tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69316475271783121632024-03-17T20:03:22.599-07:00Thinking of DesignObservations and conversation about the art and engineering of design and Design Thinking in particular.Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-40113050983115870512017-09-12T15:11:00.001-07:002019-01-09T07:36:14.408-08:00Experiences with Robert McKim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The design of products from the 1950s through 70s were illuminated by designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Eliot Noyes. Their iconic works, such as the IBM Selectric Typewriter and the distinctive Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Company logo, stand as testimony to why corporations in the post war period needed the skills of graphic, industrial and architectural designers as well as mechanical and electrical engineers.</div>
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In 1957, recognizing the need for design education in Stanford’s curriculum, provost Frederick Terman hired John Arnold from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to lead the effort. Arnold became founding director of the Design Division and began executing on his vision of human centeredness and creative engineering. Arnold next hired two PhD students; Robert McKim (Pratt) and James Adams (Cal Tech & UCLA), and together they laid the foundation for what became Stanford's “Joint Program in Design” (JPD) a multidisciplinary program combining engineering, art, and creative problem solving.<br />
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When Sindey Parnes, Ruth Noller and Angelo Biondi compiled their encyclopedic, 400 page, <i>Guide to Creative Action </i>in 1977, they cataloged the work of dozens of academics and researchers studying creativity. Parnes also contributed writings on problem solving methods and idea generation techniques which discussed the Osborn-Parnes Creative Solving Process.<br />
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<i>Guide to Creative Action</i> refers to McKim's <i>Experiences in Visual Thinking</i> as a "classic" and included a full chapter on <b>Relaxed Attention</b> because it "<i>stressed the nature and importance of of relaxation and attention in the creative process</i>" and as an introduction to "<i>valuable exercises in visual thinking.</i>" We may never know exactly why Parnes, Noller and Biondi selected only those six pages of <i>Experiences in Visual Thinking</i> for inclusion and ignored McKim's other 21 chapters. Fortunately, we have access to all of <i>Experiences in Visual Thinking.</i><br />
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In the Introduction, McKim immediately turns to thinking; asking what is is, how to observe it in ourselves and the importance of <i>flexibility</i> in thinking. From there he develops and explores some background and preparation for the process of thinking <i>visually</i> and then dives into the process of using visualization, imagining and idea-sketching in problem solving.<br />
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The last few pages are a "strategy index" which diagrams his idea of a problem solving process flow, including methods and techniques;<br />
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These images lack the raw simplicity of McKim's Express-Test-Cycle view of problem solving, but provide significant insight into his ideas of a comprehensive problem solving process utilizing imagining, drawing and seeing.</div>
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Still in its second printing, and available on Amazon, Experiences in Visual Thinking is a still a valuable reference after over three decades.</div>
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<br />Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-43278444028908839442017-08-28T06:44:00.003-07:002017-08-28T07:02:04.986-07:00The Road from Hypothetical Situations to Design Thinking<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEksjfRsRjCPLGxtXPgx1AH9v1Iohi81uRB5XSFdsi_uGENWVCydQg8yAcFKC3uWTHIwcO-W28GrbNE1-kXXiBo7Mj2EvJu2GmFT9TBf3Gdb1VBeYZ5Avy7r23TkjML9QpwULOHZS9PIJX/s1600/Publish+or+Perish.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEksjfRsRjCPLGxtXPgx1AH9v1Iohi81uRB5XSFdsi_uGENWVCydQg8yAcFKC3uWTHIwcO-W28GrbNE1-kXXiBo7Mj2EvJu2GmFT9TBf3Gdb1VBeYZ5Avy7r23TkjML9QpwULOHZS9PIJX/s400/Publish+or+Perish.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Publish or Perish</b><br />
(Cartoon by Nick Kim, Massey University, Wellington)</td></tr>
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Chapter Two of Part Three of <i><b>Guide to Creative Action </b>(1976)</i> is an article by J. H. McPherson entitled; <i><b>The People, The Problems and the Problem Solving Methods</b></i>, which was reprinted from the Journal of Creative Behavior in 1968. The majority of the article is a spreadsheet of 18 problem solving methods varying in length from two to eight steps, including methods proposed by individuals including Dewey, Guilford, Osborn and Parnes, organizations including General Electric and the US Military and areas of study including Synectics and Operations Research.<br />
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Of particular interest is the entry for "<i>Hypothetical Situation</i>" by John Arnold with the following two-step description, three years after Arnold's untimely death.<br />
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<li>Develop a hypothetical situation with many unusual conditions.</li>
<li>Using this situation as a stimulus, design practical answers to fit the situation.</li>
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Today, this approach is called <i><b>Project Based Learning</b>,</i> a teaching method where students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge. John Dewey promoted the idea of "learning by doing" as early as 1897, in his book <i>My Pedagogical Creed.</i><br />
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Arnold's classroom notes and material cover a much wider range of approaches and activities than are described by McPherson, with the creative process being a kind of problem-solving, distinguished from analytical decision-making. Arnold believed a handful of results made an outcome "creative":</div>
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<li>A <i>better</i> <i>combination</i>, not just something different.</li>
<li><i>Tangible</i> results; something you can see, or feel or react to in some fashion, not just an idea.</li>
<li><i>Forward-looking</i> in time, <i>relating to society’s needs</i>, not merely “recreative.”</li>
<li>A “synergetic” quality—the <i>value</i> achieved in the combination is much <i>greater than the sum of the parts</i> (a multiplicative effect).</li>
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Arnold also believed that creativity can be enhanced by scientifically understanding the inventive process and improving it, so that it becomes <i>more organized and deliberate with a step-by-step approach. </i>Arnold defined a framework for the creative process involving a <i>combination of <b>analysis</b>, <b>synthesis</b>, and <b>evaluation</b> in three phases</i>: <br />
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<li>Question and Observation (Preparation / analysis)</li>
<li>Associate (Production / synthesis)</li>
<li>Predict (Decision / evaluation)</li>
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The value of a creative result was judged by its <i>increased function</i>, <i>improved performance</i>, and <i>lowered cost</i>.<i> The most important aspect of the creative process was in figuring out what people need and thus would want to buy, in other words; technology applied to human-centered business.</i><br />
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Arnold sought to balance analytical approaches to technology by combining different perspectives for understanding and solving a problem, advocating a broad perspective. He stated that challenges of “the modern age” called for engineers to be bold, devising entirely new kinds of solutions.</div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-84136037799927134112017-08-26T08:30:00.000-07:002017-08-27T13:32:43.721-07:00J. P. Guilford Discovers Empathy in the Creative Process<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpJ7dsWbPQTlepGKd6uQoaxflqTd4mNjgibMMEgnp3ZOYbt_ssevtlc0aTvrQkAsmCCUxKWWXM-WAa-_DmCeaQrYfmJJpgDsILmQNNhHt9lDg2OHEMvMAR3OOLO6TchNmOtbsM_eRTeTk/s1600/JPGuilford.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="800" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYpJ7dsWbPQTlepGKd6uQoaxflqTd4mNjgibMMEgnp3ZOYbt_ssevtlc0aTvrQkAsmCCUxKWWXM-WAa-_DmCeaQrYfmJJpgDsILmQNNhHt9lDg2OHEMvMAR3OOLO6TchNmOtbsM_eRTeTk/s400/JPGuilford.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J. P. Guilford</td></tr>
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<br />Donald W. MacKinnon credited J. P. Guilford with stirring the scientific study of creativity with a presidential address to the American Psychological Association in 1950. Guilford is best remembered for his psychometric study of human intelligence, including the distinction between convergent and divergent production. He proposed that three dimensions were necessary for an accurate description: operations, content, and products.<br /><div>
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In November 1964, The UCLA Brain Research Institute, in conjunction with the United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research, sponsored a conference on Brain Function and Learning, the proceedings of which were published in 1967. In one session titled <b style="font-style: italic;">Creativity and Learning, </b>Guilford <i>characterized creativity as a learning process.</i><br />
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In addition to expanding the definition of creativity Guilford brought in another element which would not gain traction for another half century; <b><i>empathy</i></b>. What follows is an edited extract from Guilford's presentation;</div>
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"It is quite appropriate that there should be a session devoted to creativity in a conference on learning. A broad, non-popular view of creativity recognizes an act as creative when there is something novel about it; novel, that is, for the person performing the act. The act must also be relevant, a qualification added to distinguish the creative output from the productions of the schizophrenic or manic.</div>
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Novel behavior means a change in behavior, <i>and change means learning</i> when “learning” is defined as a relatively enduring change in behavior as a consequence of behavior...<br />
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<i><b>The conclusion that learning and creativity are much the same phenomenon can be reached by another route.</b></i> From my fifteen years of study of the intellectual aspects of creative production, it seems apparent to me that <b><i>creative thinking can be equated essentially with problem solving</i></b>.<br />
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Identifying these two phenomena with each other does seem to deglamorize the topic of creativity, and perhaps takes away some of its mystery. On the other hand, it gives some added significance to problem solving, which has been quite commonly recognized as an important instance of learning. </div>
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By its nature, a genuine problem is a cognized situation for which the organism appreciates that it has no ready coping response; something new or novel must be done - in other words, a creative act. I use the term “appreciates” here deliberately, within implications of either conscious or human qualities."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEolbV1S0MNSWX4XD4an8Frnc826o2aQ_9PpuB5nyPZEzVZvw6AQMe1xLKj9hlvtkbn8tgXvMKwczPaOkTaAh0t0Tvx7TxgnTCuwJ7TPyvbMd-vvyYauL92c7CbR_Lmju6wsWtTnqP2Ckf/s1600/Guilford%2527s+Structure+of+Intellect.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="864" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEolbV1S0MNSWX4XD4an8Frnc826o2aQ_9PpuB5nyPZEzVZvw6AQMe1xLKj9hlvtkbn8tgXvMKwczPaOkTaAh0t0Tvx7TxgnTCuwJ7TPyvbMd-vvyYauL92c7CbR_Lmju6wsWtTnqP2Ckf/s400/Guilford%2527s+Structure+of+Intellect.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guilford's Model of Brian Function</td></tr>
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<i>In the area of behavioral information</i> - <i>my students found evidence for, and I added a category with, six new factors… the kind we get from cues other people give us (through what we see or hear) about our own states of mind, feelings, intentions, perceptions and so on. This represents what some people call the area of “social intelligence”, or the area including “<b>empathy</b>”, which may be equated with behavioral cognition</i>."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uKu1VzN9mK2gE_5mdNEqe1_ZFTPzdT9UW9f7StjUZ4fL9WCIIKOZWxP1CvfJxUrycktobz7wWg2cl7iuL4aguyBusom1Q6sh4nthlt2x9TztTWwKwf43tNo3EfkdfodXkATy45M8tN-4/s1600/Creativty%252BEmpathy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="1026" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uKu1VzN9mK2gE_5mdNEqe1_ZFTPzdT9UW9f7StjUZ4fL9WCIIKOZWxP1CvfJxUrycktobz7wWg2cl7iuL4aguyBusom1Q6sh4nthlt2x9TztTWwKwf43tNo3EfkdfodXkATy45M8tN-4/s400/Creativty%252BEmpathy.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nGram of Creativity and Empathy.</td></tr>
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Creativity and Empathy doesn't begin to appear the in literature much until after 1960, with local peaks in 1970 and 1990. One paper; <i>Promoting Creativity in Young Children</i>, (2000) associated creativity and empathy in childhood education. n it, Alice Sterling Honig specifically addressed the relationship between creativity and empathy for others. Another reference is found in Martha Raile Alligood (1986); The relationship of creativity, actualization, and empathy in unitary human development.</div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-57741602780834969962017-08-25T08:30:00.000-07:002017-08-25T08:30:43.188-07:00Who Inspired Alex Osborn?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqgEWTvk4TlkHwE6fdsMyewZU-OGH5pYt80F0XgqBmbfWb7bUeD3phUE1RtyF4LgDt1kRmosNldhGXzLuzkekkBJ4gRhjP61xIV-UEjw3DOyFo5qeLn4ziEaI4ssuykHmtnDoPPysUKqI/s1600/Osborn+Churchill.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="389" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqgEWTvk4TlkHwE6fdsMyewZU-OGH5pYt80F0XgqBmbfWb7bUeD3phUE1RtyF4LgDt1kRmosNldhGXzLuzkekkBJ4gRhjP61xIV-UEjw3DOyFo5qeLn4ziEaI4ssuykHmtnDoPPysUKqI/s400/Osborn+Churchill.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">History may have been kinder to me, if I'd written it.</td></tr>
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<br />Based on numbers of book editions, copies printed and sold, Alex Osborn inspired millions of people to become more creative. But who, or what, inspired Alex Osborn? His books are filled with ideas and opinions, supported by stories and quotes, so perhaps we can discover who he admired and learned from.</div>
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In the introduction to Your Creative Power; Osborn gives thanks and credit to nearly two dozen people and specifically mentions the books they wrote;</div>
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<li>Julius Boraas (Teaching to Think)</li>
<li>Alexis Carrel (Man the Unknown)</li>
<li>James B. Conant (On Understanding Science)</li>
<li>Robert P. Crawford (Think for Yourself)</li>
<li>Paul de Kruif (The Microbe Hunters)</li>
<li>John Dewey (How We Think)</li>
<li>Ernest Dimnet (The Art of Thinking)</li>
<li>William H. Easton (Creative Thinking)</li>
<li>Joseph Jastrow (Effective Thinking)</li>
<li>T. Sharper Knowlson (Originality)</li>
<li>Matthew Thompson McClure (How to Think in Business)</li>
<li>Johnson O’Connor (Ideaphoria)</li>
<li>Harry Allen Overstreet (Let Me Think)</li>
<li>James Harvey Robinson (Mind in the Making)</li>
