INSIDE THE
MIND OF A WANNABE
DESIGNER
manohur chand poonyth
You can either choose to be purposeful or simply do not design at all.
CONTENT page introduction
a damaged mind fake it till you make it being a coward doesn’t help
a matter of scales
Acknowledgement I dedicate this log book to the instructor, Miray BoÄ&#x;a for her help in re-igniting the design thinking in me. In short, it takes someone special to have a lasting effect on our thoughts. Thank you for being part of this journey.
a focus on experiences
1-2 3 5 7 9
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4 6 8 10
11 - 12 13 - 14 15 - 16
the purpose of diagnosis a complex model reflection
17 - 18
improvising a mind like none
19 - 20 21 - 22
understanding the term alien
23 - 24
frame Innovation - a way of life?
25 - 26
understanding my design thinking representing my design thinking
27 28
i
introduction
Why did I feel the need of find the meaning of the design thinking process? Is it too late for I to forge a better foundation for my design approach? Can my current problems(crisis) be turned into a solution (opportunities)? Simulation of the brain’s growth
Design by a wannabe designer.
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Is there an actual ‘end’ or ‘destination’ in this journey?
So, first, what is design thinking? Design Thinking is a design methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems. It’s extremely useful in tackling complex problems that are ill-defined or unknown, by understanding the human needs involved, by re-framing the problem in humancentric ways, by creating many ideas in brainstorming sessions, and by adopting a hands-on approach in prototyping and testing.
insert a complex diagram here to seem smart and knowledgeable
Understanding these five stages of Design Thinking will empower anyone to apply the Design Thinking methods in order to solve complex problems that occur around us — in our companies, in our countries, and even on the scale of our planet. (Rikke Dam and Teo Siang, 2019) Emphathise
The linear process
Define
Ideate
Prototype
The feedback process
Test
In other words, Dam and Siang reckon that the design thinking process cannot be a linear one instead, it is a process that requires the referring to square one again to find the best solution.
But how far can this theory hold? Do designers actually have such a thinking process in their head? Do designers approach problems with the ‘design thinking process’ or is it what actually demarcates great designers from mere designers? This reminds me of a question I was randomly asked by a meditation expert in a conference. ‘Are you breathing right now?’ When I was about to answer the question, she stopped me and re phrased the question by saying ‘Are you properly breathing right now?’ The question was followed by a moment of silence and till date the remains of that incident is that I know that I’m breathing but I am not consciously breathing... Similarly, I bring forward the question whether current designers* design because they know the basics of designing and also they possess certain amount of technical skills OR do they design by investing themselves 100% by thinking the A-Z and vice-versa of the case to get the ‘ultimate’ design solution? [*including myself]
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a damaged mind After studying Urban and Regional Planning for the first 5 semesters in ITU, I felt that my choice for a career inspired by my elder brother was on the point on turning into a disappointment Five semesters of wrong nurturing made me question my choice over and over again. But thanks to the proper mentoring of Prof. Dr Fatih Terzi and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Engin Eyuboğlu in the 6th and 7th studio works that I found my connection with the field again but this time in a more realistic and ‘design’ driven approach. Eventually, I made my mind and decided to focus on urban design rather than urban planning in the future. Blasphemy! Due to my unique choices in life, today, I find myself in a graduation project whereby the scales vary between 1/25 000 and 1/5000 mostly. I sincerely hope that I survive this project see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I still question my early career choice from time to time, I believe that we are no born geniuses but proper exposure and mentoring is what nurtures the genius in us. So, my poor love for upper scale plan can be indirectly linked to the poor mentoring while my interest in urban design, I would directly link it to proper mentoring in the field. As cliché as it sounds, the fact that I am looking for ‘the fundamentals of design thinking’ as a part of my learning journey in Istanbul Technical University raises the question of its ommission from the curriculum offered in the department of Urban and Regional Planning. Therefore, in this venture, I look forward to either further damage my mind or repair it by getting into another learning process whereby I will have an opportunity to re-think my principles and objectives as a designer. Overthinking - a vicious circle
Design by a wannabe designer. 3
Questions to thyself What do you love about design? Creating something which would make people stop and think then appreciate.
Why do you design? I believe that any problem should be solved beyond only satisfying the function. I often consider the example of the table. Had we limit the idea of the table to a flat surface on legs, we would just grab a few planks and bricks to solve the issue!
