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Week 6 [24.04-30.04] - Design thinking - The way to a better world

If you are designers you could hear about this approach to design. It’s a method of creating innovative products and services based on deep understanding of the problems and needs of users. In Poland it is relatively new but it’s really popular in United States. I heard about it for the first time from my colleagues from work who are User Experience Designers, but this methodology is useful for all designers and inventors. Design thinking can be applied in every industry.
For this reason I was interested in Elise Roy’ s lecture on TED. She talked about design thinking for disabled people. Roy has been deaf since the age of ten. She is a disability rights lawyer, she fights for more open, accessible world for disabled people. She said “Designing for extremes, creates solutions that are better than when we design for the norm. And people with disabilities are great examples of extreme users.” She shows us that designing for people with disabilities can help us make better solutions for all people! Did you know that text messaging was originally intended for deaf people and now it’s used by everyone? She gives more examples of solutions designed for the disabled and now used by a larger group of users.
In my opinion it’s a great approach. She tells us that we don’t care about failures but fail hard and try harder, because this will allow us to improve our projects and motivate ourselves to look for innovative solutions. For me, her speech is very inspirational J

Link to the lecture Elise Roy: https://www.ted.com/talks/elise_roy_when_we_design_for_disability_we_all_benefit?language=pl

Below are two graphics on the design thinking process :)




https://media.nngroup.com/media/editor/2016/07/25/designthinking_illustration_final2-02.png

  • Have you ever heard about design thinking?
  • Do you use design thinking when you design?
  • What do you think about Elise Roy’s approach?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I am actually a designer and of course I've heard about design thinking. In my opinion it would be useful while creating really big projects which demand good understanding of user's needs.
Personally I don't use this approach. I'm not working with such big projects and in my opinion I don't need to use it.
However it's a great pattern for big companies or whole teams working on apps or great websites.
Unknown said…
I think that designing for deaf is interesting. I have never done it. I think that this kind of work can develop everyone. I agree with Elise Roy "When you design for deaf people you often have better results than when you design for normall people" Of course I have heard about it but I have never thought about it.
Michał Pycek said…
Yes, I have heard about it and I agree it is a written and scructured pattern for those who organize or manage specific, big projects. Each stage matters and evolves thanks to the previous one so all of them depend on each other, however when I work on a project, I don't really define each stage so specifially. Sometimes I jump from one to another because I think the project I am working on is just ready for it. It is nice to understand this process though.
Unknown said…
The project doesn't have to be big but innovative but it's true that methodology is often used in large corporations beacuse it's supports running projects:)
Unknown said…
Thank you for your opinion :)
Unknown said…
I think the problem is that it isn't still a very popular approach.
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said…
When I think about design thinking, some advantages cross my mind:
1) Gives you the opportunity to view a problem from a different perspective
2) Allows you to delve into a problem to determine its root cause
3) Encourages innovative thinking and creative problem solving
4) Ensures that the final outcome meets objectives and client requirements
5) Results in an experience that is more effective and informative for your learners
6) Enables you to continually expand your knowledge
Unknown said…
I agree with your notices :) thanks for your comment!
Maciej Główka said…
To be honest I've never heard about design thinking. It sounds really interesting, it might be really helpful in projects, in which user's needs are in the first place. I think, I'll try this approach in my smaller, homemade projects ;)
I agree with Elise Roy’ s statement. In my opinion making app useful and available for "extreme" users such as deaf people might make it also better for normal people without disabilities.
Unknown said…
I think that Elise is right. Preparing product for people with disabilities might be good lesson and help creators to design products that are easier to use for healthy peple, because it makes designers to empathize with different people. I am software developer and sometimes I have to think about design. When you do something that will be used by other people you have to think how they will use it. I think that design is very important.
Unknown said…
I think good design is when something looks good and works good :)
Unknown said…
Thank you for your comment!
I have never heard of the design thinking. But when I'm thinking about a product that is designed for a client, it is obvious for me, that it should be desing by this approach, because they are the one who will use it. My work is not related with designing. Elise approach could be true, that designing something for specific group of users, that need more thoughtful design, is more user friendly in global.
Unknown said…
Thank you for your opinion :)

