The art of design thinking by Chuma Anagbado

Understanding Design n

Design is a plan, a framework.

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Design is a commercial activity.

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Design is a process where an outcome is planned rather than relying on chance.

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Design is a roadmap or a strategic approach engaged in to achieve a unique expectation/outcome.

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Design is what we do everyday.

Who is a Designer? n

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A designer is a business professional who develops solutions to commercial needs that require the balancing of technical, commercial, human and aesthetic/emotional requirements. A designer can be said to be a combination of an engineer (plans), a technician (makes) and an artist (intuits). A designer plans things for production, manufacture, construction or deployment. The difference between a designer and a craftsperson or artist is that designers usually develop things that have requirements set by others and will ultimately be produced, manufactured, constructed or deployed by others.

Some Established Design Disciplines n  Architecture, Business Design, Communication Design,

Experience Design, Fashion Design, Game design, Graphic Design, Information Design, Industrial Design, Instructional Design, Interaction Design, Interior Design, Lighting Design, Medical Design, Military Design, Product Design, Process Design, Service Design, Software Design, Sound Design, Space Design, Systems Design, Transportation Design, Urban design, User Experience Design, Web & Digital Design…

Some Emerging Design Careers 1. The Designer Coder – In today's online, app-based economy, code is increasingly becoming the preferred medium for prototyping. Any Designer who can code is highly sought after. 2. The Design Entrepreneur – This simply means having the design skills to craft the right product and the entrepreneurial grit to see them come to life. 3. The Hybrid Design Researcher –Knowing how to tap into technology to uncover how people really think and act is an essential part of innovation. If you love people and data, this might be the design career for you. 4. The Business Designer – Beyond innovation, the Business Designer also look at the business model, channel strategy, marketing, supply chain, and a million other things. 5. The Social Innovator - Many of todays problem; poverty alleviation, access to clean water, constant power, health care and many more—are in the social sector. Designers increasingly desire to make an impact in this sphere. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED @ AZIZA DESIGN LTD.

The Art of ‘Design Thinking’

Design Thinking is… n

A Philosophy, a Mindset.

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A philosophy that presupposes that every individual can be part of creating a more desirable outcome or solution, and establishes a process to initiate action when faced with the varied challenges of everyday living.

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This kind of positive mindset is needed for success in all spheres of life.

Design Thinking is… n

Human-Centered.

Stemming from deep empathy and understanding of needs and motivations of the ‘Other’— the user, the client, the consumer and in this case, the audience and administrators who make up the community.

Design Thinking is… n

Collaborative.

A team of guided minds will always be more effective when solving a challenge than just one. There’s great benefit in having multiple views and perspectives as it yields better results and as well bolster the creativity of individual team members.

Design Thinking is… n

Optimistic.

It’s the fundamental instinctive belief that we all can create change and solve a problem — no matter how big it is, how little time there is and how small the available budget is. Irrespective of the constraints that exist, designing is an enjoyable process.

Design Thinking is… n

Experimental.

It allows for failure thereby creating the opportunity to learn from mistakes, because when new ideas are deployed and feedback is taken, better solutions are iterated. Given the range of needs that exist in any community, the work of the designer will never be finished or “solved.” It is always in progress. ‘Design Thinking’ is all about learning by doing and doing again. It is the confidence that new, better things and ways are possible and that they can be made to happen.

Applications of ’Design Thinking’ An approach to solving just about any challenge – The Tangible and Intangible. n

Process Planning & Development

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Space Planning and Organisation

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Product Development & Deployment

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Creating Experiences

Design Thinking Stages n

A structured approach to creating solutions.

It is a phased development process from identifying a challenge to finding and building a solution. It puts ‘Design Thinking’ into action. 1.

Problem Identification

Clear Understanding

Ideation Process

Application Deployment

Problem Identification How do we solve it? n

Understand the Challenge

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Carry Out Research

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Become Empathic

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Collate Inspiration

Clear Understanding What Does It Reveal About The Problem? n

Tell Stories

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Search for Meanings

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Connect Patterns

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Frame Opportunities

Ideation Process n

What Solutions Can We Conceive?

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Generate Ideas

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Refine Them

Application Deployment n

How Do We Realise The Idea?

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Make prototypes

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Deploy Solution

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Take Feedback

Sustainable Outcome n

How Do We Sustain Solutions?

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Track & Document Learnings

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Identify New Problems

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Start the Proccess All Over Again

Things to be in mind when Designing n

You are a designer.- Be more intentional and confident. Be strategic. Listen and be inspired. It’s an opportunity. It’s your responsibility.

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Leave your zone of comfort.- Break routines. Use the other space. Inspiration is your best friend. Live in the world of the User. Collaborate with others.

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Have a beginner’s mind.- Approach every problem as a novice. Let yourself learn and unlearn. Experiment. Make mistakes. Seek a solution.

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Problem are opportunities.- Have an open mind. Be optimistic. Believe in the future. Think “What if?” not “What’s wrong?”

Thanks! n

And Keep Designing…