What do you value in a design? This is where i will sound paradoxical. I often look at the neatness in a design and believe that it is perfect. Similarly, sometimes I recognise the concept behind the design and work on it by thinking more and more about it. So, what do I value? This is one of the reason I value public speaking and presentation because sometimes a weaker idea can still be marketed only due to better presentation!
insert quote by known designer to seem smart and knowledgeable again
Do you see yourself as a designer? The question is clear to me but is it to everyone? I see myself as a visionary designer but I acknowledge that i cannot do it alone. I definitely need a whole team with a special importance given to my technical staff because without them my design might never come to life!
What the role of a designer? I cannot answer it. Should I be answering it according to a context or am I being lazy to answer it? Probably I want to find an answer which extraordinary to impress myself. Briefly, I would say a designer’s role is to have a holistic approach to any given task... 4
CONTENT fake it till you make it? After watching Neri Oxman, I felt that there is a common point between the two of us. Obviously it is not the fact that we are both geniuses. I found a characteristic particularly in common. She has a dominant confidence which allows her to lead a team of people who are as smart as her. In my last major projects, I have been holding a similar role and I acknowledge that I am not the ‘ultimate mind’ behind all the work. With no doubt, I need those working ‘under’ me to achieve whatever the planned goals are. I would rather call myself the ‘master mind’ or team leader. This leads to the question whether being a good designer is about being a good leader too? At times I come with great ideas but the input from the team members are so fruitful that it totally changes the whole initial idea, however, when the idea is presented it stills seems that I was the mastermind behind idea. No matter how I acknowledge and give sincere credit to my team mates, I still emerge on top.
Responsibility bearing is tricky, it is a double edge sword...
But this is where ‘responsibility bearing’ is tricky, it is a double edge sword. It can get someone in the limelight easily but similarly, it will definitely ‘destroy’ someone if he fails to achieve something. I felt better when I could relate with Neri Oxman but also realised that it can only take a strong personality to contain what Neri Oxman has to offer. This is why I currently picture myself as someone who is emulating an image of what he wants to be in the future or in simpler word, I am faking it till I make it...
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Neri Oxman by Tony Luong
I grew up in a modernist house, in a modernist culture. There was a love for modernism everywhere - the furniture, the books, the food, even the cutlery. So I learned very early to appreciate the value of design and the value of architecture.
Neri Oxman
This quote of Oxman is more or less similar to what I mentioned about having a proper exposure being crucial in someone’s growth. I feel grateful that my two elder brother were both passionated by ‘design’ and rather than asking for video games in their childhood, they often asked for Legos which I eventually inherited as the last born. A proper environment played and in fact, still plays a key role in my decision making processes and shows how the design thinking cannot be classified as an ’independent event’. It is constantly under the influence of external factors and managing to turn the effects of these external factors in opportunities is the real challenge.
Oxman also attempts to remind us designers that with our thinking and ‘designing’ capabilities, we can save the world from being further damaged. Her diversified researches focuses on a single idea broadly - being in harmony in nature. Instead of ‘constructing something’, she advocates the idea of ‘nurturing something’. She refuses to ignore nature as a key element in her design thinking.
‘Nature is a brilliant engineer and builder. It knows how to create seashells that are twice as strong as the most resistant ceramics human beings can manufacture, and it produces silk fibers five times stronger than steel. Nature also knows how to create multipurpose forms.’
Neri Oxman
This is how, she again demarcates herself and delivers a message to the world - design is not about using some crayons, felt pens and producing ‘drawings’, it is about understanding and working with nature and the behaviour of elements in nature in the quest of creating a solution to an identified problem.
