Spring2018

Design ThinkingThinkingLikeaDesigner

Principles of

FromIdeatoBusiness

DanHarel,AdjunctProfessor,IndustrialDesign,RochesterInstituteofTechnology,2018|Foreducationpurposesonly

Aninclusiveandcreativemethodologythatpromotesuserunderstandingandcollaborativeproductdevelopmentprocesstosolveproblems

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But,itwasn’talwayslikethisasuserfeedbackandparticipationwasneveranaimoftheindustrialrevolution

Design Thinking

Design Thinking

Early20thCenturyHousehold&Officeequipment

Manyconsumerandcommercialdesignswellintothe20thCenturydisplayedinsufficientconsiderationforuserneeds

Design Thinking

Auser-centeredapproachthatconsidersuser-understandinganduserexperienceasfundamentalcomponentsforcreatingAprovenandrepeatableprocessleadingtousefulsolutionsthatareinlinewithorganizationvisionorstrategicintent

Value

Design Thinking |ThinkinglikeadesignerAnintegratedapproachtoproblemsolving

Rational&Analytical

Intuitive&Emotive

DesignTechnology Art

Stepsnotproportionallyspacedoutinprocessdiagram

Design Thinking |AProblemSolvingMethodology

ATAGLANCE

InitialproblemdescriptionByenduser,customer,ororganization

DesignBrief&reframedproblemdefinitionAproblemworthsolving

Research•  User•  Technology•  Business

Visualization&storytellingFromhandsketchestodetailedillustrations

IterativeprototypingCreationofmanyoptions

Testing&refinementVerifyneedsaremet:•  User•  Technology•  Business

Ideation&synthesis•  Strategicdirections•  Criteriaforselectingtopsolutions

1 2 3 5 6 74

Design Thinking |ProductIdeationModel

BestinnovationopportunitiesIdeasrelatingtospecificuser,market&

technologies

Needs&DesiresCouldtheybeidentifiedandaddressed?

Possibilities

Couldtheideabemade?

UserDesirability

TechnologyFeasibility

BusinessViability

Requirements

Couldtheideabeprofitable?

Needs&Desires

•ContextualEnvironment&situationneeds

•ExperientialUseremotiveneeds

•HumanisticPromotehumanvalues

User

Design Thinking |BasisforGoodDesign

Designersareresponsibleforcreatingsolutionscenteredontheuser’sexperience,context,andonpromotinghumanvalues

Design Thinking |SelectingtheRightOpportunities

Needs(filters)

Userneeds&desires

Businessrequirements

Technologypossibilities

Ideas

Unfitopportunities(many)

ProductCommercialization

Relevantopportunities(few)

Design Thinking |InitialResearch

Whatquestionsshouldbeaskedintheinitialresearch?•  Usercharacteristics,needs&desires•  Context/environmentcharacteristics•  Businessviability(targetmarket)•  Technologyfeasibility&possibilities•  Competitivebenchmarking

TypicalQuestions

•  Whoistheintendeduser(s)formyproduct?

•  Whatphysicalcharacteristicsorotherattributesbestdescribethisperson’slife?

•  Whataretheactivitiesthisuserismostlyinvolvedwith?

Methods

•  Observations•  Interviews•  Datacollection•  Documentation(illustrations,photography)

Goals

•  Tobecomefamiliarwiththelifestyleandrelevantenvironmentsoftheintendeduser

•  Toidentifyandunderstandspecificproblems

•  Toidentifyandunderstandspecificneeds(explicitandlatent)

Design Thinking |UserNeeds&Desires

TypicalQuestions

•  Whatarethecharacteristicsofthespaceorsituationtheproductisintendedfor(interior/exterior,commercial/residential,socialinteraction)

Methods

•  Personalvisittouser’senvironment

•  Observationofconditionandcharacteristics

•  Observationofwhatusersdointhisspace

•  Interviewsrelatingtotheusageofthespace:-Routineorspecialactivities-Whatworkswellandnot-Realneedsandchallenges-Wishesanddesires

•  Documentation(illustrationsandphotographs)

Goals

•  Tobecomefamiliarwiththeintendedspacetheproductwillbeoperatedin

•  Toidentifyenvironmentalattributesthatshouldbeconsideredinthedesignoftheproduct

Design Thinking |Context&Environment

TypicalQuestions

•  Whatistheintendedtargetmarketfortheproduct?

