I just started reading Tim Brown’s Change by Design last night and already I’m in love. Finally I have a solidified way to describe the way I try to think, my philosophy on innovation, and supports my choice to pursue interdisciplinary educational paths.
I was really moved by two paragraphs in the introductory chapter. I found myself stopping and rereading them several times last night:
Design thinking begins with skills designers have learned over many decades in their quest to match human needs with available technical resources within the practical constraints of business. By integrating what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable, designers have been able to create the products we enjoy today. Design thinking takes the next step, which is to put these tools into the hands of people who may have never thought of themselves as designers and apply them to a vastly greater range of problems.
Design thinking taps into capacities we all have but that are overlooked by more conventional problem-solving practices. It is not only human-centered; it is deeply human in and of itself. Design thinking relies on our ability to be intuitive, to recognize patterns, to construct ideas that have emotional meaning as well as functionality, to express ourselves in media other than words or symbols. Nobody wants to run a business based on feeling, intuition, and inspiration, but an overreliance on the rational and the analytical can be just as dangerous. The integrated approach at the core of the design process suggests a “third way.” (p. 4)
The statement about “put[ting] these tools into the hands of people who may have never thought of themselves as designers” turned on the light bulb inside my head. This is the backbone of my whole methodology! For once I don’t sound like a raving lunatic–someone else out there is trying to do the same kind of work!
It also makes the process of looking for (*sigh*) further educational training a bit easier as I have a specific keyword to use when searching/describing what I want to do. I’m just so happy that the fire within me has been re-lit! Not sure exactly what I’m gearing up to do, but that’s the whole point of design thinking, right?
Stay tuned for further installments about my adventures with design thinking!