<li>C. Spearman (Creative Mind)</li>
<li>Graham Wallas (The Art of Thought)</li>
<li>J. F. Dashiell</li>
<li>Floyd C. Dockeray</li>
<li>Fryer and Henry </li>
<li>A. T. Poffenberger </li>
<li>F. Wayland Vaughan</li>
<li>W. B. Wiegand</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqkDNbCx9ZM89OFKzD3YdevOks09i_J9RzRGdDrTmxrj2HXLxSfQG6wSpa7f8pC_Ie7mu0eSMAqX5UmNYcw_6R93rwyl71gJ1kD2Tkde9dSn8tgEhDrNtK2sxpe8UBhvCLvJ3F4LpCt35/s1600/Osborn+Inspiration.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="637" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqkDNbCx9ZM89OFKzD3YdevOks09i_J9RzRGdDrTmxrj2HXLxSfQG6wSpa7f8pC_Ie7mu0eSMAqX5UmNYcw_6R93rwyl71gJ1kD2Tkde9dSn8tgEhDrNtK2sxpe8UBhvCLvJ3F4LpCt35/s400/Osborn+Inspiration.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Which of these authors did Osborn rely on most heavily? Consulting the Index and searching the text reveals his favorites;<br />
<ul>
<li>Thomas Edison - 23 mentions</li>
<li>James B Conant, - 16 mentions</li>
<li>Alexander Graham Bell -10 mentions</li>
<li>Dr. Alexis Carrel - 7 mentions</li>
<li>Paul de Kruif, Paul - 7 mentions</li>
<li>Dr. R. W. Gerard - 6 mentions</li>
<li>Walt Disney - 6 mentions</li>
<li>Henry Ford - 6 mentions</li>
<li>Ray Giles - 6 mentions</li>
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Thomas Edison's contributions relate to the value of <i>first hand experience, persistence, cautions about perfectionism and stubbornness, the value of optimism, self-confidence and courage, not fearing failure, dealing with discouragement, the value of curiosity, quizzes and puzzles, the principe of substitution, multi-tasking, luck, building on the work of others, and being open to all possibilities.</i></div>
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Osborn used Conant to illustrate the value of <i>creative imagination, lots of wild ideas, withholding judgement, role reversals and time travel in ideation, following thru on accidental discoveries, the tradeoffs of working singly or in groups, the power of science in creative activity, the value of precision in experimentation, iteration, and the power of mixing science and liberal arts.</i></div>
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From Bell, Osborn learned that <i>age need not be a damper to creativity, The Rule of 3 in self-education (Observe, Remember, Compare), the need for new facts, being cross-disciplinary and cross cultural, and the importance of finding out things for one's self.</i></div>
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Dr. Carrel<i> emphasized the value of awareness, curiosity; pursuing the "impossible and unknowable," and persistence.</i></div>
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Osborn seems to have used de Kruif as a philosophical counterweight, as his quotes are typically about some great inventors being arrogant and overly confident.</div>
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Gerard emphasized the value of <i>analysis</i> in the creative process.</div>
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Disney was used to illustrate the power of what Osborn termed <i>vicarious imagination, the importance of exercising your imagination like a muscle, exaggeration and transposition in ideation.</i></div>
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Henry Ford was used to illustrate that there is <i>value in imagination other than money, that lateral thinking can lead to success, the importance of persistence and creative leadership.</i></div>
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Ray Giles also advised to be <i>persistent in the face of discouragement, asking "Why not...?", recording everything and going for quantity in ideation and asking various forms of "What if..."; "What new use...", "What other use..." and "How might we..." questions.</i></div>
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This list of ideas and suggestions which inspired Osborn and which he used to illustrate the chapters of his book provide a useful reference to anyone interested in expanding and enhancing their creative problem solving skills.</div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-52541149911326273972017-08-23T08:54:00.001-07:002017-08-23T08:54:18.038-07:0020 Questions on Design Thinking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbV0uXFWD-7ehbKn2wgkNdFdQr6ux1a0WpFjKlsaVjvxXvMT3UP-xHLsBrxmQh728jtiJ_sbZLRuK5cCQKePbK07CSdjQF_Qmwp5-r9ddzMKoT5F3RkBGShzoUrcx3ebi4WnAQ8RD-z_ew/s1600/20+Questions+Wide.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="733" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbV0uXFWD-7ehbKn2wgkNdFdQr6ux1a0WpFjKlsaVjvxXvMT3UP-xHLsBrxmQh728jtiJ_sbZLRuK5cCQKePbK07CSdjQF_Qmwp5-r9ddzMKoT5F3RkBGShzoUrcx3ebi4WnAQ8RD-z_ew/s400/20+Questions+Wide.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />The popular question and answer game "20 Questions" often opens with; "Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?" If we were trying to get at the root identity of Design Thinking, we might start with; "Does in involve Feeling, Thinking or Doing?" The correct answer would be "Yes!"<div>
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Whether you prefer to think of it in the context of Root Cause Analysis, Effective Problem Solving, or just Learning, there seems to be broad agreement that several steps are involved. Here is one expression of a seven step process;</div>
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<br /><b>Step 1: Identify the Problem</b><br />Ask what the problem is. There may be multiple issues within the problem.<div>
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<b>Step 2: Define Goals</b><br />Try to define your goals specifically, while making them as realistic and attainable as possible.<br /></div>
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<b>Step 3: Generate Ideas</b><br />Write down all ideas, even the ones that seem absurd or bizarre. Try to find 6-8 varying alternatives when resolving a particular problem.<br /></div>
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<b>Step 4: Assess Alternatives</b><br />For every alternative you formed in the previous step, weigh the positive effects and negative consequences that each solution would bring. For every and any option, determine its advantages and its risks.<br /></div>
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<b>Step 5: Choose a Solution</b><br />Carefully weigh all solutions. Think about which solution can highlight the positive effects that matter the most and which solution produces the mildest consequences.</div>
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<b>Step 6: Prototype Solutions</b><br />Don't worry about "failures" - they are steps on the pathway to success.<br /></div>
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<b>Step 7: Evaluate the Results and Iterate</b><br /> Take and newfound knowledge, rturn to the beginning, and try again.</div>
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This looks a lot like the Science Technology Engineering and Math cycle;</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXl_htqXDeOE_DJIvf5S8-YfHNynUznsDHXs7uFX1yjXdB4daBUMym3Q0Cs3LT4-BTpzlNnfzWhaCbm2bC-Nh0G2VqbuLYIJk-ob0jXqmvXj8N86XnIM1PkNsCTaA4XCqgiI1S_Hh5dXo/s1600/STEM+Process.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1541" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXl_htqXDeOE_DJIvf5S8-YfHNynUznsDHXs7uFX1yjXdB4daBUMym3Q0Cs3LT4-BTpzlNnfzWhaCbm2bC-Nh0G2VqbuLYIJk-ob0jXqmvXj8N86XnIM1PkNsCTaA4XCqgiI1S_Hh5dXo/s320/STEM+Process.jpeg" width="308" /></a></div>
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And the Engineering is Elementary (EIE) Design Process being taught in Elementary Education today;</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26G66GpMDXxw5Cad8-14oRem2q9ZEltv5P2kH0Dijg8cRPZLAx4aFBcm-eeze8wTuZMgbUM7mA3qzFSucAFC-JoqP-DJUn7ho0aXlTn9W2E5uBK84nL4TI4bAHtuhSU5RDbDWvaZwuSx5/s1600/edp_basic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="499" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26G66GpMDXxw5Cad8-14oRem2q9ZEltv5P2kH0Dijg8cRPZLAx4aFBcm-eeze8wTuZMgbUM7mA3qzFSucAFC-JoqP-DJUn7ho0aXlTn9W2E5uBK84nL4TI4bAHtuhSU5RDbDWvaZwuSx5/s400/edp_basic.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, with these clear similarities in all these processes, is there anything about the Stanford/IDEO model of Design Thinking which sets it apart from the others? The answer is an unequivocal Yes! but we have to drill down a bit to find it because none of these models specifically highlight it in their images.</div>
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Let's look at two representations from IDEO Published materials;</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxruckVn4wPLodfzEyt6lNTZJumZOKP71pnO9FA92F_DM1tMcDHvVdY4B0K25IhVP26sFvc5X75RCSEjHQ9X4hPfUT4uHoRkySTxla9cMhMq-pM4bTjK1Vwq3fzY0B6HFfP6LFiBx6mDQ/s1600/hex_design-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfxruckVn4wPLodfzEyt6lNTZJumZOKP71pnO9FA92F_DM1tMcDHvVdY4B0K25IhVP26sFvc5X75RCSEjHQ9X4hPfUT4uHoRkySTxla9cMhMq-pM4bTjK1Vwq3fzY0B6HFfP6LFiBx6mDQ/s400/hex_design-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hexagonal DT Phases</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1OTNwEvjlwLdHRQowhc3D8h9W7nDcTcFa5NtafqZ07uytZ7R5bDnhPk8OwrPsuHUsI2ZMDYfqhOakmK7gZwncmV07ChMK7gTNbW1ANglRdqmIuk4rphXUfTW_1DyeA0VvYzh9j1dni-E/s1600/Loopy+DT+Process.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="940" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1OTNwEvjlwLdHRQowhc3D8h9W7nDcTcFa5NtafqZ07uytZ7R5bDnhPk8OwrPsuHUsI2ZMDYfqhOakmK7gZwncmV07ChMK7gTNbW1ANglRdqmIuk4rphXUfTW_1DyeA0VvYzh9j1dni-E/s400/Loopy+DT+Process.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loopy DT Process</td></tr>
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<br />Let's take a closer look at the front end or Inspiration Stage of the "Loopy DT Process";<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IvhJOfhr-e0ohwQoyPCvofvt1xqcZS0Ue55bpzuqa1vGIO0EzqrKrLzhTSBrS3_bUZiCeEYqKUpdiNBJu1Gf2An2ka1n7HVMXg0PqyR1lHGoOTHKp1v6qM2fwyHp9L82_QTdFD9wfNmx/s1600/Inspiration+Stage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="480" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IvhJOfhr-e0ohwQoyPCvofvt1xqcZS0Ue55bpzuqa1vGIO0EzqrKrLzhTSBrS3_bUZiCeEYqKUpdiNBJu1Gf2An2ka1n7HVMXg0PqyR1lHGoOTHKp1v6qM2fwyHp9L82_QTdFD9wfNmx/s320/Inspiration+Stage.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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This phase is where a deep understanding of the user is developed thru observation, which leads to the creation of a persona and Point of View statements. This section corresponds with EMPATHIZE in the Stanford/IDEO Hexagon model published by Kelley and Brown.</div>
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It is the inclusion of this element; which requires "emotional" intelligence, that is the single biggest differentiator between the Nigel Cross' (Cognitive) version of Design Thinking and the John Arnold / Stanford / IDEO (Comprehensive Design) model.</div>
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It is also 1/3 of the ways that Design Thinking can deeply fail. Can you guess what the other two are?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUibcOy5TEp_quKHkQXixa74OydTVuVfRXz85E12RS-yvFvrGa0wPyZIg7x_n7LtTkMS8spMaqqBLgz2i27inLBIna1v7Zlpw6M2UTOVIVbneY7bwLdlKDdLe6DXcNggT9DLoEc9S_qCFi/s1600/design-thinking-arrow-core.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="681" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUibcOy5TEp_quKHkQXixa74OydTVuVfRXz85E12RS-yvFvrGa0wPyZIg7x_n7LtTkMS8spMaqqBLgz2i27inLBIna1v7Zlpw6M2UTOVIVbneY7bwLdlKDdLe6DXcNggT9DLoEc9S_qCFi/s400/design-thinking-arrow-core.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-88774661384882675862017-08-22T21:25:00.002-07:002017-08-22T21:29:10.096-07:00Design Thinking as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawAXjq3XuCySpcnm8cXnK2wVH1FwMuDeNhuVlsZlIV6EvfMLhHFcwlWbTElsjhI5qZaQmgFRC8I3xn2Ver8ryOJDT3hfjJD411nzAfPt6YMIXgba6SmHp5yPCbJLQLt7iStFGNmD_FimK/s1600/Design+Thinking+Basics.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="532" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawAXjq3XuCySpcnm8cXnK2wVH1FwMuDeNhuVlsZlIV6EvfMLhHFcwlWbTElsjhI5qZaQmgFRC8I3xn2Ver8ryOJDT3hfjJD411nzAfPt6YMIXgba6SmHp5yPCbJLQLt7iStFGNmD_FimK/s400/Design+Thinking+Basics.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you've been following this blog for more than a few months you may recall some of my earlier postings where I compared Design Thinking to core concepts in other areas like Bloom's Taxonomy in teaching and Adizes' model of management theory. Today we're going out on the limb again, but this time in the realm of psychology, to compare DT with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This was prompted by my recent discovery of a graphic used to describe CBT, The Thinking - Feeling - Behavior triangle;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvgq3cmQSlEkezDgvOpiNYDJByHWiuNhyOTV5aCUVfV9aSpWmgPCyX-zAP6zbLS7nOCx8mUQlfaUglb_IhBCQMrJR_-JjMtXJyw1FHqEmx7HVeaMBTNmotiocgopK3f-aJh4ASmFGLVxe/s1600/CBT+Triad.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="500" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvgq3cmQSlEkezDgvOpiNYDJByHWiuNhyOTV5aCUVfV9aSpWmgPCyX-zAP6zbLS7nOCx8mUQlfaUglb_IhBCQMrJR_-JjMtXJyw1FHqEmx7HVeaMBTNmotiocgopK3f-aJh4ASmFGLVxe/s400/CBT+Triad.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In layman's terms, cognitive behavioral therapy <b>helps you learn</b> to change your thoughts, feelings and behaviors so you feel better. By targeting your responses to situations, CBT can help you react more effectively in challenging situations, and even learn to feel better when you are unable to change situations happening around you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8ARwYXSn1sH7uFgYmNesZ6zz-o4iNtH4EophGiVFzuG_I4coDXKtxBZl0vzR-hKjig6nokSsOIzVKm_T0R9XhSYtx15-3K3oO7no5HSWpFGFF4T0EIOIWss9Ma6smELANPUZj8ACICiC/s1600/IntegrationDT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="466" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8ARwYXSn1sH7uFgYmNesZ6zz-o4iNtH4EophGiVFzuG_I4coDXKtxBZl0vzR-hKjig6nokSsOIzVKm_T0R9XhSYtx15-3K3oO7no5HSWpFGFF4T0EIOIWss9Ma6smELANPUZj8ACICiC/s400/IntegrationDT.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three areas of interest</td></tr>
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Comparing these two; business is behavior, technology is the thinking and people are the feelings.</div>
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Although I had seen both of these before, I hadn't noticed the parallels between the three part (Feelings, Thoughts and Actions) brain model and the Feel - Think - Do/Build and Empathy - Technology - Busi-ness triads of Design Thinking or the meta-level Design is a process of Learning framework. Of course, now that I see it, it seems obvious. </div>
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Another obvious parallel is that in CBT human needs are the focus of the process.</div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-87266341334080132002017-08-17T08:29:00.001-07:002017-08-17T09:35:40.805-07:00Alex Osborn on Judgement in the Creative Process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBhC5paSCMrQKM7dM6Hk5qVn5C4pcWaeDGfZL90sxEcnRAjz8uCUx7lCtlokadSW8SI8vBihc8-GFOMlN-lO5MGtvtUYOpTUstW8ppJZ2SOakyj-BLjbpZ75Qq8JTQ9wabIndXV0ZcsOY/s1600/Judgement.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBhC5paSCMrQKM7dM6Hk5qVn5C4pcWaeDGfZL90sxEcnRAjz8uCUx7lCtlokadSW8SI8vBihc8-GFOMlN-lO5MGtvtUYOpTUstW8ppJZ2SOakyj-BLjbpZ75Qq8JTQ9wabIndXV0ZcsOY/s400/Judgement.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Alex Osborn is generally remembered as the inventor of Brainstorming, but that characterization falls far short of the breadth of his experienced insights regarding creativity. <br />
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In chapter 13 of <b><i>Your Creative Power</i></b> Osborn explored the value of judgement in the creative process. He suggests that there are two types of thinking, one he called <b>Judicial</b> and the other <b>Creative</b>. Many of his ideas are still alive, vibrant and illustrated in today's best creative engineering practices.<br />
