Design thinking can become so much more than just research practice. It can evolve into a powerful problem-solving approach within a profession, and finally, a mindset. In this blog, our outgoing Research Lead, Lidiia, shares her learnings from the last four years as an employee at the Innovation Hub.
Written by Lidiia Tulenkova, Research Lead, Honours Bachelor of Arts, Sociocultural Anthropology, Material Culture & Art History
The Beginning
When I first heard the phrase, “design thinking is a methodology and a mindset” at the Innovation Hub about four years ago, little did I know that I’d embark on a long journey of growth and learning about design thinking, which eventually established the foundation of my career.
My journey at the iHub began in my second year as an Anthropology student, when I joined the iHub’s Design Thinking Experience Program. I decided to dip my toes into design thinking because I liked the approach to solving real-world complex problems that it offers. I enjoyed this program so much, that a few months later, I returned to the iHub as a Design Researcher. After graduating from U of T, I was promoted into my first full-time job at the iHub as the Research Lead & Program Coordinator for the iHub’s partnership with the Faculty of Arts & Science to lead student research in support of the U of T Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP) for individual units. After completing a year in that role, I was again promoted to the Research Lead role at the iHub, where I’ve spent my last year learning and leading design thinking projects.
As I write the final chapter about my time at the iHub, I am also reflecting on the four-year journey I’ve had here, and all of the important learnings I’m taking away with me into future roles. Each year of my journey has presented me with new lessons and experiences that have helped me to learn and grow. As I embark on my next chapter, here are some of the lessons I am taking away from my time at the Innovation Hub:
The Magic of Unlearning
Diving into a real work environment while still being a student marked my first mindset shift at iHub. What comes to mind when you think about collaboration? Before starting my work at iHub and learning more about design thinking, the word “collaboration” meant being a friendly team member and diligently bringing your part of the larger work to the table. However, in design thinking, I realized that true collaboration was so much deeper than simply “getting the work done”. For me as a beginner Design Researcher, collaboration became a process of actively contributing and pushing the work forward with your team without holding onto individual contributions. In other words, during the brainstorming sessions design thinking research is known for, shared ideas become fluid and build upon one another allowing iteration. By the end of a co-work, I could never pinpoint which team member did what, because all our ideas would blend, forming a shared result. As a student, I was used to a rigid division of tasks, but the moment I let go of my sense of ownership, the magic of design thinking began to unfold, and collaborating with other people on a team became so much easier. Embracing the new perspective on true collaboration and unlearning assumptions from isolated work as a student, I moved to the next chapter of my journey in design thinking.
Moving Beyond Surface Level Thinking
Looking back, graduating and stepping into my first full-time role as the A&S UTQAP Research Lead & Program Coordinator was one of the biggest transitions of my life. I was managing a large group of 30 design researchers and taking on the huge responsibility of guiding others to write impactful reports.
In design thinking research, we always want to embrace complexity, read between the lines of what our interviewees say when sharing their experiences, and uncover the deeper “why” of each of our findings. Design thinking taught me that the same principles could be applied to my leadership. During high-pressure periods, when navigating different expectations of the final report outcome from our Design Researchers, partners, participants, and Leadership Team – I learned to pause and come back to the “why” behind our work. Reframing all ideas and conversations under the main “why” helped me foster alignment among all project stakeholders and focus on the project’s mission, rather than getting lost in surface-level strategies.
This experience was crucial preparation for the new level of leadership in my current role as the Research Lead. It taught me that resourceful leadership is not just about driving fast results – it is about keeping intact with the purpose of the project and all of its stages. On a personal level, I finally learned to embrace that, surprisingly, pausing for a moment to reflect on the bigger picture before the next step can take you further ahead than charging forward simply to complete the immediate goals.
Balancing Empathy with Strategy
Before joining iHub, I had held a few leadership positions, but it was only at the iHub where I had a privilege of being a senior leader who manages the leads mentoring their own teams. Wrapping up my term as Research Lead at iHub, I find myself coming back to the definition of design thinking as a human–centered approach to solving problems. To me, the design thinking approach finally became no longer just a process – it became my leadership mindset, where I value and prioritize the people – whether research participants or members of our team. I finally understood what my first iHub mentors from four years ago meant.
At this level of leadership, I get exposed to the vast diversity of workstyles, motivations, and personalities, all of which needed to be aligned toward a shared goal. Working such diversity challenged me to increase introspection and find a balance between driving results and showing empathy, assertiveness, and encouragement.
Empathy is the first stage of the design thinking process while iteration is a continuous element of it. So, embracing constant adaptation and the capacity to process new feedback while seeing our team members beyond their roles was what helped me build a community here at iHub. I realized – it’s not so much about perfection or making powerful strategic decisions, but more so about inspiring others and ensuring that decisions are shared by the people who bring the organization to life.
Get Curious
Progressing through the years at the iHub, I noticed that I kept coming back to design thinking not just to seek tips on executing research and addressing complex problems. I realized that my personal definition of design thinking evolved through the years beyond a structured process into a mindset – one that embraces human complexities, true nature of collaboration, and always returns to the “why” behind everything I do.
As I transition out of this role, I am grateful for the leaders who supported and challenged me, and I encourage everyone to get curious – not only about design thinking but also about how what you do for work shapes the way you think, lead, and grow. My biggest takeaway from four years at iHub? The impact of design thinking isn’t just about research—it’s about how we approach the world around us. My biggest piece of advice? Never be afraid to shift your perspective.
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