Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) Practice Exam

Which phase of the design thinking process focuses on understanding the challenge?

1. Ideation

2. Implementation

3. Inspiration

4. Evaluation

The correct answer is: Inspiration

The phase of design thinking known as inspiration is key to understanding the challenge at hand. During this phase, participants explore and empathize with the users’ needs, gathering insights into their experiences and perspectives. This understanding lays the foundation for the subsequent steps in the design thinking process. It involves observing and engaging with users in their context, which helps to frame the problem accurately. The inspiration phase is critical because it helps to identify the real issues that need to be addressed, rather than making assumptions based on preconceptions. Engaging in qualitative research methods, such as interviews and observation, ensures that the challenges are thoroughly understood before moving on to generating ideas or implementing solutions. In contrast, other phases such as ideation focus on brainstorming potential solutions, implementation deals with executing the ideas generated, and evaluation involves assessing the effectiveness of those solutions after they have been put into practice. These subsequent phases rely heavily on the insights gathered during the inspiration phase to ensure that they address the true needs identified.