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CONTENT being a coward doesn’t help How can one possibly claim to be a ‘designer’ if he is a coward? The man behind Instagram new and growing success, Ian Spalter is in my opinion, the definition of a ‘risk taker’. The ocean of ideas that he went through prior to making Instagram’s new image is vast. As for myself, I fail constantly by dwelling on my past knowledge whenever I attempt something new. When I look at the ‘design’ works that I have accomplished over the past 7 years (from high school till now), I observe a similarity in the ‘design’ (trying to imply artwork) that I do. The styles that I use all have that similar identity that people could say - ‘Ahh, this is Chand’s work’. The majority of the comments that I get were - ‘You should be proud to have ‘successfully’ created an identity with this style’ but I am not. I feel that I have been stagnant in the creation of artworks and am still having difficulties to overcome this state. I identify myself as coward when I look back at my proposals for my highschool graduation project. In 20122013, Google SketchUp was the ‘emerging tool’ which all aspiring architects, interior architects or even product designers were having a go at. I joined the crowd and all I knew was the ‘push and pull’ and ‘import from warehouse’ command. Due to this limited skills, even my proposed ‘design’ were average and this shows how being afraid to learn is a poor practice Today, I am no different. I will be graduating from ITU with the constant use of only a particular software which is ‘Xara Designer Pro X10’ and an elementary knowledge of the other ones with the like of the Adobe softwares. I stuck to this practice is because I knew that there was nothing that was impossible with my current set of skills with Xara. However, being a coward has prevented me from going beyond my learning capacities and I regret it...
7
By being afraid of the pen, paper and research, one will certainly close the doors to new possibilities. Time constraints and external factors affecting the process will always exist but a designer should not possess a linear thinking process or a particular ‘thinking routine’. Manohur Chand Poonyth
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. Albert Einstein
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a matter of scales Had I studied urban and regional planning (+ a bit of urban design) only, I would have been ignorant in the case of understanding different scales. My background knowledge of product design helps me visualize any thing imagined and drawn. I bring forward the idea of drawing on a scale of 1/1000 or 1/500 and it is probably difficult for people from other fields to understand. I cannot criticise the understandng of scale of other aspiring designers from my surrounding because we did not have the same exposure and opportunities. Then how should it be approached? I have more interest in urban design more than urban planning but I also cannot deny that a proper urban design project would not exist without urban planning. But then I have realised that it is true for other fields too. If the one field ‘above our field’ is doing its job properly then integrating it will be no rubix cube to solve. Scales can be broken down from 1/250 000, 1/100 000 to 1/5000 to 1/1 or even 2/1 and this is how there is the need for different disciplines to come together and work towards the same solution.
We should focus on the problem and not the solution...
Understanding is a matter of scale.
Design by a wannabe designer. 9
Let’s consider the case of excessive littering in the streets every now and then. It will be easy for the municipality to install new public bins around in the neighbourhood. But is it the ultimate remedy to the situation or does it just temporarily attempt to solve the problem? So, the proper approach would be to see where the problem roots or in other words have a holistic approach to the problem. The following example is a holistic approach from 1/2000 to 1/200 scale. Understanding and designing is a matter of scale.
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a focus on experiences CONTENT Ratatouille is a film which marked my childhood. The motto ‘Anyone can cook’ by Gusto was motivating at that time and even today, I can still watch Ratatouille and enjoy all the scenes with the same enthusiasm. The reason I thought of ‘Ratatouille’ was because of a scene which involved the preparation of a special dish for a famous food critic in the climax of the movie and this helped me relate with the idea of fine dine. The application of design in fine cuisine was phenomenal and what impressed me the most was the ability of the other viewers(students) to try and understand the characters and ‘read in between the lines’ in the different scenes. As much as it is easy to be digressed and enjoy the video as any typical commercial video, there are scenes which carry some strong wisdoms which I believe will nurture my design thinking and myself as a designer. The documentary contained everything ranging from understanding why do designers need to have an ego to the need to take risks in design. The way different characters interprete design clearly show that design is not a plug and play task. It will always be influenced by both internal and external factors. For instance, in the case of fine dining, the internal problems can be as petty as not understanding your colleagues to even bigger issues such as feeling exhausted by the needs of your sous chef. As for external factors, it can be the sudden discovery of an illness which may put an end to one’s venture. ‘What about our experience in the kitchen?’ is a scene which marked my thoughts. They do not want to establish a routine to make money, instead, they respect their job and are open to experimentations and creating things which also excite them. In short, there is nothing such as a ‘stable’ life in design and we should all be ready to be life long learners.
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Ratatouille, Pixar
What makes design thinking special is that the theory makes us realise that there exists nothing such as a ‘template’ to solve a problem. It pushes us to see all the dimensions of a problem and forces designers to think beyond just finding a solution to ‘manage the problem’.
Once a routine is established in any type of work, the aspect of design is lost...