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This post is an edited version of Chapter 13 from <b><i>Your Creative Power</i></b>, with emphasis on Osborn's key ideas about judgement in the creative process.<br />
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<b>JUDGEMENT MAY CHOKE IDEAS - LET'S KEEP IT IN ITS PLACE</b><br />
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Our thinking is mainly two-fold: We have a <b><i>Judicial Mind</i></b> which analyzes, compares and chooses and a <b><i>Creative Mind</i></b> which visualizes, foresees, and generates ideas. These two minds work best together. Judgment keeps imagination on track. Imagination opens ways to action, and can enlighten judgment. In creative efforts, judgment is good, <i>when properly timed</i>. <br />
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<i>Both judgement and creativity call for analysis and synthesis.</i> Judgement breaks down facts, weighs them, compares them, rejects some, keeps others—and then puts the resultant elements together to form a conclusion. The creative mind does much the same, <i>except that the end-product is an idea instead of a verdict</i>. Judgment tends to confine itself to facts, imagination has to reach out for the unknown, at times making two plus two something more than four. <br />
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Basically there are two kinds of judgment—<b><i>critical judgment</i> and <i>constructive judgment</i></b>. Critical judgment relies on knowledge. Constructive judgment needs help from our imagination. Answering the question; "Is Nylon better than silk?” calls for a process of <i>critical analysis</i>.<br />
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Asking “Should we do this or that?” requires us to think up all possible alternatives, and foresee the results. We have to ask ourselves questions such as, “What are the consequences?” . . . “What if others did that?” “What if conditions change?” And in each case we have to tap imagination for the answer. <br />
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Circumstances force us to use our judicial mind every waking hour. We also study mathematics, logic, debate, history, discuss pros and cons. Much of our educations train and strengthen our judicial faculties. <i><b>Another consequence of well developed judgment is dislike of failure</b></i>. We often praise the unerring judge. You will hear; “He’s a wonderful man—he never makes any mistakes.” ten times as often as you hear, “He has imagination and he makes it work.” We are more likely to call creatively imaginative people “nuts.” A good slogan for all of us would be, “Judge wisely, but at the right time.” <br />
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The right mood for judicial thinking is largely negative. “What’s wrong with this?” . . . “What’s bad about that?” . . . “No, that won’t work.” Such reflexes are right and proper when trying to judge. We also need a negative attitude for caution such as: “Beware of it—it’s too new.” . . . “Are we sure this won’t be a mistake?” <br />
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<b><i>In contrast, our creative thinking calls for a positive attitude</i></b>. We have to be hopeful. We need enthusiasm. We have to encourage ourselves to the point of self-confidence. At the same time, we have to beware of <a href="http://reflectionsonwalt.blogspot.com/2014/04/that-nervous-breakdown-thing.html">perfectionism</a>. (<i>A trait exhibited by both Thomas Edison and Walt Disney. - df</i>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjXazDVlY21z-fw7lzRjGuBVTdyVT-2yxwmJALc7ufatj0pf9bp4gD7JirAzdO8mJ0MSB7YqUk0ztYQzReCnasgAT0pXC4SAZbbQ6fZjiLJW4olp_0qOkGw6AsQPm0XmAHMc0p_PUf2tN/s1600/thomas-edison-bulb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="850" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjXazDVlY21z-fw7lzRjGuBVTdyVT-2yxwmJALc7ufatj0pf9bp4gD7JirAzdO8mJ0MSB7YqUk0ztYQzReCnasgAT0pXC4SAZbbQ6fZjiLJW4olp_0qOkGw6AsQPm0XmAHMc0p_PUf2tN/s320/thomas-edison-bulb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edison looking somewhat critically at his invention</td></tr>
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Edison’s first lamp was a crude affair. He knew that it could be improved—if not by him, by somebody else. He could have hung onto his imperfect version while he tried and tried to make it better. Or he could have junked the whole idea. But, he didn’t do either. His first electric lamps were better than candles, kerosene lamps, or gaslight, so he introduced them. Then he went to work on improvements. <br />
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Positive attitude is a characteristic of creative people. <i>Form the habit of reacting Yes! to a new idea.</i> First, think of all the reasons why it’s good; there will be plenty of people around to tell you why it won’t work. (<i>Today we call this improv; The Yes and... or Yes if.... responses. -df</i>)<br />
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Judgment and imagination can help each other if kept apart when they should be kept apart. In creative effort we have to be a Jekyll-and-Hyde. From time to time, we must turn off our judicial mind and light up our creative mind. (Similar to Disney's <a href="http://reflectionsonwalt.blogspot.com/2014/05/walts-3-minds-and-3-rooms.html">Three Roles</a>. -df<br />
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We must wait long enough before turning up our judicial light again. Otherwise, premature judgment may douse our creative flames, and even wash away ideas already generated. <i>Especially in approaching a creative problem, we should give imagination priority over judgment and let it roam around our objective.</i> We might even make a conscious effort to think up the wildest ideas that could possibly apply. (<i>On the doorstep of brainstorming here. -df</i>)<br />
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Let’s not let judgment throttle imagination. Instead, let’s <b><i>check our ideas through tests</i></b>. If we can’t test and have to rely on somebody’s judgment, let’s not allow our critic to sap our creative energy. Let’s judge such judgment. If it’s adverse—and we’re convinced it’s right—we should then get busy, do a backtrack and turn up more alternative ideas. If unconvinced, we should “damn the torpedoes” and go “full speed ahead.” (<i>This is re-expressed in McKim's "Express - Test - Cycle" -df</i>)<br />
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Derived from; Osborn, Alex. Your Creative Power (pp. 88-95). Read Books Ltd.. Kindle Edition. </div>
Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-69410120728349806192017-08-10T20:08:00.000-07:002017-08-11T15:20:11.621-07:00Ode to Elephants in the Room<style type="text/css">
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Four wise men of D'sign Land, to learning much inclined,<br />
wanted to know of Design Thinking, every fact and find. <br />
That each might grow in wisdom strong, and practice, most refined. <br />
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The <i>Engineer</i> approached the task with stout and mighty brain,<br />
to logic was his trust inclined and feelings he disdained.<br />
''Tis truth! he cried, the name declares, the subject's clear to see,<br />
based in science, cognitive, and ever so shall be.<br />
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The <i>Artist,</i> sensing something up, across a wider plane,<br />
implored his fellows urgently, to not deny the pain<br />
and pleasure felt, by one and all, proclaimed songs and rhymes,<br />
emotions hid and plain were key to understand mankind.<br />
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The <i>Academic</i> squinted hard and tried his best to see<br />
only the parts which could be proved, with facts and history.<br />
By Jove!, he cried, this stuff is fluff, and everyone should know<br />
there is no substance here at all, there is no there to go. <br />
There's nothing new within these walls, it's all been done before,<br />
by Alex, Bucky, Nigel, Phil. Researchers know the score!<br />
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Up next, a <i>businessman</i> approached as they oft do,<br />
and focused on the processes and the profits they lead to.<br />
Think of Design, she cried, as ways to overcome,<br />
inefficiencies in making cash for everyone.<br />
Analyze the gaps and slice processes lean,<br />
to even make the dullest coin take on a brand new sheen. <br />
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So went the argument went on, exceeding loud and long<br />
And although each was one quarter right <br />
All four were triply wrong.Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-81396007124204561912017-08-06T19:01:00.001-07:002017-08-06T19:25:41.884-07:00The Three Faces of Design ThinkingOne of the hot topics in the Design Thinking Group on LinkedIn is the question of exactly what Design Thinking is. This is often manifested by the length of conversations with titles like; "Why Design Thinking Will Fail" or which accuse Design Thinking of being mere marketing hype.<br />
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My training in DT goes back four decades. I was at Stanford, in the Product Design Program, in the late 70's at the same time that David Kelley, founder of IDEO, was getting his Masters and Matt Kahn, Robert McKim, Jim Adams and Larry Leifer were teaching. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Joint_Program_in_Design" target="_blank">Joint Program in Design</a>, which had been formed in 1958, was a step on the way to the creation of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasso_Plattner_Institute_of_Design">d.schoo<span id="goog_1155111678"></span><span id="goog_1155111679"></span>l</a><span id="goog_1155111685"></span><span id="goog_1155111686"></span> in 2004.<br />
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Expanding on Herbert A. Simon’s work, Robert McKim wrote <i>Experiences in Visual Thinking</i> in 1973. It focused on the ways which perceptual thinking skills can be observed, utilized and improved, and how powerful these skills are in their "capacity to change your world of ideas and things.”<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_E._Arnold" target="_blank">John E. Arnold</a>, arguably DT's grandfather at Stanford had picked McKim to teach there and was also a significant influence on Jim Adams, both of whom wrote books which were used as texts in the Product Design program.<br />
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Beginning in 1984, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolf_Faste">Rolf Faste</a> expanded on McKim's work, defining and developing the core concepts which David Kelley would later call "Design Thinking" in describing IDEO's design process, which he had learned at Stanford.</div>
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The focus of the PD program was to explore, learn, and develop ways to solve problems creatively, in a multi-disciplinary context. The core sequence included classes in art as well as engineering, with heavy emphasis on what would today be called project based learning.<br />
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In 1991, Kelley merged David Kelley Design with Matrix Product Design, ID TWO and Moggridge Associates to create IDEO. In 2004, David led the creation of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasso_Plattner_Institute_of_Design">Hasso Plattner Institute of Design</a> also known as the "d.school." Kelley recalls that it was about that time that he started to refer to IDEO's process as Design Thinking. He also credits Bob McKim with being his primary influence and mentor at Stanford.<br />
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In a very informative and revealing <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405872616300065">2016 interview with Kelley</a>, Maria Camacho mapped out the trail from PD to DT at Stanford;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoUMPgs83OC99iywOeQhweEEHvh-RN6EQddj568pbhadYSgMC7LTZDT_6HVul68iBoqsXk3q2aQ-RIKNRUiNFFVKl-QTAmqWaLl7oB9GSKCLIGamAcFdwP3Y5_iEtNamCDT0CHsbfsbQ8/s1600/DT+at+Stanford.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1080" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoUMPgs83OC99iywOeQhweEEHvh-RN6EQddj568pbhadYSgMC7LTZDT_6HVul68iBoqsXk3q2aQ-RIKNRUiNFFVKl-QTAmqWaLl7oB9GSKCLIGamAcFdwP3Y5_iEtNamCDT0CHsbfsbQ8/s400/DT+at+Stanford.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Upon my graduation, David's and my path began to diverge; I went to work in industry, including Apple Computer from 1986 to 1996, followed by PD and PE roles primarily in consumer high tech and aerospace, while David began teaching and consulting.<br />
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Fast forward four decades and the controversy over what is and isn't DT still rages. Unfortunately, that creates ambiguity, complexity and confusion around the value of what is arguably the most powerful tool to resolve ambiguity and complexity. David is aware of this, as he stated to Camacho;<br />
<i><br />"Everyone means something slightly different by the term. I guess this is OK. It doesn’t bother me, but I hear people using design thinking to mean something quite different from what I mean. There are many words in the English language that people use, and they all mean something different by the same words."</i></div>
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Reflecting on this, I recently realized that what has happened may actually be worse; People are also using different words to describe the same things. This came to the forefront for me recently while reading Alex Osborn's 1940 book <i>Your Creative Power</i>.<br />
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Osborn is probably most remembered for his theories on brainstorming. In fact he came from a marketing background and was a prominent creativity theorist in mid 1900's. With Sidney Parnes, he developed the Osborn-Parnes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Problem_Solving#Creative_Problem_Solving">Creative Problem Solving Process</a>. <br />
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Your <i>Creative Power</i> is a handbook of Osborn's thoughts on imagination, creativity and creative problem solving. It contains a wealth of ideas which parallel the core principles of Design Thinking. This should come as no surprise, as they are exploring the same subject area. There are also touch points between Osborn and John Arnold, who's 1956 summer program included presentations by R. Buckminster Fuller on the “comprehensive designer,” J. P. Guilford’s concept of measuring and developing creativity,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_E._Arnold#cite_note-8">[</a> and A. H. Maslow’s “Emotional Blocks to Creativity,” with considerable attention given to Osborn’s notion of brainstorming. James Adams would later expand on the subject of creative blocks in his book <i>Conceptual Blockbusting</i>.</div>
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So with such common roots, how have we come to this state of confusion? Perhaps the trouble lies in the multi-disciplinary nature of the subject.</div>
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Design Thinking purports to encompass three areas; Technology, Humanity and Business;</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3nNfaCOPGyObLjHgPhydX4PTL3jvzkNHCPiiN92HEetBhAYKH7vl_mtbjaDwdPhGXqG1ft-fPFi4LOSUV3G6VkJu2h1YBwgaafAe2ntTpSlFvhYOF8k0tkurKehXKb08c61w8BXWLHlJ/s1600/IntegrationDT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="466" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3nNfaCOPGyObLjHgPhydX4PTL3jvzkNHCPiiN92HEetBhAYKH7vl_mtbjaDwdPhGXqG1ft-fPFi4LOSUV3G6VkJu2h1YBwgaafAe2ntTpSlFvhYOF8k0tkurKehXKb08c61w8BXWLHlJ/s400/IntegrationDT.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of the consequences of this blending is that conversations about DT span three areas having to do with three areas; Feelings, (Art/Humanities) Thinking (Science and Technology) and Business (Doing). Today, each of these areas has become so specialized that they are treated differently in graduate education and have their own academic vocabularies.</div>
