Positioning the framework

Why the 5E Design Thinking Framework?

A complementary approach to teaching, learning and innovation.

The central idea

The 5E Design Thinking Framework was not developed to replace established design thinking approaches. The Double Diamond, IDEO Human-Centred Design process, Stanford d.school model and Jeanne Liedtka’s work have made significant contributions to innovation practice, education and organisational change. The 5E Design Thinking Framework builds upon these foundations while responding to a question that emerged repeatedly through teaching, facilitation and industry engagement: How can we help people understand not only the stages of innovation, but also the relationships between them? Work with MBA students, Executive MBA participants, educators and practitioners showed that people could often identify design-thinking activities yet still struggle to understand how information, insights, decisions, evidence and actions connect throughout the innovation journey. The 5E Design Thinking Framework was developed to make those connections more visible.

Continuous learning

Innovation is more than a sequence of activities.

Most design thinking frameworks successfully explain what people do during innovation: interview stakeholders, define challenges, generate ideas, build prototypes and test solutions. These activities are essential, but innovation is rarely experienced as a neat sequence of steps. Teams continuously move between understanding, interpretation, creativity, validation and action. New evidence challenges assumptions, unexpected insights reshape the problem, feedback leads to refinement and implementation reveals new opportunities. Innovation is therefore not simply a progression from one stage to another. It is a continuous flow of learning. The 5E Design Thinking Framework helps learners and practitioners recognise these movements and understand how knowledge accumulates throughout the innovation process.

The contribution

What makes the 5E Design Thinking Framework different?

Rather than focusing solely on individual activities, the framework seeks to reveal the dynamic system that exists between them.

Relationships · Understanding how one stage influences another.
Flows · Recognising how information, evidence and insights move throughout the innovation journey.
Feedback loops · Acknowledging that innovation is iterative rather than linear.
Learning · Viewing innovation as a process of continuous discovery and refinement.
Tensions · Making visible the competing priorities that shape decision-making.
Action · Connecting ideas to implementation and measurable outcomes.

Teaching and learning

A framework developed through educational practice.

Many learners encounter design thinking through workshops, projects and classroom activities. They often become proficient in individual tools but struggle to understand why particular tools are used, how activities connect, when to revisit previous work, how evidence influences decisions and how innovation progresses from insight to implementation. The 5E Design Thinking Framework was developed to support these learning challenges. Its structure makes it easier to explain not only what happens during innovation, but why those activities matter and how they contribute to broader outcomes. For educators, it provides a practical way to connect theory and application. For students, it creates a clearer pathway through complexity.

Action-oriented language

Why the terminology evolved.

One of the most visible differences between the 5E Design Thinking Framework and many established models is the shift from Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test to Engage, Evaluate, Explore, Expand and Execute. This evolution reflects more than a change in labels. The terminology deliberately emphasises action, inquiry, learning and organisational relevance.

Engage · The actions required to build understanding: listening, observing, interacting, questioning and immersion.
Evaluate · Analysing evidence, recognising patterns, identifying tensions, challenging assumptions and deciding what matters.
Explore · Encouraging curiosity, investigation and multiple possibilities before decisions are made.
Expand · Making ideas tangible so stakeholder response, experimentation and development expand understanding.
Execute · Translating learning into implementation, evaluation, refinement and real-world value.

Design thinking traditions

A complementary perspective, not a competing methodology.

Different frameworks place emphasis on different aspects of innovation, and each provides valuable insight. The contribution of the 5E Design Thinking Framework lies in helping practitioners understand how learning moves through the system.

Double Diamond · Focuses on divergence and convergence.
IDEO Human-Centred Design · Focuses on understanding people and developing innovative solutions.
Stanford d.school · Focuses on the practical activities associated with human-centred design.
Jeanne Liedtka’s Design Thinking · Focuses on applying design thinking within organisational and management contexts.
The 5E Design Thinking Framework · Focuses on the flow of understanding, insight, evidence and action across the innovation journey.

Foundations and influences

Established knowledge, integrated across disciplines.

The framework is not intended as a departure from established knowledge. It integrates scholarly and professional influences in a way that is accessible, practical and relevant across disciplines.

Design thinking.
Human-centred design.
Systems thinking.
Experiential learning.
Organisational learning.
Innovation management.
Reflective practice.
Complexity theory.
Strategic thinking.
Entrepreneurship education.

Business and management

Human-centred thinking within organisational reality.

The framework was developed within environments where innovation must coexist with strategy, operations, stakeholder expectations and organisational constraints. It explicitly connects human-centred thinking with management practice and is applicable far beyond traditional design environments.

Strategic decision-making.
Opportunity identification.
Stakeholder engagement.
Innovation and entrepreneurship.
Organisational change.
Service design and product development.
Evidence-based management.
Continuous improvement.

Evidence through application

A framework refined through use.

The 5E Design Thinking Framework has evolved through ongoing use in higher education, executive education and professional practice. It continues to develop through application, reflection, feedback and refinement, reflecting the same principles of learning and adaptation that it seeks to encourage.

MBA programs.
Executive MBA programs.
Innovation and entrepreneurship education.
Industry workshops.
Professional development initiatives.
Project-based learning environments.
Organisational problem-solving activities.

Core beliefs

Principles underpinning the framework.

Seven principles provide the foundation upon which the five stages operate.

Human understanding should precede solution development.
Evidence is more valuable than assumption.
Innovation is fundamentally a learning process.
Diverse perspectives create better outcomes.
Complex challenges require systems thinking.
Implementation is part of innovation, not separate from it.
Learning should flow continuously throughout the process.

Beyond stages

A model of learning as well as innovation.

At its heart, the 5E Design Thinking Framework is not simply a model of innovation. It is a model of learning. Successful innovation emerges when people build understanding, question assumptions, explore possibilities, create evidence and translate insight into action. The framework focuses not only on what individuals and teams do, but on how knowledge, understanding and capability develop throughout the journey. Most design thinking frameworks explain activities. The 5E Design Thinking Framework seeks to explain relationships. By making visible the flow of understanding, insight, evidence and action, the framework helps individuals, teams and organisations navigate complexity with greater confidence, clarity and purpose.

Explore the distinction

See why the terminology changed.

Understand the shift from familiar design thinking labels to accessible, action-oriented language.

Explore the terminology →