After watching the interviews of the different actors/participants in Chef’s Table, I figured out that they are all unique designers. Sadly, prior to watching the video, I have to admit that I would have called their work as the ‘presentation of food’ or ‘decoration’. However, the whole thinking behind the final product is one which demands extensive research, thoughts and creativity.
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The purpose of diagnosis CONTENT ‘Everybody lies’ by Dr. House is a phrase which marked my thoughts when I used to watch the series. As a growing adult and professional, the phrase makes more and more sense since lies are omnipresent in our day to day life. As designers, we have to work/’design’ for the needs of people and our design proposal will always be poor if we do not obtain all the data needed about the concerned problem. What Dr House tries to teach us here is that one should not jump to conclusions upon seeing some commonly known symptoms. This is why nowadays, some smart people having ‘mere headaches’, end up on diagnosing themselves with erectile dysfunction or some sort of cancer while searching about their symptoms online. Each problem is unique and each patient should have a tailor made approach for themselves. The fundamentals of design thinking in this context is again a reminder that each problem is unique and that the approach to the problem can never be a linear one. If all the different problems in the world could be simplified to simple flowcharts, then there would be no differences between the ‘programmed brain’ of robots and the ‘trained mind’ of the human. One funny observation which I had the chance to make both in Turkey and Mauritius is that in the public hospitals, the doctors give the patient no time to express themselves and instead, they quickly jump to conclusions upon hearing symptoms which they are used to and this is why we often see patients leaving the hospitals with painkillers as prescriptions which are just temporary solutions to the experienced problems. To sum up, Dr. House is pivotal in making people realise that all problems are new and unique and we need to approach them by going back to the square one again.
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Dr House may sound cliché from time to time but he definitely carries some words of wisdom throughout the series. With the mention of wisdom, it is important to mention that a phrase about wisdom cannot stand alone and it is about its relationship with the reader. The different quotes by Dr House in his different conversations trigger a comparative exercise with our own thoughts and make us question our own principles. Use it(referring to the brain). This phrase is a blessing in disguise since it helps question our day to day actions. One of my favourite pair of words in Turkish is ‘araç’ and ‘amaç’ which mean ‘medium’ and ‘purpose’ respectively. Therefore, I often question myself whether I am confusing the medium which I will use to survive (urban planner or urban designer) and purpose (which I am still searching for). Is there a way to integrate both of them, i.e, using the medium as a medium to achieve the sense of purpose? Everybody lies. This one raises a few concerns since it shows how many design proposal cannot be 100% to the demands of a client owing to a range of hidden information. Therefore, the design process should also make room for some additional information which will not be provided by the client. To find these information may require an extra effort from the designer but it will help in creating a better solution. Ego vs confidence. As much as the ego seems to be an unwanted attribute, if someone wants to make a statement about his idea and suggestion, having a healthy ego is beneficial. Lead designers have established themselves as brands nowadays and the presence of their ego can probably go unnoticeable. The ego in some cases should not be mistaken as self confidence. Being confident about an idea versus being stubborn about an idea are totally different.
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A complex model When I first saw how the construction of the ‘shells’ of the Opera House of Sydney was ‘understood’ by the simple action of peeling an orange, it was an ‘aha moment’ and it made me want to be part of a team of geniuses solving architectural ‘problems’. Eversince I saw that scene, I developed a ‘soft spot’ for architecture and I cannot deny that I still want to give architecture a try. But who would expect that this magnificent piece of architecture will still be subjected to some form of vandalism. Dorst explains how the Designing out Crime center (DoC center) in Sydney was asked to devise a method to prevent people from climbing the shells and unroll banners or paint slogans on them. By using the frame creation process model, the team at the DoC center tried to figure out the real problem. By asking ‘what if’ questions the problem is not solved but understood. As a ‘designer’, it gives me headaches as well as ‘aha moments’ having to go through such rhetorical questions. This model is indeed helpful and it is practiced several times unconsciously by successful ‘designers’. Specially while discussing ideas, we often use the rhetorical questioning method which is beneficial for creating food for thought. The plus point which I see in the frame creation process model is that it gives the designer a guideline of how to approach a problem. It prevents one from jumping randomly, instead it literally ‘frames’ one’s approach and try to ensure that no key element is missed during the brainstorming process. For instance, I do not have the ability of writing full sentences and noting down phrases, instead I put the main heading in the middle and just brainstorm around it whenever I take notes. However, by doing so, fine details can be missed and it becomes difficult to track back. Therefore, this frame is one which should be applied to keep track of the thinking and solution proposal process.
