Me

Researcher Business Designer Service Designer Learning Designer

@studiothick

Slides available after!

Designers are everywhere.

UX Design CX Design Service Design

Graphic Design Org Design Business

Design

Research Design

Fashion Design

Furniture Design

Industrial Design

Product Design

Urban Design

ArchitecturalDesign

Game Design

Web Design

Packaging Design

Curriculum Design

Communi- cations Design

Brand Design

Interaction Design

Policy Design

Chemical Design

Automobile Design

Aeronautical Design Civil Design Landscape

DesignEngineering

DesignInterior Design

What are the differences between types of design?

Tools

Tools Methods

Tools Methods Skills

Tools Methods Skills

Knowledge

Tools Methods Skills

Knowledge Materials

Tools Methods Skills

Knowledge Materials

Type of problems

What do all types of design have in

common?

What defines the practice of Design?

Making or creating stuff…

Making or creating stuff…

…that is new or unique

Making or creating stuff…

…that is new or unique

…and appropriate - it helps solve a problem or achieve some purpose

Discussion in groups

What do you make professionally that is:

- Different each time and solves some sort of problem?

Discussion

What do you design?

4 components of design as creative problem solving

Purpose

The largest relevant vision,

goal or ideal state

Ideal Actual

Problem

Constant comparisonPurpose

To have a health y and beautiful

garden

we are called upon to act when we realise there is

a discrepancy…

…between the world as it exists and the world as

we want it to be.

To have a health y and beautiful

garden

Ideal Actual

Why is there a gap?

Constant comparisonPurpose

To have a town hall that will impress the community

Ideal Actual

Why is there a gap?

Constant comparisonPurpose

Ideal Actual

Why is there a gap?

Constant comparisonPurpose

To deliver delightful service

to customers

Ideal Actual

Why is there a gap?

Constant comparisonPurpose

To make money +$2M -$500K

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

The largest relevant vision,

goal or ideal state

The discrepancy between ideal

and actual

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

The largest relevant vision,

goal or ideal state

The discrepancy between ideal

and actual

…and our explanation or

diagnosis of why!

ProcessPurpose Problem (Opportunity)

The largest relevant vision,

goal or ideal state

The discrepancy between ideal

and actual

The process you go through to

create a solution

…and our explanation or

diagnosis of why!

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

The thing created to solve the problem or

capitalise on the opportunity

The largest relevant vision,

goal or ideal state

The discrepancy between ideal

and actual

The process you go through to

create a solution

…and our explanation or

diagnosis of why!

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

Moving closer to our ideal state

Uncertainty

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

Is there a gap?

What is the real cause of the

gap?

What if there is more than one

cause?

To identify and understand problems and opportunities by performing appropriate research

The job of a designer:

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

What is ideal?

Do we need to act?

To be agents of change by asking others to reflect on the distance between “real” and “ideal”.

The job of a designer:

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

There are so many possible

solutions!

Which one (s) will work?

The job of a designer:

To figure out which solution will best address the problem by prototyping and testing

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

What is the best path?

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

X

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

Becomes standardised

Rarely questioned

Often invisible

To tailor-make every design process to be visible, communicable and appropriate to the challenge at hand.

The job of a designer:

Exploring different design processes

What sort of design problem might your process be

appropriate for?

What is being emphasised in each model? What is the modeller

trying to communicate?

high risk/ high cost = testing &

iteration focus

high risk/ high cost = testing &

validation focus

complex problem space = research focus

highly technical product = develop / build focus

Evolving, dynamic problem = evaluation, monitoring &

improvement focus

First learn to do design…

Then learn to tailor your design process.

Who can share a gap between “ideal” and

“real”?

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

What might you design to

successfully close the gap?

What is “ideal” to you?

How does reality currently not

match your idea of “ideal”?

What steps would you go

through to create your

solution?

Share

Pulling apart a case study!

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

What might you design to

successfully close the gap?

What is “ideal” to you?

How does reality currently not

match your idea of “ideal”?

What steps would you go

through to create your

solution?

Share

Take aways!

Process Solution (Product)

Purpose Problem (Opportunity)

What might you design to

successfully close the gap?

What is “ideal” to you?

How does reality currently not

match your idea of “ideal”?

What steps would you go

through to create your

solution?

• Define ideal, learn about reality • Define the gap(s) between what is ideal and real

• Seek to understand why the gap exists

• Tailor your design process to suit the problem or challenge at hand

• Make sure you can visualise and communicate your process

• Test your solutions to find the best one, and to figure out if it will actually solve the problem… before you spend time and $$ on a lost cause

Design is not a discipline. It is

a practice.

You can’t master design through

study.

Me

Researcher Business Designer Service Designer Learning Designer

@studiothick

Me

@ashleeriordanPublications on Medium