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I've written previously about the idea that DT actually is whole brain problem solving, but a consequence of that can be problems in communication, like the parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant, we are biased in our perceptions and expressions.<br />
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“Think” statements refer to the denotative aspects of the environment. They attempt to define, assert, opine, rationalize, or make causal connections between environmental events. They are bound by the rules of logic and scientific inquiry; they may be true or untrue. Many times a think statement can be proven or disproven. Think statements require words to be communicated. They are the venue of the rationalists, the engineers.<br />
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“Feel” statements refer to the connotative aspects of our environment. They attempt to report our internal affective, immediate, non-rational, emotional, “gut” responses to environmental events. Usually, feel statements are personal and idiosyncratic in that they refer to inner states, what is happening inside of us. </div>
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Feel statements, like dreams, cannot be true or false, or good or bad, but only honestly or dishonestly communicated. Feel statements may not require words at all; when they do, they usually take the form of “I feel (adjective)” or “I feel (adverb).” They are the framework and coin of artists and designers.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">The difficulty is that Engineers tend to be more comfortable with the verbage of Thinking, Artists/Designers are more comfortable with the vocabulary of Feeling and Business-people are more comfortable with the language of Doing. Simply throwing them together and not expecting some conversational conflict is unrealistic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;">This can be illustrated by some images from three different sources, all claiming to be describing Design Thinking:</span><br />
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Jeanne M. Liedtka is an American strategist and professor of business administration at the Darden School of the University of Virginia, particularly known for her work on strategic thinking, design thinking and organic growth. Here is her explanatory design thinking "Invention" graphic:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuk-UyB-MhE7UUcKIY_S6s7BitZeVhvjnT0I6qNwwFubr0RTUd4mH15edNpR61rRmCaX55QPMYURODQ0Z6jrDvDEg-cATMpl80VUGtMBb1dc-Kkp6ww9A_QrsgYj_J2P3Q3_ck-6uyzzB/s1600/Liedtka+Invention.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="566" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuk-UyB-MhE7UUcKIY_S6s7BitZeVhvjnT0I6qNwwFubr0RTUd4mH15edNpR61rRmCaX55QPMYURODQ0Z6jrDvDEg-cATMpl80VUGtMBb1dc-Kkp6ww9A_QrsgYj_J2P3Q3_ck-6uyzzB/s400/Liedtka+Invention.png" width="331" /></a></div>
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Of design thinking, Liedtka states:<br />
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<i>"Design thinking is a problem-solving approach with a unique set of qualities: it is human centered, possibility driven, option focused, and iterative. We ask the question “What if anything were possible?” as we begin to create ideas. We focus on generating multiple options and avoid putting all our eggs in one particular solution basket. Because we are guessing about our stakeholders’ needs and wants, we also expect to be wrong sometimes. So we want to put multiple irons in the fire and let our stakeholders tell us which work for them. We want to manage a portfolio of new ideas."</i></div>
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For Liedtka, Design Thinking exists within the world of Business, integrating People and Technology by examing the relationships between Possibilities, Uncertainties and Constraints (a.k.a Gap Analysis)<br />
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Here is Liedtka's process flow chart:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEP5N13L41BMED57p6EsrBJ364L0s-Kqyx8-ovXy841wfARQtOosCcSXMUXy_vuqcPCylBWZF8BDKQU8HYdAR8jshaJUET1qx_8k9a_0LjJ0iddQwmg4Hg2KR6xEz0Wv0v_ku0j0aiH16G/s1600/Liedtka.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="1000" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEP5N13L41BMED57p6EsrBJ364L0s-Kqyx8-ovXy841wfARQtOosCcSXMUXy_vuqcPCylBWZF8BDKQU8HYdAR8jshaJUET1qx_8k9a_0LjJ0iddQwmg4Hg2KR6xEz0Wv0v_ku0j0aiH16G/s400/Liedtka.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Compare this to the 2011 IDEO model;</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUTtzqpZeUOqPT6LTztTi1qpX_2rY9Whg3RFKM3PAHZH8DlkKpctenkApoMLmM_Ie6bdbX5hT6J6V2tFgvNFm6Nq-MqCSWJSf0RDqCGId8G1ujpBQy4Z7mGxUIivatPhxeH_BTD0_M6HD/s1600/IDEO+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="638" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUTtzqpZeUOqPT6LTztTi1qpX_2rY9Whg3RFKM3PAHZH8DlkKpctenkApoMLmM_Ie6bdbX5hT6J6V2tFgvNFm6Nq-MqCSWJSf0RDqCGId8G1ujpBQy4Z7mGxUIivatPhxeH_BTD0_M6HD/s400/IDEO+2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Or this model, from the inside cover of Tim Brown's book;</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2O-hFbaKkT-q0NfbvItxdeDldN2BRcijSzBvJh61_vY1ZIe_lK7SVl5VlB2ZkfKTmwBLlG5IUVYjy499Et3IFAjkXG3jw_Gnp3IR-sEv89XIEMa8d7STVjcJI32I7vrZE2rz3Itl9wX8/s1600/ideo+DT+Messy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1000" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2O-hFbaKkT-q0NfbvItxdeDldN2BRcijSzBvJh61_vY1ZIe_lK7SVl5VlB2ZkfKTmwBLlG5IUVYjy499Et3IFAjkXG3jw_Gnp3IR-sEv89XIEMa8d7STVjcJI32I7vrZE2rz3Itl9wX8/s400/ideo+DT+Messy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Or this image from MIT's DT program;</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4uCmUhXvWZMwLU5DBiOp7Rzy6xxl38xFco_1-SVSceDtAF4P200qqq7xQpMrh8N6F9Mztt__ab0CztdsPBWtoeAbycWOlkYRRKXOFM3_w85uoJJEcyeE9vFfGydpDNrNHnPGXldcdcFo/s1600/MIT+DT.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="814" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4uCmUhXvWZMwLU5DBiOp7Rzy6xxl38xFco_1-SVSceDtAF4P200qqq7xQpMrh8N6F9Mztt__ab0CztdsPBWtoeAbycWOlkYRRKXOFM3_w85uoJJEcyeE9vFfGydpDNrNHnPGXldcdcFo/s400/MIT+DT.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Or this recent expression of the Osborn-Parnes CPS model; (BTW- Osborn had <b>no</b> illustrations in his 1940 book, but displayed a masterful grasp of the skill of writing - unlike some engineers.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrOUqIu8P7GBs80aJWEwbM1oF-ZZqLVDqCcarGV8wTioB9q_lx7e_5HlDc9cxlFznHN2d29Uf2ol0bZmLBrOTZ4_dsBXLYmqyWCzaGBFZazKsVGHlPYR-gBDh1NXTwqz7Z-bvCUN4sxVd/s1600/cps-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="678" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrOUqIu8P7GBs80aJWEwbM1oF-ZZqLVDqCcarGV8wTioB9q_lx7e_5HlDc9cxlFznHN2d29Uf2ol0bZmLBrOTZ4_dsBXLYmqyWCzaGBFZazKsVGHlPYR-gBDh1NXTwqz7Z-bvCUN4sxVd/s400/cps-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process</div>
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<i>"Judicial thinking must be kept out of such brainstorming. Even discretion is unwanted. As one of our radio-men remarked, 'At any brainstorming table the villainess is a gal named Prudence.' In this operation all present must shoot wild and pile up every possible alternative by way of ideas."</i></div>
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Now, we can start to see the differences and similarities; </div>
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Alex Osborn is the quintessential Ad Man; smart, witty, good with words. He fills over 350 pages with written insights from decades of experience in problem solving and, like the Product Design Program at Stanford 30 years later, his central theme is creativity and the need for imagination.</div>
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Steven Eppinger, a self-declared systems oriented engineer, uses simple, direct PowerPoint style graphics and a mere dozen words to describe the phases and skills of Design Thinking in the terse, precise language of an engineer. His YouTube video on MIT's Design Thinking process feels like a design review. </div>
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IDEO's Tim Brown, MA - Industrial Design, Royal College of Art, lays the process out like a hand drawn, spilled spaghetti, cartoon.</div>
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Is there something wrong going on here, or something perfectly normal, even expected?</div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-78952639743132695892017-08-05T15:42:00.003-07:002017-08-05T15:59:59.508-07:00MIT's Steve Eppinger on Design ThinkingI recently came across a video which is part of the MIT Executive Education series which featured Steven Eppinger speaking on Systematic Innovation by Design and Design Thinking. (see below)<br />
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Dr. Eppinger is a well known and respected educator in Product Design and I am very familiar with his book; <b><i>Product Design and Development</i></b>, which is used as a text for college level design courses.<br />
He is by his own admission a Systems oriented guy with a preference for clear processes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yA0xqTqsVVrQ5XesePEkVF_ZpnyeLe6as_Qs8X_ZfuqU78vUSgtRKZr_Qt77k5OUZFvAqjI720-t_nhMXKf-YATr9qlaebA7nk0jYYi-Lz8qcqVqlFP6WE_pJlPbIIcD94ATFnkFBgN9/s1600/design_thinking_process_diagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="1600" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yA0xqTqsVVrQ5XesePEkVF_ZpnyeLe6as_Qs8X_ZfuqU78vUSgtRKZr_Qt77k5OUZFvAqjI720-t_nhMXKf-YATr9qlaebA7nk0jYYi-Lz8qcqVqlFP6WE_pJlPbIIcD94ATFnkFBgN9/s320/design_thinking_process_diagram.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">d.school/IDEO Design Thinking Phases</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rhPIFgwJy9ayOK9ip6yKRBE_PyPgG5nGVyBXrenO-pvwzposuvmXZSM9bVJlLgO5TW50Z20HO8zZcLvLCxrNuPrA8weLOda5geZnCR_R9xTVenOTXe7PdX41Stdik9uxwsonN1auSc_r/s1600/Critical+Skills+of+Design+Thinking.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="961" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0rhPIFgwJy9ayOK9ip6yKRBE_PyPgG5nGVyBXrenO-pvwzposuvmXZSM9bVJlLgO5TW50Z20HO8zZcLvLCxrNuPrA8weLOda5geZnCR_R9xTVenOTXe7PdX41Stdik9uxwsonN1auSc_r/s320/Critical+Skills+of+Design+Thinking.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eppinger's <b><i>Critical Skills of Design Thinking</i></b></td></tr>
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Eppinger retains the reference to <b>Empathy</b> and includes a reference to <b>Go and See</b> in his first phase.</div>
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<b>Create</b> includes <b>Many Designs</b> and <b>Prototyping</b>, which correlate with <b>Ideate</b> and <b>Prototype</b>.</div>
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<b>Implement</b> calls for <b>Iterations</b> and declares that <b>Details Matter</b> which loosely corresponds to <b>Test</b>.<br />
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One interesting thing about the MIT model is that it re-frames Design Thinking from five phases to three, similar to the reduction that Alex Osborn did to his <b><i>Creative Problem Solving </i></b>model;<br />
<b style="font-style: italic;">Orientation, Preparation, Analysis, Hypothesis, Incubation, Synthes</b><b style="font-style: italic;">is and Verification</b>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">which he repackaged into three activites;</span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i><i style="font-weight: bold;">Fact-Finding, Idea-Finding, and Solution Finding</i></div>
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Osborn appeared to be expanding his perspective in both directions, adding more details to the parts while also generalizing the whole.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-YIlls1AfmNtx9bF8-x1YmUwOYW9kAqweVt3Wr5Jq1pnIUtNoj0DhoORIg38R7QP8_2Aq3PtG5ybJPsvHZbQ2aq45-kLfm28ud_sDnOZJfzJ1vrKdmuCDz-uPlCA22ogV7Pdc6zummKJ/s1600/cps_osborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="464" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-YIlls1AfmNtx9bF8-x1YmUwOYW9kAqweVt3Wr5Jq1pnIUtNoj0DhoORIg38R7QP8_2Aq3PtG5ybJPsvHZbQ2aq45-kLfm28ud_sDnOZJfzJ1vrKdmuCDz-uPlCA22ogV7Pdc6zummKJ/s320/cps_osborn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Osborn's Creative Problem Solving Framework</td></tr>
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The differences are more of presentation than content, in that a deeper examination of the d.school/IDOE model, as illustrated by this annotated version of the five phase process;</div>
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Empathize is for learning about the audience, from which <b>Points of View</b> and <b>User Needs</b> are extracted. <b>Ideation</b> includes <b>Brainstorming</b> multiple solutions. <b>Prototype</b> is where representations of concepts are created, followed by <b>User Testing</b> and feedback - starting the cycle anew.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQEm33zY4AFpY68aJDrAGpKdv8qikMwjxR1CQvI018qw3axtKCpPgPY1hRtq4y_1iVUb0iKGJ1Jd0KWyDj8nyEmu5pIWtHkbDhrUBH5NBzZwgc9pBHMS-rYCOWLA0vEf0uMZNQUfdYwNv/s1600/DesignThinking-explained.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="750" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQEm33zY4AFpY68aJDrAGpKdv8qikMwjxR1CQvI018qw3axtKCpPgPY1hRtq4y_1iVUb0iKGJ1Jd0KWyDj8nyEmu5pIWtHkbDhrUBH5NBzZwgc9pBHMS-rYCOWLA0vEf0uMZNQUfdYwNv/s400/DesignThinking-explained.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Design Thinking with explanations</td></tr>
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Eppinger only makes an indirect reference to the d.school/IDEO framework, by using IDEO as an example of a company applying Design Thinking. There is no mention of John Arnold, David Kelley, Larry Leifer, Jim Adams, Bernie Roth, Matt Kahn, or how IDEO was founded by Kelley, staffed with other Stanford Product Design Program graduates. <i>(Perhaps the rivalry between Stanford and MIT is percolating under the surface.)</i></div>
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The original presentation was an hour. I have edited it down to 15 minutes and restricted the subject matter to Eppinger's comments about MIT's interpretation of Design Thinking. </div>
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Next up; My week with Alex Osborn and some observations on Creative Problem Solving.</div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-4285752185691361062017-07-19T21:50:00.001-07:002017-08-05T14:32:41.505-07:00Eureka!Many years ago I began to notice parallels in the vocabulary of different engineering disciplines. For example, both electronics and hydrology use the word current. In one case it is a measure of the flow of molecules of water and in the other, refers to the flow of electrons. <br />
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The problem with using seemingly common words to explain things is that it can lead to confusion, or disagreements, as illustrated by this example from Kaiser Aluminum's booklet, <b><i>Communications;</i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Rhvm_fSNnuXR1np206uCv0reAhWnMSCb1JNQR7uynIJYxl0wAgqUpmwgvRaZYLhM6C1_-jnJePU0T71rqgShPGAAVLWQKFsfICiuKkIE5w9plnjWWo_513blP8EemrX8y_k9toL2MxJ3/s1600/Speaking+of+Dogs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="906" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Rhvm_fSNnuXR1np206uCv0reAhWnMSCb1JNQR7uynIJYxl0wAgqUpmwgvRaZYLhM6C1_-jnJePU0T71rqgShPGAAVLWQKFsfICiuKkIE5w9plnjWWo_513blP8EemrX8y_k9toL2MxJ3/s400/Speaking+of+Dogs.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another opportunity for confusion comes when we don't see the whole situation, as told in the fable of the Blind Men and the Elephant;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jMx23X0RpCbO6OzdG6BfhZ09ItCB6lkC_ASaytHV1oVZBzGmDWblT0sp9l5h5NXNPuocRK4cZ9e9JR70LJwkBsVy1ptR2y6UXyAn8r6e4psg4wMt233mkEWEAO7eDSsdtl2gCgFMQWdG/s1600/Blind_monks_examining_an_elephant+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="800" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jMx23X0RpCbO6OzdG6BfhZ09ItCB6lkC_ASaytHV1oVZBzGmDWblT0sp9l5h5NXNPuocRK4cZ9e9JR70LJwkBsVy1ptR2y6UXyAn8r6e4psg4wMt233mkEWEAO7eDSsdtl2gCgFMQWdG/s400/Blind_monks_examining_an_elephant+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was six men of Indostan to learning much inclined,<br />