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An early sketch of Sydney Opera House
The ‘fight’ between architects and civil engineers is about how one only creates artsy stuffs(the architect) while the other (the civil engineer) has to figure out how to actually do it. Th shells of the Opera House of Sydney show how the architect and civil engineer always disagree and how some civil engineers are somehow motivated to ‘keep the artsy side alive’. But who would expect that this magnificent piece of architecture will still be subjected to some form of vandalism. Dorst explains how the Designing out Crime center (DoC center) in Sydney was asked to devise a method to prevent people from climbing the shells and unroll banners or paint slogans on them. By using the frame creation process model, the team at the DoC center tried to figure out the real problem.
The Architect - Jørn Utzon - Sydney Opera House
Peter Hall - the Australian architect who completed the Opera House
By asking ‘what if’ questions the problem is not solved but understood. As a ‘designer’, it gives me In short, design,art andas mathematics are all part ofhaving the imagination headaches as well ‘aha moments’ to go th The above technical drawing shows how the lines of the shells are not just randomly drawn arcs. Each line in the technical drawing above is meaningful and each of the arc which intersects each other create another meaningful arc. The whole work behind the resulting shell design show that being creative is definitely not a random process, instead it can be proved mathematically. Therefore, without digressing from the topic of ‘design thinking’, I seize this opportunity to pay tribute to amazing thinkers behind the Opera House of Sydney and irrespective of all the headaches it caused to the actors involved, it definitely shows that design is definitely not a linear process but it is one which makes all the participants go through rollercoasters of thoughts until the final (but not the ultimate) solution is found.
An early sketch of Sydney Opera House
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Reflection We are midway through the ‘Fundamentals of Design Thinking’ course and I felt the need to press the pause button in my life and see how has things evolved and are evolving in my life. It is clear now that the design thinking is more than a few block diagrams and flow charts of how the thinking process works. It is omnipresent and undeniably, an excessive focus on it can even create some sort of ‘point of no return’ (if no ample precaution is taken.) At this point in my adventure in Turkey, I am technically done with my last semester at the university and I was also given the chance for my first ‘big’ speech which also happened to be in Turkish. I have been working on this speech for quite a long time and since I am experiencing new things day by day, I often had the benefit of doubt whether I will be giving my listeners the right elements or not. My topic was ‘Gurbette ilham’ which translates to ’‘Inspiration abroad’ and I needed to make sure that my speech does not ‘sell dreams’ to people instead my goal was to make people ‘become aware of the work behind being able to do it too’. In short, speaking to an audience is a sensitive matter, it is similar to the action of sowing seeds in people’s mind (and this seed can either be positive or negative). As a speaker, I had the responsibility to either sow seeds which can potentially make bring people see more opprtunities or sow seeds which will make create barriers in people’s mind. The situation was a sensitive one and I had to consult close acquaintances to ask whether the way I planned to deliver the message was correct or not. In my eyes, all the message that I wanted to deliver were ‘correct’ but I also knew that there is always a better method to deliver the message. Therefore, by implementing the questioning exercises learnt so far, I eventually managed to filter out ‘what is really needed’ from ‘what is needed’ and delivered a speech which could make people relate to.
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Can most people be inspiring? Yes, they can be. Inspiration is about the inspiration seeker. On that day, there were more than 9 speakers, be it from the hosts of the program to the diversified audience, everyone had some ingredient to add. Some people found inspiration in just my opening line, while another group of people found it somewhere in the middle. As mentioned, it is about the seeker and what he/she is looking for. The answer that he is probably looking for is somewhere inside his/her head but he wants a confirmation from outside. At times, in my seated position, I listened to some other speakers and the ingredients which they fed to audience were no new to me but this moment gave me a ‘green light’ to what I usually think of. Therefore, I realized that man tend to generate a number of thoughts on his/her own but it is an approval from ‘outside’ which can propel him to work on it or even give up from it. Therefore, no matter how much we trust our initial thoughts, there is nothing to lose in opening ourselves to our surroundings and gain some feedback. Inspiration and design (and feedback). No design and inspiration starts from scratch. These three work closely together or can also be considered as three gears feeding one another in turn. One inspiration can ignite the birth of a design and this design can grow into something extraordinary. But with the help of feedbacks, the design can be taken to a finer level since comments (feedbacks) from outside (from someone seeing both the designer and the design) can make designers discover what he would never see from his designing position. In a nutshell, as much as I felt satisfied for giving an inspirational talk and attempted to touch the life of a bunch of inspiration seekers, its the conversations in our networking sessions which in turn inspired me to achieve newer things.
