its efforts to provide a healthier menu which does not contribute to illness such as childhood obesity. There is increased demand for products from fast-food businesses that are healthy due to more people becoming more concerned about healthier foods. This was the major issue affecting McDonald's business. The organization has conducted research and responded to this issue and produced healthier options on its menu. The process that led to reaching of the solution resulting to providing healthier choices in the company's menu was mainly developed after the business recognized that there existed an issue, it developed options, determined best direction and solution, and lastly it execute the best solution through offering healthier menu.

For an organization in the fast-food industry to remain relevant, it must become innovative. For McDonald's to succeed in design thinking, it requires having some features of design thinking. Features such as protect and support the customers, take risks, tolerate mistakes, share its vision and encourage tests and experimentation constitute the design thinking strategy (Hisrich & Kearney, 2014). The overall culture of McDonald's supports the process of design thinking. The perception of McDonald's varies in the different locations that it is found. This is because McDonald's focuses on understanding the food preferences in given cultures. Therefore, McDonald's has adapted its menu such that it includes refined foods that are due to a given region which allow the company to remain as a leader in the international market. The demand by consumers for healthier menu options made McDonald's to succeed in the design thinking strategy. After McDonald's completed the five major elements that are unique to design thinking, the company was in a position to produce a menu which provided healthier choices to all its customers which were healthier and excellent tasting.

By incorporating several ingredients form most of the company's favorite items on the menu, McDonald's finally realized one strategy that it would use in winning over the consumers that considered healthier menus. This way was the removal of the artificial preservatives from some of the company's products. For instance, the company does no longer use high fructose on its products. Following the changes implemented by McDonald's, the rest of the industry will follow suit.

Conclusion

There are some areas that McDonald's required to improve on to continue enjoying its international market position due to having a competitive advantage and being innovative. There are several opportunities that McDonald's must improve since people are still spending their money to consume the products of the fast-food industry. One recommendation is that McDonalds' believes need to be in line with the social acceptance, sustainability and environmental responsibility. This is because, given that people are leaving in a microwave community, there is the increased demand for products from fast-food businesses that are healthy. Therefore, McDonald's requires continuing with its efforts to provide a healthier menu which does not contribute to illness such as childhood obesity. The other recommendation is that McDonald's must develop various technological innovations. This would enable the company to increase the ease of certain operations within the company. McDonald's should continue with strategies that lead to technological innovations like the mobile app that allows for self-service from the company's healthier foods.

References

Brenner, W., & Uebernickel, F. (2016). Design Thinking for Innovation. Research and Practice.

Hisrich, R. D., & Kearney, C. (2014). Managing innovation and entrepreneurship. Sage Publications.