I haven't heard about design thinking and so I haven't used it but when I think about it I have to agree that design thinking is very good way of designing products or services, because it's focused on people that it's designed for. I can agree with statement that making products for people with disabilities makes them better for all of us, because it makes creators to focus on details which normally they would not think about.
Bartosz Łyżwa said…
I've already heard about design thinking few times but I've never got deeper into the details of this subject. I'm sure it's necesssary to make our world easier for everyone, including disabled people. But what I'm thinking about Elise Roy’s approach? It's hard to tell because I don't have enough knowledge about it but I believe she's right.
I have never heard about design thinking, but it looks really interesting.
I believe that’s the way that projects should be made, to succeed on the market because of putting user on the first place.
I don’t really design anything, but if I have to design something in the future, I’ll definitely use design thinking.
Yes, I heard , unfortunately I do not possess them.
No , I can't do things (for example in web design) practical and convenient only for me. I think this is the task of the designer to make for example some grandiose idea but only practical from the standpoint of convenience but also intuitively clear to most people that a person not reading the description and not watching video lessons how to use it could intuitively understand the basic things.
Ihor Ahnianikov said…
I haven't heard of the design thinking before, but I guess it's similar to any engineering approach that keeps up with UX. I'm sure that UX is really important in designing anything, from tableware to the rocket control panel. It's great that someone is popularizing this approach for disabled people, while everyone can live with the awfully designed things and interfaces, people with disabilities may need special options so it's really important.
Unknown said…
Never heard of it, not until now. It sounds interesting.
I totally agree that unique approach produces unique (good, best? better.) solution. With growning number of devices, their power and magnitude of features and options to choose from we are in dire need of great designs which will improve overall usability and will allow us to harness it's power.
I never heard of it, but it looks good. It's definitely a good idea to plan ahead before jumping right into doing something - a good plan is half of the success.
I think different point of view is always good in every matter. Design process is also something we can make better for everyone. Good presentation, never heard of this topic before.
Adam Paśniczek said…
I heard about UX before many times. I think it is that kind of the thing that everybody use but don’t even realize it . Design thinking is in every aspect in our life. Everything we are using was created by other people before. It seems to me that it is very import when it comes to design to think as if users thought. This should be the basic of every new idea. The world is plenty of projects that are useless because they do not fulfil rules of UX.
Magdalena Popek said…
I'm not a designer and I have never heard of design thinking, however I have always imagined designing process like that (maybe a bit less detailed). The "when you design for deaf people you often have better results than when you design for normal people" approach is similar to showing graphical user interface to an elderly person. If s/he is able to use it easily with no problems it is a good interface. If a person with reduced cognitive functions will be satisfied with your product probably most of socity will (unless it is a product designated for such people).
Looking at the diagrams design thinking seem to be great way of managing designing process. It puts the stress on user's needs, not realizing designer's project because 'people will use it anyway'.I'm not a designer and I have never heard of
Vyvyan said…
1) I have heard of design thinking even though i'm not a designer. I believe that it's important only in big projects where people need to understand a lot of detailed things.
2) I don't design so i don't need to use that way of thinking.
3) Making app useful and available for disabled (let's not fear this word) users such as, mentioned by him, deaf people might make it also better for normal people without those problems. So naturally i agree with Elise.
Unknown said…
I have heard of design thinking and I am agree with the speaker. I think this statement should be the basis of the design idea. It makes so much sense. If I were a designer, i would use this method for sure. Very interesting topic.
Unknown said…
I have never heard of the design thinking. But when I'm thinking about a client product, it's obvious that it should be design how the user wants.
Interesting article, I've learner something new, thanks.

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