You know that moment when a product just gets you when everything flows, feels intuitive, and solves your problem before you even fully articulate it? That’s not luck. That’s design thinking at work.

Design thinking isn’t about making things look pretty, it’s about designing with purpose, empathy, and experimentation. It's how companies like Airbnb reimagined hospitality, how IBM transformed enterprise UX, and how even healthcare systems have made stressful experiences feel human again. By focusing on what users actually need—not just what you think they need—you create solutions that are not only functional but also meaningful.

In this post, we’ll walk you through eight standout design thinking examples, each showing how this approach drives smarter UX, real innovation, and happier users. Whether you're a startup founder or a senior designer, these stories will give you actionable inspiration to bring more clarity, creativity, and empathy into your own process.

Why Design Thinking Works in Real-World Products?

Design thinking isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a proven framework that helps businesses solve real human problems through iterative, user-centered design. Unlike traditional product development, which often starts with features or technical specs, design thinking begins with empathy. You dig into what your users actually need, not what you assume they need.

Companies like Airbnb, UberEats, and PillPack didn’t just “innovate”—they listened. They walked in the users’ shoes, identified pain points, and tested simple prototypes early and often. This process builds products that feel intuitive, solve real problems, and even drive growth. Airbnb doubled revenue by improving photos. Nintendo expanded its market by designing for “non-gamers.” That’s the power of design thinking in action.

How to Apply Design Thinking in UX Design

If you’re building digital products, design thinking isn’t just helpful—it’s a game-changer for UX design. It ensures that every screen, every interaction, and every touchpoint is based on real user needs, not assumptions.

Here’s how you can apply it directly to your UX design process:

1. Empathize with users: Run usability tests, user interviews, or heatmap analysis to uncover friction points in your current UI.

   
   

2. Define the UX problem: Instead of saying “users aren’t clicking the button,” frame it as: “users are confused about what action to take next.”

   
   

3. Ideate UX solutions: Brainstorm layout improvements, microinteraction changes, or better onboarding flows—with your users’ context front and center.

   
   

4. Prototype quickly: Use tools like Figma or Adobe XD to mock up new versions of key flows. Keep it low-fidelity at first.

   
   

5. Test and refine with real users: Launch A/B tests or conduct moderated usability sessions to learn what works—and what doesn’t.

   
   

By applying design thinking in UX, you're not just designing screens—you’re shaping experiences that feel intuitive, empowering, and human.

8 Design Thinking Examples That Inspire Real Innovation

Airbnb: Empathy-Driven Photo UX Revamp

Airbnb's early growth hinged on understanding the real frustrations of its users—hosts weren’t getting bookings because their poorly lit, amateur photos looked unappealing.

The founders visited hosts in person, empathized with their concerns, and helped them take better photos.

This small act, rooted in empathizing and prototyping, doubled bookings. It exemplifies how walking in users’ shoes, quickly building solutions, and iterating based on real data can drive product success.

What makes it impressive?

1. Empathy first: Visiting hosts captured real struggles.

   
   

2. Simple prototyping: Better photos fixed perception issues fast.

   
   

3. Direct impact: Tangible UX improvement led to skyrocketing bookings.

   
   

Key takeaway: Deep empathy and swift prototyping can deliver measurable UX wins—fast.

Netflix: UX Thinking to Cure Choice Overload

Netflix noticed users were overwhelmed by endless viewing choices.

Their solution? A “Skip Intro” button and tailored recommendations. Behind these seemingly small additions was a design thinking process: research → prototype → test.

These UX enhancements dramatically simplified decision-making and increased viewer satisfaction.

What makes it impressive?

1. Problem reframing: Reduced choice fatigue in UX flows.

   
   

2. Iterative prototyping: Quick testing of interface tweaks.

   
   

3. Behavior-informed design: UX shaped directly from user data.

Key takeaway: Even minor UX adjustments—rooted in user observation—can boost engagement and delight.

GE Healthcare: Adventure-Themed MRI UX for Kids

Conventional MRI machines scared children.

GE’s design thinking intervention transformed environments into immersive experiences—framing scans as pirate ships or space adventures, easing fear and reducing anesthesia use.