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Improvising Any science fiction movie is always expected to surprise its viewers with action packed scenes and fantastic features. The movie is indeed an action packed one, however, the interaction between the aliens and the humans is what makes the film unique. The very first scene which depicts a realistic one is the early encounter of Louise Banks with the heptapods. Despite having a prepared plan with her team, Banks has had to shift to an improvising exercise to make advancement in the researches. This is where, the movie can be immediately related to the design thinking and process, therefore bringing the idea that design is not a linear process. Déjà vu? Banks represents someone who is patient and trusts the process of ideation. Another important scene is where her methodology does not seem to match that of others (other millitary bodies from around the world). The interpretation of the phrase ‘offer weapon’ from the heptapods differs for the different analysts. Despite Banks argues that the symbol interpreted as "weapon" might also mean ‘tool’, the other millitary bodies do no not comply and eventually decide to fire the vessels. This in turn shows how coordination is also an important feature of designing. In short, poor coordination in the ideation and design process can make a potentially great idea hold no value. Last, so far it can be understood that many problems in life (or this fictional problem in this movie) can be solved if they are dealt in a systematic way. Yet, there should be room for improvising as well as feedback. Never will a problem be solved in the way planned (for example creating a walkthrough of the solution using a flowchart). Therefore, designers should always be ready to improvise and adapt according to feedbacks due to external factors affecting their design process.
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We're a world with no single leader. It's impossible to deal with just one of us. - Agent Halpern, Arrival
Source: Pinterest
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a mind like none A mind like none. I just had to act as if Grandin was not autistic at the end of the movie. It is undeniable that its her autism which gave her that extra thinking ability to walkthrough her different researches and proposals, however, that kind of approach to problems is definitely an examplary one . As designers, we fail to enter the shoe of the potential users completely during our researches or design processes (thus creating an incomplete idea) but Grandın did the very same exercise by putting herself in the shoe of the animals. She did not think twice before rolling in the dirt to understand the cattles. Putting the tag of an autistic person aside, this character is a portrayal of how a designer or let’s say a problem solver should actually approach a problem. By observing her problem identification ability, her data collecting methods and synthesis, it is a wake up call to designers who tend to think that ideas pop out with the laptops/computers at their hand. She reminds designers that they should be ready to ‘dirty’ their hands and give themselves to the design. ‘Giving oneself to a design’ is almost similar to what Neri Oxman also referred to as ‘nurturing’ a design. The tribute to Grandin is also another reminder that the problem identification is not about looking for the problem or looking to solve a problem, instead by being a bit more alert and aware of our surrounding, there are hundreds of issues needing a solution. Other than that, her curiosity and photographic memory are also features which perhaps make designers envy her as a thinker. For instance, the way Grandin explains how she can actually walkthrough all her designs and plans is a quality which I believe many contemporary designers lack. In a nutshell, Grandin serves as a wake up call to designers no matter how good their methodologies are. Such a portrayal of problem identification, ideation and designing along with its external factors cannot be summarised ‘any better’. 21
Identifying that there is a problem in the way cattles are treated prior to slaugthering them can be easily disregarded since it is either ‘not even considered as a problem’ or ‘considered just as another problem to play blind to’. The belt design proposed by Grandin is one which is beyond what a group of common designers could have achieved. The problem was not solved by a great solution, instead, it was solved by a proper understanding of the problem. She was able to get in the shoe of the cattles and feel them at different stages and such a ‘custom made’ solution was designed. Another impressing part of her proposal is that she had to draw the belt on her own after the time constraints of other draughtsman. She learned the basics through observation and eventually was able to produce it. Her ability to produce the accurate drawing was not due to her being a good draughtsman , instead, she could walkthrough the design than no one could. For her, each line and arc had a real meaning. All these together are what demarcate Grandin as a unique mind with great design thnking abilities.
