The Implementation of Flow in the Design Thinking Process

Design thinking is increasingly adopted by firms to develop innovations and has evolved into one of the most powerful creativity and innovation methods worldwide. The mental state of flow can be an important precursor to high levels of creativity and innovation, thus potentially aiding organizations in implementing the design thinking methodology. This systematic literature review aims at answering the research question of how the deliberate implementation of the flow state impacts the design thinking process. The analysis of the selected 28 peer-reviewed papers implies that the facilitation of flow benefits the ideation stage of design thinking, with creative warm-up exercises increasing group- and individual flow feeling. While the literature on the implementation of flow in design thinking is rather scarce, the experimental research in the field suggests that flow boosters, such as new technologies enabling designers a higher degree of immersion in the early stages of the design process, as well as creative warm-ups, such as the Lego Serious Play, may prove particularly beneficial in longer activities and in exercises which are expected to be less stimulating.