The fifth step in the Design Thinking process serves as the junction between the Front...

GInI’sCInP Handbookintegrates Design Thinking into its three-phase innovation model: Front End (exploration), Mid Zone (validation), and Back End (execution). The fifth step, "Test," concludes Design Thinking by validating prototypes, providing insights that transition a concept from exploration (Front End) to execution (Back End)—e.g., confirming market fit for development. GInI notes Test as a pivot point, often overlapping with Mid Zone validation, but its ultimate output bridges to Back End implementation. Option B, "Front End and Mid Zone," ends too early (Mid Zone is transitional). Option C, "Mid Zone and Back End," skips the Front End origin. Option D, "Fuzzy Front End and Messy Back," is informal and imprecise. Option A aligns with GInI’s framework, matching the original answer, reflecting a strategic handoff where validated ideas become actionable—a key GInI process linkage.