Applying design thinking in research and development environment: Insights from a case study in a Brazilian R&D institute

Context: Research and Development (R&D) organizations play a key role in driving technological innovation and delivering customized software solutions. These environments often face complex challenges in aligning technical development with user needs. Design Thinking (DT) stands out as an innovative approach in software development, fostering a deeper understanding of user needs and enabling the creation of more effective solutions. However, its implementation within R&D contexts poses unique challenges that remain underexplored in the literature. Objective: We aim to explore how DT is integrated into software development processes within an R&D organization, focusing on uncovering benefits, challenges, and actionable recommendations. Methods: We conducted a case study at Instituto de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (INDT), a Brazilian R&D organization with a strong background in innovation-oriented software projects that has adopted DT. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study to examine the application of DT in an R&D institute focused on software development. Such settings provided valuable insights into real-world adoption scenarios, challenges, and outcomes related to DT implementation in this context. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 practitioners from diverse roles, who interacted within DT at INDT. To analyze the gathered data, we adopted Grounded Theory procedures, enabling an in-depth qualitative analysis of participants’ perceptions of DT use. Results: Our results suggest that adopting DT in the investigated R&D environment enhances the understanding of user needs, promotes collaboration between teams and clients, and supports solutions aligned with market expectations. We identified cultural resistance, the need to evangelize DT adoption among practitioners, and the lack of proficiency in DT techniques as major challenges. As recommendations, practitioners suggested adapting DT to the organization’s reality, incorporating the DT mindset among practitioners, involving professionals with DT experience, mapping the project process, and integrating DT into software development activities. Additionally, we proposed a DT perspective transition model to support practitioners in transitioning across the Mindset, Process, and Toolbox perspectives. Conclusion: DT emerges as a relevant approach for software development in R&D environments, capable of generating innovative, market-aligned solutions. By highlighting the benefits and challenges of its implementation, our study underscores the need for further investigations on DT in such contexts. Our findings reinforce DT potential to contribute to software development processes within R&D organizations.