Who went to see the elephant (Though all of them were blind),<br />
that each by observation might satisfy his mind.<br />
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The First approached the elephant, And happening to fall<br />
against his broad and sturdy side, at once began to bawl:<br />
"God bless me! but the elephant is very like a WALL!"<br />
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The Second, feeling of the tusk, cried, "Ho, what have we here,<br />
so very round and smooth and sharp? To me 'tis mighty clear<br />
this wonder of an Elephant Is very like a SPEAR!"<br />
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The Third approached the animal and happening to take<br />
the squirming trunk within his hands, thus boldly up and spake:<br />
"I see," quoth he, "the elephant Is very like a SNAKE!"<br />
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The Fourth reached out an eager hand, and felt about the knee<br />
"What most this wondrous beast is like is mighty plain," quoth he:<br />
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant is very like a TREE!"<br />
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The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear said: "E'en the blindest man<br />
can tell what this resembles most; deny the fact who can,<br />
this marvel of an elephant is very like a FAN!"<br />
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The Sixth no sooner had begun about the beast to grope,<br />
than seizing on the swinging tail that fell within his scope,<br />
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant is very like a ROPE!"<br />
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And so these men of Indostan disputed loud and long,<br />
each in his own opinion exceeding stiff and strong,<br />
though each was partly in the right and all were in the wrong!<br />
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There is another way, which I think of as the Walks Like a Duck principle, illustrated by a story about i<span style="font-family: "opensans"; font-size: 11pt;">deas which come in the night;</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxrXRtwSt5h8jH_2l-Qqo44ZhC22z8Ghm8rBnaj9TA0zxJIo1IMb0LMBIXQKYEjBc2MjK8FbE-V2fjDX_P4tSkRrr4HpGt3LaQK3UkfwGZlNggSa1JmOiXZd9u_aCFGEy8wTYXQqgQ0JW/s1600/Kowloon-Hong-Kong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxrXRtwSt5h8jH_2l-Qqo44ZhC22z8Ghm8rBnaj9TA0zxJIo1IMb0LMBIXQKYEjBc2MjK8FbE-V2fjDX_P4tSkRrr4HpGt3LaQK3UkfwGZlNggSa1JmOiXZd9u_aCFGEy8wTYXQqgQ0JW/s400/Kowloon-Hong-Kong.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kowloon at Night</td></tr>
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On June 24, 1995, the Chief Executive Officer of a worldwide organization spoke at a meeting for regional leaders and their wives, giving them directions to guide their next few years of service in the company. He advised them;<br />
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<i>Listen for the ideas which wake you up at night, and respond to them. I don’t know why they happen. I only know that they do. They can come in the day as well, of course. But listen to those night-time ideas. In the middle of the night, ideas have come to me which have been very creative. </i><br />
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<i><br />For example, in July 1992 I was responsible for finding space for a new facility in a large and crowded city where land was very expensive. The company had been searching for a new place to build there for a long time. I went to bed one night, feeling unsettled about the decision I had to make. I woke up very early the next morning.<br /><br />Something very interesting came to my mind; I thought; We already own a piece of property; a district office with small conference room. It is in the heart of the city, in a prime location with the best transportation. Why don’t we build up rather than out or on another parcel? We can remodel the first two floors of existing offices and build more on the top, adding two or three additional floors. Having had that inspiration I relaxed and went back to sleep.</i><br />
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Today in Kowloon, a densely populated section of Hong Kong, a taller building stands where the small office once stood, providing a temporary residence, offices, a library and conference rooms. It is a testament to the power of ideas which wake us up in the middle of the night.<br />
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This type of experience is well enough known to have a name; The Eureka Effect. It refers to the moment of insight when a puzzling problem is suddenly solved. It is named after a story about the Greek polymath Archimedes.</div>
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The Eureka Effect has another name; <i><b>Insight</b></i>, a psychological (scientific) term to describe the event in problem solving when a previously unsolvable puzzle becomes suddenly clear and obvious. Often this transition is accompanied by an exclamation of joy or satisfaction, an Aha! moment. MRI scans showed more connections in the brain —a key element to the creative process.</div>
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These two stories are describing the same type of event - call it inspiration or an Ah Ha! moment. What is particularly interesting is that one comes from a scientific perspective, the other deeply religious.</div>
Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-8036856841157329692017-07-18T10:06:00.001-07:002017-07-18T11:39:42.809-07:00The Art and Science of Religion<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF3gBvNtcy0LABzxjifNFUAU_wYosbZEdaeVOWcXCU_spW_ZUo7zovlgZc8yB41mr5oAh9DMSPB-sSAeRdZMP9ajvkGx5TbJibFQ-Mz0aNcrfoSKm-34H3eHynWe5D8plngawpLcND_jI/s1600/universal-genius.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF3gBvNtcy0LABzxjifNFUAU_wYosbZEdaeVOWcXCU_spW_ZUo7zovlgZc8yB41mr5oAh9DMSPB-sSAeRdZMP9ajvkGx5TbJibFQ-Mz0aNcrfoSKm-34H3eHynWe5D8plngawpLcND_jI/s400/universal-genius.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Universal Genius - from leonardodavinci.net</td></tr>
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The Art Institute of Chicago has an article entitled <a href="http://www.artic.edu/aic/education/sciarttech/2a1.html" target="_blank">The Enduring Relationship of Science and Art</a> on it's website which is adapted from a lecture by Robert Eskridge titled “Exploration and the Cosmos: The Consilience of Science and Art.”<br />
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I'm going to quote from it heavily in this posting, in support of the idea that art, science and religion are nowhere near as incompatible as many would have you believe today and that science, art and engineering naturally overlap. They involve ideas, theories, and hypotheses which are prototyped and tested in places where thought and action come together; model shops, laboratories and studios.<br />
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Artists, scientists and engineers are investigators. They study people and things and then transform what they learn into something else. In ancient Greece, the word for art was techne, from which our modern words technique and technology are derived—terms that are equally well applied to artistic, engineering, scientific and even religious practices.</div>
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Leonardo da Vinci is known as an artist whose works were informed by scientific investigation. He observed the world closely, studied physiology and anatomy in order to create convincing images of the human form. He believed that the moral and ethical meanings of his paintings would emerge through the accurate representation of human gestures and expressions. For Leonardo, science and art were different paths that led to the same destination—a higher spiritual truth. His extraordinary drawings are revered as examples of the Renaissance concept of the integration of all disciplines.<br />
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Leonardo wrote; <i>"We, by our arts may be called the grandsons of God."</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbOCzoYCSbVlHcB0iCrCLGVvvMms8fc97Bb7dEUMf_mGPt4oT0gFrKSUKPcwdiO7Sl5pGsNklHwpQDJrXbHD51S3GHGsFI0qRSY-FfHpX5Jhb53TQGuXOZNSLwi4YgTPq3x727vPh8VCK/s1600/Astronomer%252BGographer-Vermeer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbOCzoYCSbVlHcB0iCrCLGVvvMms8fc97Bb7dEUMf_mGPt4oT0gFrKSUKPcwdiO7Sl5pGsNklHwpQDJrXbHD51S3GHGsFI0qRSY-FfHpX5Jhb53TQGuXOZNSLwi4YgTPq3x727vPh8VCK/s400/Astronomer%252BGographer-Vermeer.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Astronomer and the Geographer - Vermeer</td></tr>
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The Astronomer and The Geographer, paintings by Johannes Vermeer, are other examples of the connection between science and art. Equally interested in this world and the larger universe, the 17th century Dutch were intent on both looking and investigating. It was here the microscope and telescope were first developed. Vermeer’s paintings celebrate science, the work of artists and the materials of the world. These paintings represents the link between science and art by demonstrating the combined interest in finely crafted objects and scientific systems, such as cartography and astronomy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDn0WgB-JQXBu7zV8sO6GKYUh-9rDlSzaZkSniLHbknE40KIbfw8m7J_438XtC-_YcsQIQr4X9pHgecsYW5Ffri3bUpMEHD98OQ4R7VXkOMFJC7FDJgENRy3BU-Kxxqllud0PGVJl0WUB/s1600/BankSeine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDn0WgB-JQXBu7zV8sO6GKYUh-9rDlSzaZkSniLHbknE40KIbfw8m7J_438XtC-_YcsQIQr4X9pHgecsYW5Ffri3bUpMEHD98OQ4R7VXkOMFJC7FDJgENRy3BU-Kxxqllud0PGVJl0WUB/s400/BankSeine.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt - Monet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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The effects of color, light and time were key elements of the works of Degas, van Gogh, Renoir, Gauguin, and Monet. </div>
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<div>
Monet suggested that our sense of our physical environment changes continuously with our shifting perceptions of light and color. <i>On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt, </i>captures a fleeting “impression” of the landscape through loose brushwork and composition. It expresses feelings, even before the mind labels, identifies, and converts images into memory. Monet’s captures the oscillation between impression and perception in an instant; the shifting of light and color across the landscape with the passage of time.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCruTwu5tFirugmRIcdY3h-qSYxNPHKOwqQmRY91glRimzAtHQQhc6Qpgn-AEPU-sr51LhihAElzOge_5f__ncI_IsWdIMplU5LW53Sswv_LLVIJHjqNH24mwxjD94NyiqsdISzEqrf1G7/s1600/A_Sunday_on_La_Grande_Jatte%252C_Georges_Seurat%252C_1884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCruTwu5tFirugmRIcdY3h-qSYxNPHKOwqQmRY91glRimzAtHQQhc6Qpgn-AEPU-sr51LhihAElzOge_5f__ncI_IsWdIMplU5LW53Sswv_LLVIJHjqNH24mwxjD94NyiqsdISzEqrf1G7/s400/A_Sunday_on_La_Grande_Jatte%252C_Georges_Seurat%252C_1884.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Sunday on La Grande Jatte</td></tr>
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As an art student at the Academy of Fine Arts in Paris, Georges Seurat studied the physics of color, with help from French chemists who had recently developed premixed paints, conveniently packaged in tubes, and synthetic pigments such as ultramarine blue, which previously were very expensive. As poor artists, neither Seurat nor Monet could have created their blue-filled, experimental works without the availability of scientifically and commercially produced and packaged paint.</div>
<div>
<br />
Pointillism was in a way the forerunner of the full color digital display. Up close, the surface of Seurat's paintings contain thousands of painted dots and dashes, discrete areas of color. He placed dots of complementary colors next to each other. At a distance, they interact to create vibrant blended colors and larger, whole forms, representing the range of the visible spectrum.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AFs1okfbfp-OQqXVAosgh3T9vs-h-mLnPW2lTPM5Hr-RqdECsLQ3UcYWmmsPzvR-wSyjgw07Bj-tVWaLlNwinnSPtKRVEEspSWEboRbQMGUceWwSA-dg4OV3Va-OWYoVRmCSuurwnrMf/s1600/Picasso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AFs1okfbfp-OQqXVAosgh3T9vs-h-mLnPW2lTPM5Hr-RqdECsLQ3UcYWmmsPzvR-wSyjgw07Bj-tVWaLlNwinnSPtKRVEEspSWEboRbQMGUceWwSA-dg4OV3Va-OWYoVRmCSuurwnrMf/s400/Picasso.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picasso's Portraits of Kahnweiler and Vollars</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div>
Picasso combines took Monet’s ideas about the contingency of time and Seurat’s theory about the perception of discrete elements and pushed them into distortion of space, breaking up the figures and objects, even varying the points of view within the same image. Painted just a few years after Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity, understanding Picasso’s Cubist style, like understanding Einstein, requires multi-disciplinary perspectives to be fully comprehended.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRakn1mqpXUNzvAWqyMvmH2ZUdInHswjQsrbeOpfqpI7bve4wt-1CKrQdXfTUnMJPKlnN9aMNvyWkyPy2v4YFEa8H0t11XXlj9BEy8vk5C9pf59JU9YVT0gB4flTiXowGyFOPMszyYU2mQ/s1600/Adams_The_Tetons_and_the_Snake_River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRakn1mqpXUNzvAWqyMvmH2ZUdInHswjQsrbeOpfqpI7bve4wt-1CKrQdXfTUnMJPKlnN9aMNvyWkyPy2v4YFEa8H0t11XXlj9BEy8vk5C9pf59JU9YVT0gB4flTiXowGyFOPMszyYU2mQ/s400/Adams_The_Tetons_and_the_Snake_River.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />The invention of photography in the middle of the 19th century was a technological breakthrough, both artistically and scientifically. Photography - Light Writing - captures and presents the physical world accurately and quickly, but also the emotional - even spiritual worlds. Ansel Adams' majestic vistas of mountains and rivers embraced the bond between man and nature while recording with astonishing technical accuracy the effects of light and atmosphere.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhi4DvNYIhm8ieUsAobcsMSi4fPtficx1OIexCVYvA2iYNujBqiFH7hpDcHqqLdXSI05It_eE5nxhSaNLU5RLpUTFu75_iiRIUXTfHXiS5mgf8h77k3S7-AAtreE7nnePddhmo40LAEPZ/s1600/Nut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhi4DvNYIhm8ieUsAobcsMSi4fPtficx1OIexCVYvA2iYNujBqiFH7hpDcHqqLdXSI05It_eE5nxhSaNLU5RLpUTFu75_iiRIUXTfHXiS5mgf8h77k3S7-AAtreE7nnePddhmo40LAEPZ/s400/Nut.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ancient Egyptian sky goddess, Nut, arching over the earth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This connection between art, science and religion is evidenced as far back as Egypt, preserved in the pyramids and hieroglyphics, illustrating again how art, science and religion co-exist in an enduring, evolving, relationship.</div>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
Next up; The bridges between feeling, thinking and doing.</div>
Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-71347766193931255212017-05-17T16:28:00.000-07:002017-05-26T15:57:20.922-07:00The Neurological Basis of Design Thinking<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Design Thinking;</div>
</h2>
<ul>
<li>What is it?</li>
<li>Who invented it? </li>
<li>Why is it needed? </li>
<li>When would or should you do it? </li>
<li>Where can you learn it? </li>