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Understanding the term alien
To understand the interpretation of the term ‘alien’, I looked back at one of my favorite hobbies which is readng about extraterrestrial life. I cannot deny my belief in UFOs and whenever I try to understand the visit of the aliens to earth, I suspect if we are the ‘aliens’ to other creatures or do they know us as the humans or do simply they term us as ‘creatures’ too. Worse, are they so advanced that they pity us when they see us fooling around acting as smart species? Dr Steven Greer is an ardent researcher in the field of UFO and is adament on the visit of our neighbours from the other planets. He often try ‘to see’ planet earth and humanity as a third person and one of this strongest quotes is as follows: “Alas, our technology has marched ahead of our spiritual and social evolution, making us, frankly, a dangerous people.” From this, I understand that the timeline of things have long been disturbed and some ‘things’ are ahead of ‘others’ by thousand of years. Due to this gap in our learning and discovering ability, there are millions of questions which will never be asked or answered. Then, I ask myself whether we imagine too much when we think of the term ‘alien’. To adapt to the mentioned disturbed timeline as explained by Greer, I believe that scientists on earth should focus more on Earth itself. The need for extra information from space and extraterrestrial life could be too much for humanity to handle and manipulate. In short, the human mind is like a thirsty sponge, if you drop a pool of knowledge over it, it will absorb a maximum of the knowledge but eventually lose part of it due to its inability to retain it due the pressure it experiences. Similarly, if the same sponge (the mind) is served drop by drop, it will again absorb a maximum of it but remains stable and retain a maximum of it. This is why it can easily lose itself (as in getting confused) when trying to learn a new theory or interpretation.
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Why is it that when one man builds a wall, the next man immediately needs to know what's on the other side? George R.R. Martin (A Games of Thrones)
In relation to the design thinking, it is paradoxical since on one side, I question whether it is necessary for mankind to be this curious about unknown things in the universe or should mankind just be satisfied with what is within the reach of his hand. Or, had mankind not be overly curious, would we be experiencing life in a better/worse way? Greer states that our technology has marched ahead of our spiritual and social evolution, making us, frankly, a dangerous people. By accepting the statement as it is, it means that mankind has had a wrong start right from square one and now, the only thing they can do is keep creating solutions to a problem which was inexistant in the first place. The lesson I take from this is that the designers should be consistent in the researches and avoid digressing from the main problem. This is why many solutions to some identified design problems tend to look like a collage of unrelated objects. As an aspiring urban planner, working on urban planning problems is interesting and intensive research is always beneficial, however, it can also create a labyrinth and make the city an impossible maze to solve. The approach I have used over the last 4 semesters is setting principles under which I do the analysis, synthesis and problem identification exercise. Eventually, the problems become more obvious and act as a guide for designing process.
The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. Plutarch
Therefore, by establishing a proper structure to identify the problems will prevent digression and help the designer create an ‘ideal’ solution. By being over curious, designers can meet with hurdles which complicate the design solution. This is why designers should be careful in the principles they choose prior to doing the analysis, synthesis and problem identification exercise.
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AVON THE ART OFÂ
FRAME INNOVATION
A EHT
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What is the problem behind the inability to establish a structured design thinking in our surrounding? (referring to the environment in which I evolved as a design student)
Can the design thinking be solved by improving our communication skills?
While reading the different cases as portrayed by Dorst in the Frame Innovation, a reality check was needed because many of the cases solved were ‘too perfectly understood’ to be true. By analysing the different projects happening in my surrounding (from simple school projects to megaprojects in the metropolitan city of Istanbul), the ‘approach’ or ‘mindset’ behind the ideation and realisation process intrigued me. The stakeholders of the different projects examined had a few strange but common approaches in their ideation and realisation process.
Since, I evolved as a design student with a Turkish people majority in my surrounding, I will consider my personal experiences both as a student and as an intern in Istanbul. However, I must be fair by saying that this group of people examined does not represent all the designers in my surrounding. The examined ‘approach’ involved words such as ‘HALLEDERİZ’ which means ‘we can handle it’, ‘ÇÖZERİZ’ which translates to ‘we can solve it’, ‘YAP GEÇ’ which somehow means ‘do and let go/pass’ and the worst of all is the phrase - ‘DÜNYA’YI SEN Mİ KURTARACAĞIN?’ which is usually used when someone is putting much effort in a research and ignorant people in his surrounding would say - ‘O, by doing this much, will you be saving the world?’ In addition, it is important to say that these behaviours has been observed both in design students and professionals in my surrounding. Momentarily, it did give a ‘satisfaction’ since it just meant getting rid of a problem, however, in the long term such an approach gave birth to further problems. Therefore, from this observation, I conclude that the use of proper wordings in our daily communication play a major role in establishing the ‘frame’ needed for a proper design thinking. The correct use of words and forms of expressions are important to ensure that problems are understood properly and solved ‘as needed’. My piece of advice to myself is to use the right terminologies to prevent any misinterpretation among students and professionals. In my experience, there are cases where an effort on both side of the communicators to use the correct terminologies have been observed and indeed, the task was easier to understand solve.
