Thoughts

Design Thinking at Stanford’s d.school

Dec 15 2008

This fall I spent time as an informal advisor at Stanford University’s d.school (formally known as the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford). Headed by George Kembel, the d.school is one of the leading design schools in the world and one of the most prominent proponents of design thinking.

The d.school emphasizes observation, design, iteration, and teamwork by applying the following tenets:

• Leverage the team: At the d.school, students from many different backgrounds (including product design, business, engineering, journalism, and education) come together in part to learn how to work together. Each person is strong in their area, but often people with different backgrounds have a different vocabulary, value different approaches, and have different ways of looking at issues and opportunities. One of the d.school’s goals is to ensure that people are overcoming and leveraging these differences, so that 1) they can be part of productive teams, and 2) there is a sense that many of the challenges society faces today can best be overcome by people from different disciplines working effectively together and looking at issues from many perspectives at once.
• Develop deep empathy and always go back to your users: During my time at the d.school, I definitely saw this in action. During “team time”, it was common for teams to venture out of the building to talk to people about their ideas, to try out their ideas, and get feedback. In their presentations, teams included photos, videos, and other information about real people’s lives and how the team’s idea could fit into those people’s lives.
• Bias towards action & iterate, iterate, iterate: Teams are encouraged to repeat the design approach to quickly iterate on ideas, rather than coming to a solution quickly.
• Always treat your prototypes like a piñata: Prototypes are a means to learn more about an idea and engage potential users. Teams are encouraged not to become attached to ideas to quickly, but instead to see how they can use the design approach build and refine their ideas.
• Think “Wild” First; “Making It Real” will come later. Important considerations such as feasibility and viability were scheduled for later in the quarter after the teams had time to create a wide range of ideas based on understanding people and their needs.

There are many things I admire and about the d.school, including its commitment to apply the design approach to itself: its physical space, classes, curriculum, etc. For example, at the end of every class, teachers and students are encouraged to participate in an open discussion about what worked well and what could be improved next time. The physical space is considered a prototype in action. Adjustments are constantly being made to improve and facilitate the experience.

Thank you to George Kembel, Scott Doorley, Dave Baggeroer, and the staff and students at the d.school for making my time there so enjoyable and worthwhile, and to Michael Dearing and Steve Bishop for their help in making the contacts.

If you’re interested in learning more about the d.school, go to the website or stop by for a tour.

– Jeff

Stanford's d.school

No Comments »

“Architecture School”: A compelling view into the creative process

Aug 24 2008

For those interested in the creative process, “Architecture School” (Sundance Channel) offers a compelling view. It’s a new series which started this week and lasts through early October. It follows university architecture students who design and build a home in New Orleans. It’s a story of creativity, learning, competition, and ultimately, trying to make a difference.

Other themes include:

• The impact of design: Design (good and bad) has a real impact on real people’s lives. Because the series is set in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina is not just a constant part of the story, but a reminder that good design isn’t just surface, easier to use, or more enjoyable; it can also mean personal and economic survival.
• Understanding customers’ needs: Throughout the series, the architects work to understand what customers actually need. In an early design critique, someone asks the important questions: “Why does (the customer) care? How does this improve the life of someone who lives in this house?” Later on, one student notes “how important it is to talk to the people you’re building for.”
• Engaging students: In the class, the students themselves build the house. In my experience, when teachers help students focus on real opportunities and problems to which they can relate, students are more motivated, learn more, and create more compelling solutions. This is another widely understood truism that is unfortunately too rarely applied.

Even if you don’t have access to the Sundance Channel, you can watch many video clips on the Web. It’s worth the time.

– Jeff

No Comments »

Huddle: Highlighting the benefits of design thinking

Jul 29 2008

Yesterday’s New York Times featured an article extolling the benefits of design thinking.

In this case, a small team involved target customers in the design approach to fundamentally redefine how NFL and college teams collaborate and share information. The article describes the application, called Huddle, as “like Facebook for football”. The new application is so effective, “one coach said it saved his marriage”.

It’s another example of the importance of understanding customers and involving them in the design approach, resulting in a solution that truly makes a positive difference in people’s lives.

– Jeff

No Comments »