<li>How is it done? </li>
</ul>
These questions, and their answers, point to a deeper set of issues about DT which are rooted in differences in both our vocabulary and points of view which are outgrowths of our brain structure and the ways our tolerance for ambiguity and complexity express themselves in problem solving.<br />
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To illustrate this idea, let's build on our current understanding of neurophysiology;<br />
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Core to Design Thinking is being <b style="font-style: italic;">Human-Centric. </b>This is an often cited trait of DT, but it is usually mentioned in the context of empathic inquiry. Perhaps more important is the implication that there are humans involved.<i> This is important because <b>humans have brains</b> and those brains work in certain observable and predictable ways. </i>Thanks to real time imaging techniques we've begun to pull back the curtain on how the brain works and how we perceive that activity.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmATA_5p7FjZVqqToqkijl27WZs7hXkd1ciq3HYeFvVsb46TA0cn6xEMsDd4trwb9kp_5xRYXT7DOeUs3ld0ticLbQV2Z6usdcYWPsGEhG_Jnlw5M0GluKYP7q62_-zMNKLpLjVyezHEUD/s1600/Sectioned+Brain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmATA_5p7FjZVqqToqkijl27WZs7hXkd1ciq3HYeFvVsb46TA0cn6xEMsDd4trwb9kp_5xRYXT7DOeUs3ld0ticLbQV2Z6usdcYWPsGEhG_Jnlw5M0GluKYP7q62_-zMNKLpLjVyezHEUD/s400/Sectioned+Brain.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cross Section of the Human Brain</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This remarkable collection of neurons fundamentally operates in three spheres; <b>Cognitive</b>, which we associate with thinking, <b>Emotional</b>, which we associate with feelings and <b>Behavioral </b>which we associate with doing. Real time scans of neurologic activity in the structures of the <b>Cerebral Cortex</b>, <b>Midbrain</b> and <b>Primitive Brain</b> generally correspond to our experiences of <b>Thinking</b>, <b>Feeling</b> and <b>Doing</b>.<br />
<br />
The Design Thinking framework also has three main areas; <b>Humanity</b>, <b>Technology</b> and <b>Business</b> which have their associated expressions of <b>Desirability</b>, <b>Feasibility</b> and <b>Viability. </b>This correlation isn't accidental. As humans, we use our multifunctional brains to <b>Think</b>, <b>Feel</b> and <b>Act</b> our way thru the process of learning and problem solving. What is learning but simplifying the complex and clarifying the obscure? (a.k.a Handling "Wickedness")<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj175Lq8zETG_Lpo6YireyFFBPdLDPO6gmwaUGzehqyoj35IO2xbbcUYdVTwHkHO0VOYXYm13K2BW09CAJz3nXU0Ps8oRCmSBrCt7diOnco0EWrExq9QulCHBS_6_g20Y2_OH5BbW4rGy/s1600/english_dt_600px.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj175Lq8zETG_Lpo6YireyFFBPdLDPO6gmwaUGzehqyoj35IO2xbbcUYdVTwHkHO0VOYXYm13K2BW09CAJz3nXU0Ps8oRCmSBrCt7diOnco0EWrExq9QulCHBS_6_g20Y2_OH5BbW4rGy/s400/english_dt_600px.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The DT Triad</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
Note the three other correlations between these areas in the DT framework;<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Thinking</b> is about what happens in the <b>Technology</b> space.</li>
<li><b>Feeling/Emotions</b> are at play in the <b>Desirability</b> space.</li>
<li><b>Viability</b> is what is tested and proven in the <b>Busi-ness </b>(action) space.</li>
</ul>
What sets the DT apart from other approaches is its consideration *all* aspects of the situation; <i>Emotional</i>, <i>Cognitive</i> and <i>Behavioral</i>. It provides a comprehensive <i>"whole brain"</i> framework to uncover and address the known and unknown elements in all three domains when discovering and developing solutions. This point is often overlooked when discussing DT, which leads to a great deal of confusion, particularly when being compared to mainly rational frameworks like the scientific method.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmRTex56G97pP3gmIEcqRn6eykB9lLwqHiDZIVCMDizlenMUtpqIJ3RS1P3HVpnqtFFAWQ7ilEHbrefojW3CQEVQyy1Haun3RvsHAxDf7QQgZXq24u7RApuClLE1Sqk_4zWpkKvzNkRTg/s1600/5+Phase+Circular+Process.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="1600" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifmRTex56G97pP3gmIEcqRn6eykB9lLwqHiDZIVCMDizlenMUtpqIJ3RS1P3HVpnqtFFAWQ7ilEHbrefojW3CQEVQyy1Haun3RvsHAxDf7QQgZXq24u7RApuClLE1Sqk_4zWpkKvzNkRTg/s400/5+Phase+Circular+Process.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Circular DT Model</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eXqzqt4yL0RdzSZcT73AAOGzo6auy6ALIkICVikqHn7_irBq7FmVhvwMwZIBJjQKxYll-pSyecqSr95_x8bTdAL0iOTSmObL0xLJn2HvTugnZSJHySSpAC7Ict6uEl6-GYvSNRgKXXB2/s1600/DesignThinking+Phases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eXqzqt4yL0RdzSZcT73AAOGzo6auy6ALIkICVikqHn7_irBq7FmVhvwMwZIBJjQKxYll-pSyecqSr95_x8bTdAL0iOTSmObL0xLJn2HvTugnZSJHySSpAC7Ict6uEl6-GYvSNRgKXXB2/s400/DesignThinking+Phases.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One Pass thru the DT Phases</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
DT also acknowledges a core aspect of dynamic systems; <i>It takes time to converge on a predictable solution</i>; This has an analog in Control Systems in the concept of <b>Damping or</b> <b>Feedback</b>.<br />
<br />
Even with optimum (critical) damping, oscillating systems don't settle in the <b><i>shortest amount of time</i></b> until about the third cycle, which is why in we plan for at least <b>three</b> express-test (prototyping) cycles.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNd08yJ8fmeKW0hy3HlGxTB5BY6sZ4wMvMG_gkcWLFY3trUCPCoLwohEBw1BSlpAAXLL76D8QpCE_I_FoZpsUc5GtTu9f0hFHrmvtPetD8raMs7TjAKMjGg9lIt3CVHxOUze0XU_gT6m65/s1600/Damping.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="774" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNd08yJ8fmeKW0hy3HlGxTB5BY6sZ4wMvMG_gkcWLFY3trUCPCoLwohEBw1BSlpAAXLL76D8QpCE_I_FoZpsUc5GtTu9f0hFHrmvtPetD8raMs7TjAKMjGg9lIt3CVHxOUze0XU_gT6m65/s400/Damping.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Degrees of Feedback vs. Cycles to Settle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Design Thinking's prototyping element addresses the need to manage risk (ambiguity and complexity) by using inexpensive tools to rapidly model ideas and outcomes, thereby discovering errors and problems more quickly. Prototyping also highlights the need to turn customer needs into quantifiable requirements with tolerances as soon as possible.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAgs-4GQE_ZiS6Y1j_0y5ewf-fX4jVLfzCy9QZLnkALkZDvqnEKj7-g8IFGcRI3Ugdx3a5tCzmpE_QK-OtDymxolhuwvQ6b80kImGDJ-qjCeYsILjguHUH6XxgzUGwjUboAxmivtqadyF/s1600/Rapid+Prototyping+Tools.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAgs-4GQE_ZiS6Y1j_0y5ewf-fX4jVLfzCy9QZLnkALkZDvqnEKj7-g8IFGcRI3Ugdx3a5tCzmpE_QK-OtDymxolhuwvQ6b80kImGDJ-qjCeYsILjguHUH6XxgzUGwjUboAxmivtqadyF/s320/Rapid+Prototyping+Tools.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rapid Prototyping Tools</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
<br />
The practical implications of this correlation between how your brain works and the Design Thinking framework are powerful and simple;<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<b>Thoughts + Emotions + Experience = Deep Learning</b> </h3>
<br />
If you have an idea, you have a theory.<br />
If you have an emotion you have a reason to act.<br />
If you have acted, you have first hand knowledge.<br />
<br />
Put all this together and you have a comprehensive approach to solving a wide range of problems. Design Thinking brings your full range of mental tools, methods, and actions to the table.<br />
<br />
It is also what differentiates DT from other problem solving methods which emphasize analysis, ("scientific") or emotion (the "arts") or "business" (managing people, time and money) to solve (or create) problems.<br />
<br />
Design Thinking is using all of your your tri-part brain, to <i><b>act, feel, and think</b></i>, in solving problems or create new realities, which increases the quality of your solutions.<br />
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-44444109477170137982017-04-06T15:50:00.001-07:002017-04-06T16:00:30.932-07:00Rapid Prototyping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxkIGtfZ4rTimTQYIR7j4mUHsQH2U6Mjbf4eGnGXbTyddRlgTY7TpsghzzEYfgYEi0XuMKzhy35VEfw45zjIw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Here is a terrific example, from the folks at NTD, of what you can do with some cardboard,
superglue, hot-melt, a handful of plastic syringes and some fish tank
air line. This video can also be viewed in much higher resolution by
clicking <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NTDLifeOfficial/videos/175090213002448/" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
<br />
Rapid
Prototyping is an extremely useful tool in the early stages of concept
development. Doing something like this might uncover a latent flaw in
an idea which wouldn't otherwise surface until much later if using a top-down design process.Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-9831093898483224942017-02-07T09:07:00.002-08:002017-03-03T16:16:12.183-08:00Being Analog in an Increasingly Digitized World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBCtUyatxVzzrsI9smOmObp2kPbl020fndCyLUd1Icdipgcxa9vM2LqQdAFLCRukmZFlMBHZHphhhCtEfCP0hrV5RxUHrfddxi1G72N6bVrPr53lDrfNgeR4L4SRXEcLCPu4_Ai7Dmh_7/s1600/Handshake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBCtUyatxVzzrsI9smOmObp2kPbl020fndCyLUd1Icdipgcxa9vM2LqQdAFLCRukmZFlMBHZHphhhCtEfCP0hrV5RxUHrfddxi1G72N6bVrPr53lDrfNgeR4L4SRXEcLCPu4_Ai7Dmh_7/s400/Handshake.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Donald Norman is one of my favorite Odd Ducks. He has been blending technical and human sciences since the 1950's.<br />
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In 1957 he received a BSEE in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, went on to earn a M.S. and a PhD in Mathematical Psychology which is "based on mathematical modeling of perceptual, cognitive and motor processes, and on the establishment of law-like rules that relate quantifiable stimulus characteristics with quantifiable behavior."<br />
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Next, as an associate professor in the Psychology Department at University of California, San Diego Norman was a founder of the Institute for Cognitive Science and an organizer of the Cognitive Science Society. </div>
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Norman left UCSD to join Apple Computer in 1993, initially as an Apple Fellow as a User Experience Architect, using "User Experience" in his job title, and then Vice President of the Advanced Technology Group. Don was an early advocate of "user-centered design."</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman"; font-size: 18px;"><i><b>"Design is a way of... determining people’s true, underlying needs, and then delivering products and services that help them. Design combines an understanding of people, technology, society, and business."</b> - Donald Norman</i></span></div>
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But there is a ghost in the machine which Norman attempts to exorcize in an article entitled <a href="http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/being_analog.html" target="_blank">Being Analog</a>, that was originally published as Chapter 7 of his book; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Computer-Products-Information-Appliances/dp/0262640414/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486484527&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Invisible+Computer" target="_blank">The Invisible Computer</a>.<br />
(Being Analog is a very thought provoking piece, which you should read.)<br />
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Norman strikes at the heart of the matter in the first sentence;</div>
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<i>"We are analog beings trapped in a digital world, and the worst part is, we did it to ourselves.<br /><br />We humans are biological animals. We have evolved over millions of years to function well in the environment, to survive. We are analog devices following biological modes of operation. We are compliant, flexible, tolerant. Yet, we have constructed a world of machines that requires us to be rigid, fixed and intolerant.</i></div>
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<i><br />Here we are, wandering about the world, bumping into things, forgetful of details, with a poor sense of time, a poor memory for facts and figures, unable to keep attention on a topic for more than a short duration, reasoning by example rather than by logic, and drawing upon our admittedly deficient memories of prior experience. </i></div>
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<i>When viewed this way, we seem rather pitiful. No wonder that we have constructed a set of artificial devices that are very much not in our own image. We have constructed a world of machinery in which accuracy and precision matter. Time matters. Names, dates, facts, and figures matter. Accurate memory matters. Details matter.<br /><br /><b>All the things we are bad at matter, all the things we are good at are ignored. Bizarre."</b></i></div>
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A troubling question is hiding on a deeper level; Are we, as children, parents and grandparents, becoming a bit too much like our digital systems? Norman's list of human traits; being <i>compliant, flexible and tolerant</i>, stands in striking contrast to those of the binary machines we have created which are <i>rigid, fixed and intolerant</i>. He says our machines demand that of us and that we, as the creators of those machines, have done it to ourselves. That is true, but falls short of the mark;</div>
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What we - as consumers - have done is <i><b>allow the designers to give us technology the prolonged use of which may be turning us into beings who are becoming inflexible and intolerant</b></i>. At least some of us.</div>
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Looking at the current discourse in the wake of the most recent election, what are we arguing and seeing others argue, about if not matters of accuracy and precision, time, names, dates, facts, and figures, memory and details.<br />
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As the ambiguity and complexity grows, left unaddressed, this situation will only get worse.</div>
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So, the question is; what can be done about it? Can designers save themselves and their customers from themselves?</div>
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By the way, <a href="http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/apples_products_are.html" target="_blank">Norman even took issue with user experience master Apple Computer back in 2015.</a></div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-83473361345842804002017-02-04T07:12:00.003-08:002017-02-04T10:05:03.963-08:00Reflections on René Descartes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2p6X2jSpoMrF0kLQsWQR1YofPjR93_Ztc8K8GN7me845sGVaI6qq1Z3yt2hyphenhyphenje27U0EkxriMM4TJNGXb-BDrHWFo6LfmUyMYeCE-1gNocZKx3Yi1W7G9fhg5rI_5-xVzDKa-eCQR4ZJeN/s1600/rene-descartes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2p6X2jSpoMrF0kLQsWQR1YofPjR93_Ztc8K8GN7me845sGVaI6qq1Z3yt2hyphenhyphenje27U0EkxriMM4TJNGXb-BDrHWFo6LfmUyMYeCE-1gNocZKx3Yi1W7G9fhg5rI_5-xVzDKa-eCQR4ZJeN/s400/rene-descartes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You stink, therefore I don't give a darn.</td></tr>
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Rene Descartes is generally considered to be one of the greatest minds of his day and the father of the scientific method of inquiry. <br />
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Of Descartes, Philosophers.co.uk wrote;<br />