Through empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing, GE reshaped medical UX for better outcomes.

What makes it impressive?

1. Empathy-based reframing: Transformed fear into adventure.

   
   

2. Thematic environments: Made medical spaces psychologically inviting.

   
   

3. Positive outcome: Lower sedation requirements, greater patient satisfaction.

   
   

Key takeaway: UX can and should address emotional states—especially in stressful contexts.

Nike: Prototype-Driven Athletic UX Innovation

Nike pushes design boundaries by prototyping extensively with real athletes.

Early versions of products like Flyknit evolved through iterative testing, embracing empathy and quick learning loops.

Their design thinking workflow—understanding athlete needs, rapid prototyping, feedback—ensured that performance, comfort, and style remained integrated.

What makes it impressive?

1. Athlete-centered insight: Design grounded in real user needs.

   
   

2. Rapid prototyping cycles: Made innovation faster and user-aware.

   
   

3. Function meets emotion: High-performance and aesthetic brilliance

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Key takeaway: UX rooted in real user behavior enables products that perform—and connect.

IBM: Scaling Design Thinking Across Enterprise UX

IBM embedded design thinking into its culture—forming cross-functional teams, building “IBM Design Studios,” and centering user needs in enterprise software development.

Empathy workshops, rapid prototyping, and continuous iteration helped complex internal products become intuitive for users.

What makes it impressive?

1. Empathy at scale: Teams built around real user needs.

   
   

2. Cross-functional collaboration: Designers, engineers, and users co-created solutions.

   
   

3. Iterative enterprise UX: Complex workflows simplified through design thinking.

   
   

Key takeaway: Even large organizations can infuse UX design thinking to make internal tools more human.

IDEO’s DeepDive: Design Thinking in Retail UX

IDEO’s “DeepDive” project reimagined a retail shopping cart through observation, empathy, and prototype testing.

They studied shoppers directly in stores, ideated use-focused changes, and tested multiple design versions until they landed on an improved cart that solved real usability issues—comfort, accessibility, navigation.

What makes it impressive?

1. Behavioral observation: UX grounded in real shopping patterns.

   
   

2. Iteration-focused ideation: Fast changes guided by live testing.

   
   

3. Human-first retail UX: Product not just built, but thoughtfully solved.

   
   

Key takeaway: UX innovation can flourish when rooted in real-world observation and rapid iteration.

Nintendo Wii: Inclusive Motion-Based UX

Nintendo studied “non-gamers”—those intimidated by traditional game controllers—and designed the Wii with intuitive motion controls and simple graphics.

This empathetic innovation not only expanded their market but fundamentally shifted how games involved players.

What makes it impressive?

1. Extreme user empathy: Solving for the least tech-savvy expanded overall reach.

   
   

2. Natural UX mapping: Physical movement replaced buttons.

   
   

3. Wide adoption: Inclusivity transformed gaming norms.

   
   

Key takeaway: Empathy for overlooked users can unlock entirely new UX models and markets.

MiniMed 507 Insulin Pump: Medical UX by Living the Experience

Designers at RKS created the MiniMed 507 pump by wearing it themselves—experiencing the stigma and usability issues firsthand.

They transformed it into a sleek pager-like device, boosting adoption and building a medical UX that’s professional, discreet, and effective.

What makes it impressive?

1. Empathic immersion: Designers wore the pump to live the user’s reality.

   
   

2. Design for dignity: Pump redesigned to feel sleek, not clinical.

   
   

3. Commercial success: Led the market and redefined diabetes UX.

   
   

Key takeaway: Deep empathy—even experiential—can yield medical UX breakthroughs that resonate on human levels.

Conclusion

Great UX doesn't come from assumptions—it comes from empathy, experimentation, and a willingness to learn from users, not just design for them. Whether it’s Netflix solving decision fatigue or GE Healthcare transforming fear into comfort, each case shows how human-centered design can create not just better products, but more meaningful experiences.

At Bricx, we help product teams apply these exact principles to solve UX challenges and launch smarter features, faster.
Book a call with us and let’s turn your next idea into a user-loved solution.