DESIGN THINKING & how to tackle wicked problems
Course Description: An introduction to the basic concepts and skills of design thinking as an interdisciplinary subject. Emphasizes creative and critical thinking in the design process; provides the student with the theory and operational skills necessary to solve design problems in the realms of symbolic and visual communication, material objects, environments, and organized services and activities.
Goals and Learning Objectives
sheerazwania.com sheerazwania@me.com COURSE TAUGHT AT SHERIDAN COLLEGE, TORONTO, FOR THE CCIT [UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO] STUDENTS.
At the end of this course, students will be able to • develop an awareness of what motivates and shapes the design process • explore design elements and principles that can be applied to the areas of visual communication, space/environment, material objects, and organized services and activities • apply a range of creativity methods and design paradigms to solve design problems • generate innovative solutions to design problems, substantiated by research • conceptualize design prototypes using visualization skills and render computer-generated illustrations • develop creative and critical thinking skills as design visionaries • evaluate a variety of design thinking approaches and processes
Teaching Methods Intended for students with little design experience, this course provides an introduction to the central issues and approaches in the study of design. With an emphasis on the creative thinking process, students will look at examples drawn from diverse design disciplines, examine the likely scenarios in production, and explore personal problem-solving abilities in the realm of design.
Required Reading Materials The Design of Everyday Things Author: Donald A. Norman New York: Basic Paperback, 2002 ISBN: 0-465-06710-7 The Idea of Design Edited by Victor Margolin and Richard Buchanan MIT Press, 1996 A Design Issues Reader ISBN 0-262-63166-0
WHAT IS CREATIVITY? Roger Martin is the author of ‘The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking.’
ANALYTICAL THINKING
INTUITIVE THINKING
‘thinkers who exploit opposing ideas to construct a new solution enjoy a built-in advantage over thinkers who can consider only one model at a time.’
Working with Constraints Negative & Positive A positive constraint is a constraint you’re trying to maximize. A negative constraint is a constraint you’re trying to minimize.
http://inhabitat.com/ecoark-pavilion-made-from-1-5-million-plasticbottles/
‘No single definition of design, or branches of professionalized practice such as industrial or graphic design, adequately covers the diversity of ideas and methods gathered together under the label.’ Richard Buchanan, Wicked Problems in Design Thinking
‘the objects of design must be seen only as means- means for people to act, to realize their wishes and satisfy their needs. This requires a better understanding of people, of society and of the ecosystem. This necessity to extend the area of competence of the designer, from knowledge of form, technique, and manufacturing processes, to the understanding of social, psychological, cultural, economic and ecological factors that affect life in society.’ From “A History of Design, A History of Concerns” by Jorge Frascara
What is Design Thinking?
BISOCIATION ‘To develop a complete mind: study the science of art; study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realise that everything connects to everything else.’ Leonardo da Vinci
COMMUNICATION THEORY Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another.
When a sign is encoded with one meaning and decoded with another, Umberto Eco describes it as ‘aberrant presuppositions’ and ‘aberrant decoding’
DESIGN PROCESS T-shape thinking Analytical vs. Creative
WICKED-PROBLEMS APPROACH
IMPORTANCE OF A CONCEPT
To promote the value of humanitarianism through giving shelter, self-respect, and hope for a better life. [Student examples]
BRAND POSITIONING
DESIGN ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES
Brand positioning refers to ‘target consumer’s’ reason to buy your brand in preference to others. It is ensures that all brand activity has a common aim; is guided, directed and delivered by the brand’s benefits/ reasons to buy; and it focuses at all points of contact with the consumer.
LINE SHAPE DIRECTION SIZE TEXTURE COLOUR VALUE BALANCE GRADATION REPETITION CONTRAST HARMONY/ UNITY
TAXONOMY OF GRAPHIC MARKS
SUBTRACTIVE THINKING ‘Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.’
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
ASSIGNMENT design project in visual and symbolic communication
Student work examples of a visual communication project for a fictitious place that would be a fun place to be
THE SEVEN UNIVERSAL STAGES OF CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING ion t a situ t p ze cce aly A n ) 1 2) A ANALYSIS
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3) D
CONCEPT
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t pleme c e a el m de 5) S 6) I 4) I te
SYNTHESIS
From The Universal Traveler: A Soft Systems Guide to Creativity, Problem-Solving and the Process of Reaching Goals by Don Koberg and Jim Bagnell
‘When simple things need pictures, labels, or instructions, the design has failed.’ Donald A. Norman, The Design of Everyday Things Design Thinking is an empathetic process. All the way through the typical Design Thinking process, there is an underlying drive to understand how the user or consumer feels. Such an understanding allows the design team to factor in the human element of owning and using their product. The designers have not only considered the difficulties the consumer faces, but the constraints of the situation.
BRAINSTORMING
4 BRAINSTORMING PRINCIPLES Criticism is not allowed Ideas brought forth should be picked up by the other people present Participants should divulge all ideas entering their minds without any constraints A key objective is to provide as many ideas as possible within a relatively short time
SCAMPER a checklist for brainstorming
http://www.destinationinnovation.com
ASSIGNMENT Reconsider an existing design issue or problem and propose a new solution Reconsider an existing design issue or problem and propose a new solution, i.e. a new design. You will examine the crux of the issue or problem and propose an innovative solution, i.e. either an improved way of doing things or a radically new way of doing things (incremental vs. breakthrough thinking), or a combination of both.
Redesign in the aviation industry
DESIGN PARADIGMS The term ‘design paradigm’ is used within the design professions, including architecture, industrial design and engineering design, to indicate a classic solution. Thus a Swiss Army Knife is a design paradigm illustrating the concept of a single object that changes configuration to address a number of problems [wiki].
‘Cultural integration concerns the hybridization* of a particular culture with the contemporary Western or ‘global’ culture that forms a kind of artificial acculturation** of the particular and the universal. However, the key issue is the choice of cultural elements.’
CULTURAL INTEGRATION/ HYBRIDIZATION
Clark, H., & Leong, B. D. (2003). Culture-based knowledge towards new design thinking and practice – a dialogue. Design Issues, Vol. 19, No. 3, Summer 2003, p. 57
BIOMIMICRY Biomimicry is a discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.
Sharkskin-inspired swimsuits received a lot of media attention during the 2008 Summer Olympics when the spotlight was shining on Michael Phelps.
Velcro is widely known example of biomimicry. Velcro was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1941 after he removed burrs from his dog and decided to take a closer look at how they worked.
OTHER CREATIVITY METHODS how to define a problem Brainstorming: ‘the right idea is often the opposite of the obvious’
Mind Mapping: Radiant Thinking ‘A mind map is a diagram used to visually organise information. A mind map is often created around a single concept... [wiki]’.
Interviews: Ethnography is gathering data through observations, interviews, and questionnaires, can be away of getting new ideas.
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