Design thinking as a development tool in SMEs in Ecuador: a systematic review

Diego Bonilla-Jurado; Freddy Lalaleo-Analuisa; Shirley Zapata-Romero; Rafael Sánchez-Macias

doi:10.56294/saludcyt20251773

Authors

Diego Bonilla-Jurado Instituto Superior Tecnológico España, Centro de Innovación y Transferencia Tecnológica. Ambato, Ecuador Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4784-7861
Freddy Lalaleo-Analuisa Instituto Superior Tecnológico España, Centro de Innovación y Transferencia Tecnológica. Ambato, Ecuador Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0108-3365
Shirley Zapata-Romero Universidad Estatal de Bolívar, Gestión de Talento Humano extensión San Miguel. Guaranda, Ecuador Author https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5750-191X
Rafael Sánchez-Macias Universidad Estatal de Bolívar, Gestión de Talento Humano extensión San Miguel. Guaranda, Ecuador Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6884-4689

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56294/saludcyt20251773

Keywords:

Creative area, Design Thinking, SMEs, Problem solving, Systematic review

Abstract

All businesses are born with the ideas of visionaries who seek to make their dreams come true, whether through the development of new technologies, the reworking of existing ones, or simply positional strengthening. Currently, SMEs have deficiencies in the creative area to solve their problems, which prevents them from facing the various challenges of the market, therefore it is essential to find an alternative that solves this problem. In this way, the objective of the research is to analyze the importance of using the Design Thinking tool to solve problems in SMEs. For this, the qualitative methodology was used with the Systematic Review method, compiled in Scopus, during the years 2018-2022, finding 164 articles, to which the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, to finally examine 13 investigations, of which from which it is concluded that the DT is an adequate and efficient instrument to solve technical difficulties, since it synthesizes the entire creative process, and provides a diversity of ways to find solutions, in addition to predicting possible errors in the short, medium and long term; however, the success of the company does not depend on a tool, but is anchored to macro and microeconomic factors.

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