WEEK 6 DESIGN THINKING A quick introduction Nonlinear

WEEK 6: DESIGN THINKING

A quick introduction… • • Non-linear Iterative process Empathic, aims to understand the user Questioning (Problem? Assumptions? Implications? ) Redefines the problem Solutions-based approach ”Hands on” methods (prototyping, user testing) Ongoing experimentation

“To understand them, the systems had to be constructed, and their behaviour observed” – Herbert Simon (1969) When?

Origins of ‘Design Thinking’ • Industrial revolution; World Wars • 1960’s: • “Design science decade” (Buckminster Fuller) • “Wicked Problems” (Horst Rittel) • Herbert A. Simon (1969) The Sciences of the Artificial • Bryan Lawson (1979) – Problem-focused vs solution-focused problem solving

Origins of ‘Design Thinking’ • IDEO (1991) – “a global design company committed to creating positive impact” • Recognised the need for new design practices – Interaction Design • Human-Centered Approach to Design • Applied to complex systemic challenges worldwide (incl. healthcare, government, education, etc. ) • Known for Design Thinking; Progressive work practices • 2005 – Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d. school), Stanford

“What we, as design thinkers, have, is this creative confidence that, when given a difficult problem, we have a methodology that enables us to come up with a solution that nobody has before. ” - David Kelley, Co-Founder of IDEO

“It is hard to imagine a time when the challenges we faced so vastly exceeded the creative resources we have brought to bear on them. ” - Tim Brown, Change by Design Why?

Human cognition • Schemas - units of information and associations (long-term memory) • Patterns of thinking favour repetitive activities and commonly accessed knowledge • Automatic triggering of schemas may inhibit problem-solving strategies • E. g. “Stuck truck” dilemma • Constraint of human cognition masks the obvious (best) solutions

Innovation for a Future • “ 21 st century breakdown” • • Climate change Commoditisation Disease Poverty • Technocentric/traditional views of innovation unsustainable • “New choices” (Tim Brown, Change by Design)

“What we need are new choices—new products that balance the needs of individuals and of society as a whole; new ideas that tackle the global challenges of health, poverty, and education; new strategies that result in differences that matter and a sense of purpose that engages everyone effected by them. ” - Tim Brown, IDEO

”[Design Thinking] is not only human-centered; it is deeply human in and of itself. ” – Tim Brown, Change by Design What?

Case Study: Shimano • Japanese bicycle components manufacturer • Why do 90% of adults no longer ride bikes? • • Retail experience Complexity and cost Road safety Maintenance • New category of bicycling – reconnect with childhood memories

Case Study: Shimano • “Coasting” • • Less controls, cables and gears Features of earliest bikes (e. g. back pedaling brakes, upright handlebars, etc. ) Low maintenance Engineered automatic transmission New retail strategies Branding – “Chill. Explore. Dawdle. Lollygag” Road safety campaigns Successful launch!

“Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success. ” - Tim Brown, IDEO

Design Thinking • Hollistic and empathic understanding of user problems • Ambiguous, subjective concepts (e. g. emotion, needs)

Design Thinking • • • Hollistic and empathic understanding of user problems Ambiguous, subjective concepts (e. g. emotion, needs) Desirability (Does it makes sense to people? ) Feasibility (Is it functionally possible? ) Viability (Will it be sustainable as a business model? ) Constraints provide a foundation for Design Thinking to occur

“Here is one of the few effective keys to the Design problem: the ability of the Designer to recognize as many of the constraints as possible; his willingness and enthusiasm for working within these constraints. Constraints of price, of size, of strength, of balance, of surface, of time, and so forth. Each problem has its own peculiar list. ” - Charles Eames, 1972

Case Study: Nintendo

5 Stage Model Hasso-Plattner Institute – 5 Stage Model of Design Thinking: (1) Empathise: • Empathic understanding of the problem • Research user needs • Gains insight into users and their needs

5 Stage Model Hasso-Plattner Institute – 5 Stage Model of Design Thinking: (1) Empathise: • Empathic understanding of the problem • Research user needs • Gains insight into users and their needs (2) Define: • • Articulate needs of users Analyse information/observations from Empathise stage Identify core issues discovered so far Define problem statement

5 Stage Model (3) Ideation: • • Generate ideas Challenge assumptions ”Think outside the box” – alternative perspectives of the problem Identify innovative solutions to problem statement

5 Stage Model (3) Ideation: • • Generate ideas Challenge assumptions ”Think outside the box” – alternative perspectives of the problem Identify innovative solutions to problem statement (4) Prototype: • Experimental phase for solution-creating • Identify best solution for each problem defined in phase 1 to 3 • Prototyping to test problem solutions generated in stage 3.

5 Stage Model (5) Testing: • Rigorous testing using best prototypes • Generate results Redefine? Re-test?

IDEO Mindset “At IDEO, we are a community of designers who naturally share a mindset due to our profession. Our teams include people who've trained in applied fields such as industrial design, environmental architecture, graphic design, and engineering; as well as people from law, psychology, anthropology, and many other areas. Together, we have rallied around design thinking as a way of explaining design's applications and utility so that others can practice it, too. Design thinking uses creative activities to foster collaboration and solve problems in human-centered ways. We adopt a “beginner’s mind, ” with the intent to remain open and curious, to assume nothing, and to see ambiguity as an opportunity. ”

“Spaces of Innovation” • • Design Thinking – no “one best way” “Continuum of innovation” Inspiration Ideation Implementation Non-linear; non-sequential New insight - refine and rethink!

Question time?