Name: Change by Design
Rating: 4.2 (143 reviews)
Author: Tim Brown

What’s in it for me? Discover what it takes to become a design thinker.

Let’s borrow a time machine and travel back in time. What would you see? Horse-drawn coaches; no telephones; perhaps even hunter-gatherers looking for a square meal for the tribe.

Our lives today are, of course, different. Innovations in technology and agriculture have made living in the modern world simpler and easier. One would think, therefore, that innovation equals progress.

But is this true? These blinks show us that, although innovation is powerful, it hasn’t exactly made our lives better. What is needed to invent truly innovative products or services that make our lives truly better is a whole different type of thinking, called design thinking.

In these blinks, you’ll discover

how being “thoughtless” could lead to thoughtful innovation;
why thinking with your hands beats thinking with your head; and
how sharing stories can get people to be more charitable.

To be a design thinker, taking an integrative approach to projects is crucial.

Many people understand innovation to be simply the process of inventing a new technology. When you have your new invention, then you have an “innovation.“

This view is far too simplistic. In contrast, design thinking offers you a method to approach the process of innovation, and thus achieve a more sophisticated understanding of innovation itself.

Design thinking encourages us to take an integrative approach to innovation. This approach combines three overlapping “spaces,” through which a project may cycle several times.

First comes inspiration. In this space, we consider a problem or opportunity, thinking about what we can do to solve the problem or bring the opportunity to fruition.

Second is ideation. Here we develop our ideas and theories, and then put them to the test.

Last is implementation. In this space, we introduce our idea to the market.

You won’t march directly through these three spaces – rather, most innovations will pass through each space a number of times as part of the design thinking process.

For example, during the process of ideation, you could develop a product with features that go beyond addressing your initial problem. In this case, you might want to revisit the inspiration process, to consider what different kinds of problems your product’s new feature could solve.

To create an integrated solution, a design thinker must balance three aspects: feasibility, viability and desirability. Whereas a “normal” designer may resolve the different aspects of a project separately and one by one, a design thinker brings them all together as one harmonious solution.

The gaming console Nintendo Wii offers an example of an integrated solution that perfectly balances feasibility, viability and desirability.

Nintendo introduced gestural control to console gaming, which at the time was not only feasible (if not cutting-edge) but viable. The company also priced the console less than other machines on the market, while providing a more immersive experience for the player – thus making the Wii desirable for their target market.

In the course of your design projects, you too should make this integrative approach the foundation of your design thinking.

Revolutionary design solutions stem from observation and letting consumers take the lead.

According to economist Peter Drucker, a designer’s job is to convert need into demand. Simple enough, yet how exactly does a designer go about doing this?

Design thinking supposes that the best insights come from observation, or taking a closer look at how people live their daily lives.

Smart teams and an inspiring work environment are the basis for successful innovations.

Google has pink flamingos and inflatable dinosaurs. Pixar has beach huts. Start-ups all over the world have “chill-out” lounges and ping-pong tables.

Such perks are the marks of creative company cultures. However, you don’t necessarily need a beach hut or a comfy sofa to create an environment that fosters innovation.

A good design thinker always asks, “Why?” and is willing to take her ideas to the masses.

Much to the chagrin of parents, children always ask, “Why?” even about the simplest things.

Discovering and trying to understand the world from their own developing perspective, children are always looking for insight that will help make sense of what they’re seeing and experiencing.

Design thinking promotes change by encouraging consumers to adopt more sustainable behaviors.

As the evidence for human-made global climate change continues to mount, companies and designers need to consider what they can do to help preserve a livable climate for all.

Design thinking has the potential to increase public awareness and inspire everyone to engage in a more sustainable lifestyle by effectively informing people about environmental issues.

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