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<i>Rene Descartes (1596-1650) was not only one of the most prominent philosophers of the 17th century but in history of Western philosophy. Often referred to as the “father of modern philosophy”... he rejected the final causal model of explaining natural phenomena and replaced it with science-based observation and experiment.</i></div>
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On a much more personal level, the Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews review of Desmond Clark's 2006 book; <b><i>"Descartes: A Biography"</i></b> makes some very candid observations about the father of modern scientific thinking, adding credibility by stating that the book is <i>notable for its exhaustive detail, drawing helpfully upon Descartes' voluminous and revealing correspondence to reconstruct as best as possible Descartes' movements and mindsets throughout his almost 54 years of life... </i><i>Clarke provides for the reader to better understand Descartes as a person and as an intellectual. </i><br />
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NDPR points to three related themes which "edge repeatedly to the forefront throughout the book;"<br />
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<li>Descartes' seemingly endless travels and his eventual isolation in voluntary exile;</li>
<li>Descartes' own largely unflattering character;</li>
<li>The ubiquitous and sometimes menacing presence of others exercising an influence over Descartes' life and work, especially his scientific work.</li>
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What follows are some edited extracts from the review;</div>
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Beeckman, one of Descartes earliest close friends, remarked, on one occasion, that Descartes <i><b>saw travel as a replacement for study in schools and through books, of which he read few.</b></i><br />
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<i><b>His aversion to the ideas of others extended to his avoidance of learned people</b>. </i></div>
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<i>In fact, as he matured, <b>he tended to avoid all contact with people, and his adult life was lived primarily in isolation.</b></i><br />
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Clarke's characterizes Descartes as lonely, paranoid, and generally unpleasant: <i>"He had become [by 1638]<b> a</b> <b>reclusive, cantankerous, and oversensitive loner, who worried incessantly about his place in history and the priority he claimed for various discoveries."</b></i><br />
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Clark writes of Descartes' <i>"sensitivity to criticism and the certainty that he claimed, prematurely, for his own view"</i>, stating further that Descartes <i>"fought with almost everyone he encountered while constantly announcing that all he wanted was 'the security and tranquility' required to complete his intellectual projects". </i><br />
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Among Descartes other flaws Clark lists; <i><b>lack of modesty, paranoia and suspicion, reluctance to concede intellectual points, a tendency to bear grudges, duplicity, and manipulative treatment of people, even of supportive friends. </b></i><br />
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Descartes seems to have been in almost constant battle with one or another critic or erstwhile friend, while describing himself as 'docile' and reluctant to speak in his own defense.</div>
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Perhaps the least attractive of his many failings was Descartes' duplicity. "<i>He sends pairs of letters to Queen Christina and to Chanut presenting sharply divergent attitudes toward the Queen's invitation to Sweden. 'These parallel letters… ', writes Clarke, "show Descartes at his dissembling best."</i></div>
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<i>I close this post with three questions;</i></div>
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<li>How does this seemingly self taught, argumentative, arrogant and self serving critic of everyone and everything but himself end up becoming the father of modern philosophical thought and scientific inquiry?</li>
<li>How can one be a fan of Descartes methods now termed :scientific" without simultaneously harboring similar traits, or at least sympathies, within one's self? </li>
<li>Is the Cartesian mindset a necessary precursor for being a competent designer, scientist or engineer? </li>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-81634178177678995582017-02-02T12:51:00.001-08:002017-02-25T06:10:07.385-08:00Archer's Systematic Method for DesignersL Bruce Archer's <i>Systematic Method for Designers</i> was published 1964 by the Council of Industrial Design in London and published serially in Design magazine in 1963 and 1964, revised, with additional material.<br />
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It is an impressive work, comprising seven sections, described in 13 pages;<br />
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1) Aesthetics and logic<br />
2) The nature of designing<br />
3) Getting the brief<br />
4) Examining the evidence<br />
5) The creative leap<br />
6) The donkey work<br />
7) The final steps.<br />
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Each section is loaded with the wisdom and advice of a seasoned practitioner, organized with the rigor of an academic mind.<br />
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In the introduction, Archer comments about the tectonic shift he saw under way in the design profession;<br />
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<i>"The most fundamental challenge to conventional ideas on design, however, has been the growing advocacy of systematic methods of problem solving, borrowed from computer techniques and management theory, for the assessment of design problems and the development of design solutions."</i><br />
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With regard to aesthetics Archer observed that <i>"as soon as two people start to talk abut design, misunderstandings arise. Some... are due to over-leaping vocabularies, such as those of the engineer and the architect, where the same term can mean slightly or completely different things. Many misunderstandings, however are due to fundamental differences in value and logic."</i><br />
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<i>"</i><i>Some of our most successful designers have been able to draw a line between sense and sensibility, logic and intuition, function and aesthetic, which needs neither analysis nor justification. They probably think that there is a deal too much talk and not enough action. Others, however, remain racked with prejudices which make them lash out at words like 'analysis', 'logic' and 'method' - or even at words like 'good taste' and 'style'. It would probably do them good to talk about design a bit more."</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Phase 4 - Develop Prototype design(s)</td></tr>
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The arc of Archer's thinking shifted over the years, as he struggled to close the gap between thinking, feeling and doing as foundations for a grand theory of design. After many years pursuing the idea that computers could help manage the immense complexity of a process which filled 13 pages, had 228 steps, plus five pages of accompanying arrow diagrams, embodies in six phases;<br />
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1) "Receive the brief, analyse the problem, prepare detailed program and estimate.<br />
2) Collect data, identify and analyse subproblems, prepare performance specifications.<br />
3) Prepare outline specifications.<br />
4) Develop prototype designs.<br />
5) Prepare and execute validation studies.<br />
6) Prepare manufacturing documentation. <br />
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This detailed, top-down approach dovetailed nicely with the well organized planning methods being developed in government managed military and aerospace at the time.<br />
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Note that some of the arrows in the diagram point left, indicating some recursion in the process flow. (This is also true of the other five phases.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"> Archer's Eight ways an idea can be expressed</td></tr>
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In Part five:<b> <i>The creative leap</i></b> Archer states; <i>"When all is said and done about defining design problems and analysing design data, there still remains the real crux of the act of designing - the creative leap from pondering the question to finding a solution." </i>Several paragraphs later he observes; <i>"...there can be nothing unscientific about the traditional reliance on intuition and inspiration in design."</i> Confronted with the then recent discoveries of the Transactional school of perception, he concluded; <i>"We are thus brought face to face with the reality of the need for rich, wide and fruitful experience among designers, as well as the capacity for flexibility and fantasy in thought." </i>Archer also asserts that this leap is something which the designer must do alone, although I suspect he was referring to the idea that our thinking occurs within our individual minds first, rather than a collective, shared consciousness.</div>
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For all his process rigor, Archer understood the value of cut-and-try. He wrote; <i>"In some industries - furniture, for example, it is often quicker and cheaper to build a prototype and submit it to user tests than it is to carry out extensive detailing and stress calculation. The advantage of suck-it-and-see (cut and try? -df) methods is that however subtle the variables, a direct measure of the overall success or failure is possible. The chief disadvantage is that so many problems of construction must be wholly or partly solved before performance testing can even begin."</i></div>
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Archer's family donated 34 boxes of documents to the Royal College of Art in 2007. The RCA's website states; <i>Different stages of Archer’s model for the design process would later be understood in now-familiar terms such as ‘quality assurance’ or ‘user-centred research’, </i>Unfortunately, access to the documents is limited due to their not having been converted to digital formats.</div>
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He did use the phrase "design thinking" on page 1 of Systematic Method for Designers, in context it reads; <i>"Ways have had to be found to incorporate knowledge of ergonomics, cybernetics, marketing and management science into design thinking. As with most technology, there has been a trend towards the adoption of a systems approach as distinct from an artefact approach."</i></div>
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I'll leave it to the reader to determine if they think Archer was referring to a formalized method of design in that statement. My read is that he was speaking of the way designers think, as opposed to a formalized method - and, based on his work, writings and teaching, he clearly was interested in developing an expression of a repeatable design process.</div>
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Contact me for more information on Archer's work.</div>
Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-16303673144585545722017-01-31T10:50:00.002-08:002017-01-31T10:50:32.008-08:00What's Your Style; Thinking, Doing, Feeling or...?For several weeks I've had an idea percolating to frame Design Thinking as a learning style which combines feeling, thinking and doing in order to discover and solve problems. Today I found a web site by the <b>New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/ New Jersey Bilingual Educators</b> which had a one page handout entitled <b><a href="http://www.njtesol-njbe.org/handouts12/Learning_styles_meaning.pdf" target="_blank">What does your preferred learning style mean?</a></b> Much to my delight, the column headings were; <b>Thinking, Doing, Feeling and Innovating</b>. The footnote said it was adopted from <a href="http://college.cengage.com/collegesurvival/downing/on_course/5e/resources.html" target="_blank">Skip Downing's On Course Workshop</a>.<div>
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Unfortunately, the link to the Learning Styles Inventory there was broken, but here is what the NJTESOL/NJBE web page showed:</div>
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Reframing this to the context of the Design Thinking process, the pieces are all there; Analysis Empathizing, Building and Testing and Reflection. I was disappointed that the Innovating column didn't integrate more of the items from the other three - are Innovators not also Thinkers and Doers and Feelers? I also disagree with the notion that Innovators would be "<span style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt;">Uncomfortable with
answers based on abstract
theories, cold facts, hard
data, emotion, or personal
considerations" but perhaps thats because the context is academic rather than practical.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: TimesNewRoman; font-size: 12pt;">What do you think? As a Design Thinker, are we not seeking to be Feeling, Thinking and Doing as the situation demands?</span></div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-50614995013603940852017-01-29T15:43:00.002-08:002017-01-30T02:50:13.825-08:00A Brief History of IDEO's Design Thinking Process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the <a href="https://www.fastcodesign.com/1139331/ideos-david-kelley-design-thinking" target="_blank">February 1, 2009 issue of </a><b><i><a href="https://www.fastcodesign.com/1139331/ideos-david-kelley-design-thinking" target="_blank">FastCo Design</a>,</i></b> Linda Tischler told the story of David Kelley, the founding of IDEO and the d.school at Stanford, but there is much more to the story than that. It also mentions the cradle of Design Thinking at Stanford; the Joint Program in Design. What follows is an edited and expanded version of what started out as her story;<br />
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Stanford's Joint Program in Design dates from 1958, when Professor John E. Arnold, formerly of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, moved to Stanford with a joint appointment as Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Professor of Business Administration.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Arnold and a friend from Arcturus IV</td></tr>
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Arnold had received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1934 and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1940 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the 1950s he sought to shift the meaning of design from being “the language used to tell fabrication and assembly where to make their cuts” to “the language of innovation,” by which engineers expressed their imagination, He proposed the idea that design engineering should be human-centered, which was a radical concept in the era of Sputnik and the early Cold War.<br />
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In 1959 Arnold wrote; <i>"...[the engineer] can take on some aspects of the artist and try to improve or increase the salability of a product or machine by beautifying or bettering its appearance, or by having a keener sensitivity for the market and for the kinds of things people want or don’t want.” </i>Similar to L. Bruce Archer and Harold van Doren, Arnold was suggesting that beauty and desirability were key elements for the engineer to consider.<br />
<br />
