In the synthesis phase, it is common for team members to question how the current exercise relates to previous activities. As a coach, your role is to guide the team and ensure they understand the interconnectedness of the Design Thinking process. Here’s why the correct answer is A:

Try to identify a common thread to explain the connections to all other exercises (A):The synthesis phase builds on insights gathered during earlier phases, such as empathy and research. By identifying a common thread—such as user needs, pain points, or patterns—you can demonstrate how synthesis integrates and refines these insights into actionable opportunities. SAP emphasizes the iterative and holistic nature of Design Thinking, where each phase informs and enhances the next.

Incorrect Options:

B. Explain that Design Thinking is not an a + b = c approach:While Design Thinking is non-linear, simply stating this does not address the team’s concerns about the relevance of synthesis. Providing clarity through a common thread is more effective.

C. Explain that in this case an iteration of the research phase is necessary:Repeating the research phase is unnecessary if the team has already gathered sufficient data. Synthesis is about making sense of existing information, not restarting the process.

D. Adapt the agenda and skip the synthesis exercise:Skipping synthesis undermines the Design Thinking process. Synthesis is critical for transforming raw data into meaningful insights and should not be omitted.