•  Whatarethecharacteristicsofthismarket?

•  Whatothermarketsmightalsobeinterestedinthisproductoritsvariations?

Methods

•  Marketresearch(multiplesources)

•  Datacollection•  Documentation

Goals

•  Tobecomefamiliarwiththecohortandthemarketyouaredesigningfor,includingtheirlifestyleanddemographics

•  Toidentifyspecificchallengesassociatedwiththismarket

•  Toidentifyspecificneedsorwantsessentialforbusinesssuccess(explicitandlatent)

Design Thinking |BusinessViability

•  Technicaldiagrams,illustrationsandimages

•  Intellectualproperty(IP)

•  Usageinotherproducts

Goals

•  Toensurefunctionalspecificationsandestimatedproductcostareunderstood

•  Toensurethedesigncanbemanufacturedtoperformasintended

•  Toidentifychallengesthatmightpreventatimelydevelopment(suchasdevelopingnewtechnologies)

TypicalQuestions

•  Whatarethemostimportanttechnologiesthatshouldbeconsideredtoenabletheproducttofunction

•  Whataretheirmostimportantcharacteristic,benefitsanddownsides

•  Howeasy/difficultitwouldbetoacquirethetechnologiesofinterest?

Methods

•  Researchanddatacollectionbasedontheproduct’sfunctionalneeds

Design Thinking |TechnologyFeasibility

CATEGORIES/QUESTIONS PRODUCT1 PRODUCT2 PRODUCT3

Targetmarket

Environment

Technology

Othercategories/questions•--------•--------

Method:Evaluate&Compare•  Selectafewconsumerproductsfromasimilarproductcategorymadebydifferentmakers

•  Analyzeyourselectedproductsbasedonspecificcategories/questions(seepreviouspages)

PHOTO PHOTO PHOTO

Design Thinking |CompetitiveBenchmarking

Design Thinking |RecommendedPublications

Thinkinglikeadesigner-fromideatobusiness•  ChangebyDesign:HowDesignThinkingTransformsOrganizationsandInspiresInnovation(TimBrown)

•  DesignThinking:IntegratingInnovation,CustomerExperience,andBrandValue(ebook)(ThomasLockwood)

•  TheArtofInnovation:LessonsinCreativityfromIDEO(TomKelley)

•  DesignThinkingforStrategicInnovation:WhatTheyCan’tTeachYouatBusinessorDesignSchool(IdrisMootee)

•  DesignThinkingProcess&Methods4thEdition(RobCuredale)

PleaseattendtothefollowingrequirementsforyourIdeaLabpresentation:

IdeaLab|TeamPresentations

IdeaLabSpring2018•  Problemareaoriginaltitle

•  Problemareanewtitle(ifdifferent)

•  Problemstatement/definition•  Teammembersinformation:-Fullname-College/department-YearatRIT-Emailcontact

•  Teamadvisor(client)-Name+emailcontact

•  Teamcoach(RITfaculty)-Name+emailcontact

1stpageofpresentationshouldincludethisinformation

Oneimageofyourfinalconceptdesign

and

ProjectRequirement(eachteam)•  Originalproblemdescription(customerrequirements)

•  Userprofile/needsanddesires•  Context/environmentcharacteristics•  Targetmarket/businessviability•  Technologyfeasibilityandpossibilities•  Competitivebenchmarking

•  Refined/reframedproblemdefinition

•  Brainstormingideationandsynthesis(recordofallideas)

•  The“winning”conceptsolution(sketchesorCAD)andanticipatedresources

•  Experimental3Dprototypes(images)

•  Documentation:Googledoc/presentation

FollowthissimplifiedDesignThinkingprocesstoresearch,organizeandpresentyourconceptsolution.Useasmanypagesasnecessary