[rrm1977]

Yes, excatly. This is why Nigel Cross descirbe is as the designly way of thinking. Everyone has some kind of design ability, yet (good) designers show better ability to interpret situations and connect the differnet factors to better define the problem and solution. The term is underpinned by the meaning of design. Check Shape of Things: A Philosophy of Design book––I should add this to the list.

Unlike other desciplines, design is looking at the factors from epstimological and constructivism approachs where the meaning of the problem elements is clearly interpreted during the design practice.

So, feel free to call it anything, at the early 20 century, it was never been called design thinking. I usually prefer to design process/acitvity/thinking.