In design thinking practice, one useful lens to ensure successful innovation is the “3P’s” rule: People, Process, Place (or Space). This trio guides how teams set up design thinking initiatives, not just the what of ideas, but the who, how, and where that make those ideas work.
While there are multiple models of design thinking (empathy → define → ideate → prototype → test) The 3P’s offer a complementary “organizational scaffold” that helps embed design thinking into real teams and workplaces.
Let us look at each P in turn, with explanations and examples:
1- People
This refers to who does the design thinking, how they are organized, and what roles they play. A strong design team is typically cross-disciplinary, including representatives from business, technical, and end-user backgrounds. They matter because:
- Having diverse perspectives helps uncover blind spots and richer insights.
- Roles like facilitator, subject-matter expert, user researcher, and prototyper help keep the work moving.
- Team dynamics, shared norms (e.g. “no bad ideas”), and psychological safety matters; if people feel judged or invisible, you lose creativity.
Example: In a workshop to redesign hospital waiting rooms, the design team might include a nurse, a patient liaison, an architect, and a user researcher. Because they bring different vantage points, they can spot issues an all-design group might miss.
2- Process (Approach / Methodology)
Process refers to the steps, tools, and methods by which the design thinking work is done. It is how you move from insight to idea to prototype to test. The “Process” is also referred to as “Approach/Methodology.”
Why it matters:
- A process gives structure: phases like empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test help teams know what to do next.
- But flexibility is key, design thinking is iterative, not strictly linear. Insights may send you back to earlier steps.
- Choice of tools (journey mapping, brainstorming, low-fidelity prototypes, user testing) anchors the abstract into real work.
Example: A product team might run a 3-day sprint: Day 1 for user interviews and mapping, Day 2 for ideation and sketching, Day 3 for building simple mockups and testing them with users. Because the process is laid out, everyone knows their part, but they can loop back if feedback suggests a change.
3- Place (Space / Environment)
Place refers to the physical or virtual setting in which design thinking happens: the rooms, walls, tools, even the vibe. The “Place (Space)” is mostly described as a crucial P.
This is because:
- The environment influences creativity and collaboration. Bright rooms, whiteboards, sticky notes, open layouts, or virtual collaboration tools all set the tone.
- Dedicated “innovation rooms” or war rooms help isolate creative work from everyday distractions.
- Virtual workshops need digital tools, Mural, Zoom boards, digital sticky notes, to replicate spatial benefits.
Example: In a design sprint to improve a banking app, the team might reserve a quiet room with large whiteboards, color markers, sticky notes, and idea walls. At least one wall is dedicated to user quotes or photos. That place becomes a creative hub where team energy stays high, and ideas can be visualized.
Why the 3P’s Matter (and How They Fit with Other Models)
While the classic design-thinking stages explain what you do (empathize → test), the 3P’s help with how to make it stick in real organizations. You can think of:
- People as the who
- Process as the how
- Place as the where / environment
If any P is weak: say, poor team composition, rigid process, or uninspiring space, the design thinking effort can stall. That is why many companies emphasize building the right culture first before jumping straight to methods.
By paying attention to all three, design thinking is more than a workshop tool; it becomes a way of working that teams can sustain.