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Understanding my design thinking When I am given a problem to solve...
When I want to solve for a problem...
I have noticed that I think differently when I am given a task compared to when I want to take the responsibility of a particular task. When I am given a task, I clearly ask the person to list the ‘things’ that is needs to be achieved. From this, a checklist is provided and the design solution is tailored according to the given requirements. While the checklist is drafted, I also provide some input by asking a few questions such as ‘What if...’ , ‘Are you sure about...’ or ‘Is it neccessary to...?’ to influence the decision being made.
On the contrary, when I want to solve for a problem (design problem), I unconsciously have my own frame which I apply from time to time to find the root(s) of a particular problem. By using this frame, I decipher and understand the A to Z of any particular problem. While watching the different materials during the Fundamentals of Design Thinking course, I could relate with some of the characters and it was satisfying to see such brillant minds having similar approaches to design problems.
Once the decisions are made and the checklist is drafted, I work according to the given check list. By doing so, I do not look for ‘extra input’ and ‘restrict myself’ to create the solution as ‘required’. The problem with this approach is that I do not fully immerse myself in the thinking and design process and merely use some of the technical skills I have learnt over years to complete the tasks. After doing several design tasks with this approach, I questioned whether I am disrespecting my own occupation and wrongly portraying it as a the job of draughtman...
By using this approach, I always generate a detailed synthesis exercise.However, many of my personal design projects have never been completed as a reason of failure to use the synthesis as an ingredient to feed the design process. This is a poor habit that I have observed in myself over years and this made me realise that having a team of knowledgeable people working on a project is always advantageous in creating a proper solution.
When I am given a problem to solve...
VERSUS
When I want to solve for a problem...
I keep sounding contradictory to myself whenever I get into a conversational with myself be it about design or life. By thinking about ‘everything’, I tend to miss out on the main components and eventually find myself stuck in some sort of labyrinth. At this point, I believe that I have amassed enough ‘knowledge’ to be a no vice designer, however, the lack of attributes such as decluttering, patience, focus and discipline has always been detrimental to the possibility of creating a proper design solution. 27
Representing my design thinking
1. Do I really WANT to work on such a problem?
2. Does this problem really need to be solved?
Identifying a problem
1. Setting principles within which the problem is analysed.
2. Consulting related stakeholders to understand their views on the problem.
Building a strong research base
3. Are there existing solutions which seem more convenient than what you can possibly do?
4. View the situation from a 3rd person’s view (neither as someone in it nor as the designer).
3. Re examining the existing solutions to see where they fail or not.
1. Formulate design specifications about the future solution (as in: The design must be...)
2. Constantly zoom out of the design and see it from the eyes of a ‘common man’
1. Produce the final design with all the ingredients (input) available
4. Prepare the illustrations, technical details of the design and try to simulate it.
2. Produce the final design with with respect to the specification list produced earlier
Design, Test, Feedback
Pre design process 3. Can you tell a story with the design you are thinking? How convincing are you?
4. Creating a list of the problems vs the possible solution(s) roughly.
3. Compare the two designs/ prototypes and test them.
4. Apply feedbacks where neccessary
5. Prepare final design with a proper presentation and story.
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Man is an embodied paradox, a bundle of contradictions. Charles Caleb Colton
Growth pattern of the brain Design by a wannabe designer.
Connecting the chambers
Design by a wannabe designer.
FUNDAMENTALS OF
DESIGN THINKING
special regards to
Dr. Miray BoÄ&#x;a department of industrial product design | ITU
FUNDAMENTALS OF
DESIGN THINKING 2019
manohur chand poonyth department of urban and regional planning | ITU mcpoonyth@gmail.com | instagram: chand.tr.mru