Back to the roots: imagining the application of Bauhaus methodologies in design thinking

The 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus in 2019 led to a wave of academic research, some of which was directed to further analysis of methodologies developed and used in the Bauhaus era. Today, design thinking is also receiving a high level of attention in industry and academia. The objective of this paper is to interlink Bauhaus methodologies with the phases of the design thinking process, based on how the Bauhaus methodologies are suited to support the goals of each design-thinking phase. The outcome of this work is intended to expand the design thinking toolset through imagining the application of some of the interdisciplinary creativity and user-centred design approaches developed and used in the Bauhaus. The research presented is based on a broad literature analysis enabling the combination of the thematic areas of the Bauhaus and design thinking. Results have been validated in a group discussion with practitioners from a large IT company strongly engaged in the application of design thinking. Overall, the literature analysis led to 75 methodological approaches from the Bauhaus that have been analysed concerning their potential contribution to the goals of each of the phases of design thinking. This paper provides insights into the selection of Bauhaus methodologies able to enrich the design thinking process.