John was already known for his unconventional methods of teaching engineers, for example; Arcturus IV; a problem-based learning assignment that put his students in an off world setting to work on tools and appliances for a bird-like race of "Methanians" who had “three eyes, including one with X-ray vision” as featured in the <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=h1YEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP1&hl=de&pg=PA186#v=twopage&q&f=false" target="_blank">May 16, 1955 issue of Life Magazine.</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Building on Arnold's work, Bob McKim (Emeritus, Engineering) and Matt Kahn (Art), created the Product Design major and the graduate-level Joint Program in Design. The curriculum was formalized in the mid-1960s, making the Joint Program in Design (JPD) one of the first inter-departmental programs at Stanford.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ping Pong Ball Problem made it into Adam's book</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Textbooks included McKim's <i>Experiences in Visual Thinking</i>, and Jim Adams', <i>Conceptual Blockbusting, a Guide to Better Ideas</i>. McKim's work predated other writers and proponents of the Visual Thinking concept. <i><b>ME101: Visual Thinking</b></i> became the introductory course to the Product Design major. Adam's <i>Conceptual Blockbusting </i>contains more than one problem right out of John Arnold's bag of mental challenges.<br />
<br />
When Bob McKim transitioned to Emeritus status, <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/june/matt-kahn-obit-062713.html" target="_blank">Matt Kahn</a>, <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolf_Faste">Rolf Faste</a> and <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_M._Kelley">David Kelley</a> continued instruction in the tradition of merging art, science and need-finding though the 1980s and 1990s. ME101 is still taught at Stanford and the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Department of Art continue their collaboration, with faculty drawn from both schools.<br />
<br />
After graduating from Carnegie Mellon in 1973, David Kelley took a job at Boeing, designing what he calls a "milestone in aviation history"; the 747's LAVATORY OCCUPIED sign. He moved to National Cash Register (now NCR) in Ohio, which turned out to be a similarly frustrating experience. Fate intervened during the 1973-74 oil embargo, when a guy in David's car pool told him about Stanford's product-design program. At Stanford, Kelley met Bob McKim, who became his mentor.<br />
<br />
In 1978, Kelley and some of his Stanford pals banded together to launch a design and engineering firm, Hovey - Kelley Design, opening for business over a dress shop in downtown Palo Alto. In 1981, the firm created the first Apple mouse.<br />
<br />
In 1991, Kelley's firm merged with two others; Bill Moggridge's ID2, which had designed the first laptop computer, and Mike Nuttall's Matrix Design, whose skill was in visual design, to form IDEO.<br />
<br />
In a 2003 meeting with IDEO CEO Tim Brown, Kelley had an epiphany: They would stop calling IDEO's approach "design" and start calling it "design thinking."<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"I'm not a words person," Kelley said, "but in my life, it's the most powerful moment that words or labeling ever made. Because then it all made sense. Now, I'm an expert at <b><i>methodology</i></b> rather than a guy who designs a new chair or car.”<br />
<br />
"They went <b><i>meta</i></b> on the notion of design," says <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.193.9908&rep=rep1&type=pdf" target="_blank">Roger Martin</a>, dean of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, referring to the shift from object design to focusing on organizational processes. "They concluded that the same principles can be applied to the design of, say, emergency-room procedures as a shopping cart.”<br />
<br />
Like Arnold's view, Design Thinking represents a serious challenge to the status quo at more traditional companies, particularly those where engineering or marketing dominate the process. Patrick Whitney, Dean of the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) sends many of his graduates off to IDEO and says he sees this resistance all the time. "A lot of my students have MBAs and engineering degrees. They're taught to identify the opportunity set, deal with whatever numbers you can find to give you certainty, then optimize.”<br />
<br />
It took David Kelley a while to appreciate the power of stepping back before forging ahead. In the mid-1980s, while at Hovey Kelley, he used to write proposals with the phases of the process he'd learned at Stanford — <i>understanding</i>, <i>observation</i>, <i>brainstorming</i>, <i>prototyping</i> — all priced separately. Clients invariably would say, "Don't do that early fooling around. Start with phase three." Kelley realized that the early phases were where the big ideas came from — and what separated Hovey Kelley from other management consultants.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"That moment was really big for me," he says. "After that, I'd say, 'No way, I won't take the job if you scrap those phases. That's where the value is.’ "<br />
<br />
How much value? Procter & Gamble's CEO A.G. Lafley sent the company's entire 40-member Global Leadership Council to IDEO headquarters twice for a total immersion in the process. "Our senior management was blown away," says Claudia Kotchka, former vice president for design innovation and strategy. "They learned that design is more than aesthetics, and that there are different ways of solving problems than the analytical methods that most disciplines teach.”<br />
<br />
Still, despite the enthusiasm in Palo Alto, once the P&G Global Leadership Team got back to Cincinnati, ideas created in the design process kept getting stuck as they ran into the commercial side of the business. This frustrated Kotchka, who called Kelley, Rotman business school dean Roger Martin, and IIT's Patrick Whitney to help find a way to break the deadlock. <i>Over the summer and fall of 2005, the three came up with a prototype of an integrated approach that took a product team through the design process all the way through the impact on strategy.</i> What's more, they trained the P&G employees to facilitate such programs on their own.<br />
<br />
The way Kelley sees it, a polyglot team gives an extraordinary advantage in generating truly creative ideas. That idea was one of the animating forces behind the d.school — a place that would help typically analytical Stanford students become more creative thinkers. The school would draw from business, law, education, medicine, engineering — the more diversity, the better.<br />
<br />
Kelley is still a bit astonished at what he has been able to pull off. "I've been here 30 years, and nobody paid any attention to me at all," he says. "At one point, they were trying to reduce the size of my office — which was 78 square feet. Now I'm sitting in meetings with the president, with him asking if I want another building and talking about making creative confidence a requirement at Stanford, just like a foreign language."<br />
<br />
The most mature form of the process turns up the gain on the artistic/feeling leg of the art/science/business problem solving triad. Participants in the d.school's seminars start their journey by empathically interviewing strangers, looking for emotional hot buttons, in an effort to discover hidden problems to solve. It's a long way from the top-down, buttoned-up world of Mil-Aerospace inspired methods where everything is carefully planned out in advance. but its a lot more creative and Kelly would testify that it's also a lot more fun.<br />
<br />
John Arnold would be pleased.</div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-5928014609922512772016-10-21T09:13:00.000-07:002016-10-21T09:23:56.650-07:00A Breath of Fresh Air<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPwPJ8QlqErq5xQNL9_AqqrupLqxSo43AZT8iJjjnV4iyoSvuabhj6HcU-iqleIKHDF51yCJw0Vy9aeIkGgFhI0mX0OtJ3y-6_VBQDL5PuSFz6V-NFrGhUSXPMdVPSwPcLrPuWUiH9dUe/s1600/0233-lion-four-bulls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwPwPJ8QlqErq5xQNL9_AqqrupLqxSo43AZT8iJjjnV4iyoSvuabhj6HcU-iqleIKHDF51yCJw0Vy9aeIkGgFhI0mX0OtJ3y-6_VBQDL5PuSFz6V-NFrGhUSXPMdVPSwPcLrPuWUiH9dUe/s320/0233-lion-four-bulls.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aesop's Lions and Oxes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
In a recent article from <b><i>TheStreet,</i></b> Brad Hall described the eight things Google's Project Oxygen discovered about truly effective management; He wrote:<br />
<br />
<i>"</i><i>As a young PhD student, I read thousands of academic articles on leadership. But one day a friend asked me a simple question on how to coach a struggling manager. I was baffled. I could compare and contrast almost any prominent leadership theory, but I had no idea how to fix the simplest management problem. I realized that I was lost in a sea of knowledge. The more I learned, the less I knew."</i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>Google's Project Oxygen was designed to identify what successful Google managers do. Too often, training departments try to help managers improve their "skills" or "traits." But changing traits is very difficult. <b>Instead, Google chose to teach managers what to do - after doing a lot of very disciplined research.</b></i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"The team spent one year data-mining performance appraisals, employee surveys, nominations for top manager awards and other sources. The result was more than 10,000 observations of manager behaviors. The research complemented the quantitative data with qualitative information from interviews. The interviews produced more than 400 pages of notes, which were coded using standard behavioral science methodologies."</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>The final result was eight behaviors great managers do that make them great. (I broke one of them apart into two, so now there are nine. -df)</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
They are, in order of importance:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li><i>Be a good coach</i></li>
<li><i>Empower (don't micromanage)</i></li>
<li><i>Be interested in direct reports, personal and work success and wellbeing</i></li>
<li><i>Be productive and results oriented</i></li>
<li><i>Listen to your team</i></li>
<li><i>Be a good communicator</i></li>
<li><i>Help your employees with career development</i></li>
<li><i>Have a clear vision and strategy for the team</i></li>
<li><i>Have key technical skills, so you can advise the team. </i></li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
Interestingly enough, these correlate with another list, complied by Professor Jeffrey Pfeiffer in his 1998 book <i>The Human Equation - Building Profits by Putting People First, </i>which he called <i>Seven Practices of Successful Organizations</i>. These are not in any order of priority. Pfeiffer is known for his steadfast commitment to data backed recommendations, not fluffy leadership advice backed by guesses.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><i>Extensive training</i></li>
<li><i>Employment Security</i></li>
<li><i>Selective hiring of new personnel</i></li>
<li><i>Reduced status distinctions and barriers across levels</i></li>
<li><i>Self managed Teams and decentralized decision making</i></li>
<li><i>Extensive sharing of financial and performance information</i></li>
<li><i>High performance driven compensation compared to your competition</i></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Sheryl McMillan took it one step further in her July 8, 2016 posting, which began with a re-telling of Aesop's tale of the Lion and the Oxen;<br />
<br />
<i>"A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four."<br /><br />United we stand, divided we fall."</i></div>
<div>
<br />
Cheryl wrote of how she was once part of a leadership group formed from two merged organizations. Headcount reductions ("right sizing") followed, and all leadership jobs, including her new boss’s, were under scrutiny. The new boss only liked ideas that supported his position. many felt that he didn’t care about others' opinions. As a result, instead of being encouraged to work together for the good of the organization, everyone felt pitted against one another and found themselves protecting their own “corners of the pasture”.<br />
<br />
Cheryl observed that in every interaction with your employees, you are either creating a psychologically safe or unsafe environment and gave three concrete suggestions to help build what Simon Sinek calls a "Circle of Safety:"</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Actively Seek and Take Feedback</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Understand that as the leader, you hold position power and can directly impact the livelihood of your employees. You must make it safe for your employees to challenge you and to give you candid feedback. Share some examples of your own past bad ideas and decisions, and explain the dangers of future one’s going unchallenged. Frequently request feedback and grateful to receive it. Never rebuke what is offered. Instead, restate what you heard and thank the giver for the feedback.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Learn to Listen with Empathy</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Learn how to really listen so that your employees feel your empathy. Restrain yourself from reacting and responding before the other person acknowledges that you understand their position. Be curious about their perspective and ask open questions when you need clarification. Having empathy means you understand and respect the other person's point of view even if you end up not initially agreeing with it.<br />
<br />
<b>Work is About Relationships</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As social beings, we are wired with a strong need to connect and belong. Only when employees feel safe will they pull together as a unified team.<br />
<br />
According to a research study published in Harvard Business Review about key leadership competencies, “Making sure that people feel safe on a deep level should be job #1 for leaders.”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Note that none of these points say anything about using your position or authority to direct or order the other person to do anything. Quite the opposite; Your role as a leader is to figure out how to bring the best out in your employees and make a safe space for them to discover and do what needs to be done. (Even the Norwegian Bachelor Farmers.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, go out and ask your people some open ended questions. Listen. Take notes. Thank them for sharing and encourage them to tackle the problem as a team.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You'll be amazed at the results.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-82127785777251164532016-10-14T12:59:00.002-07:002016-10-14T12:59:25.429-07:00The Contingent Workforce Contradiction<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQSVc5immbIPZ2GgFx07jUKPnTxFbP-n0bdvjKO8u2tjRKCV0yXbcsd01ktNY_a9cvYyhwzGBz_7v1uMk27yPm_VEP2-CAChlSiPznEQi-Y3_Oem9vusPAQn3-OOfk2J05rtVvnrQxe5G/s1600/ContingentWorkers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQSVc5immbIPZ2GgFx07jUKPnTxFbP-n0bdvjKO8u2tjRKCV0yXbcsd01ktNY_a9cvYyhwzGBz_7v1uMk27yPm_VEP2-CAChlSiPznEQi-Y3_Oem9vusPAQn3-OOfk2J05rtVvnrQxe5G/s400/ContingentWorkers.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why are these Contingent Workers smiling?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
In a recent article entitled "No Longer Just A ‘Temp’: The Rise Of The Contingent Worker,: Maria Wood quotes some interesting statistics about the "Contingent labor" workforce.<br />
<i><br />"In 2014, the average share of contingent labor was 18 percent, up from 12 percent in 2009."</i><br />
<div>
<i>"Elance-oDesk and the Freelancer Union report that 53 million people — or 34 percent of the workforce — did freelance work in 2014."</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
<i>"By 2017, contingent workers, including independent contractors, statement-of-work-based labor and freelancers, will account for nearly 45 percent of the world’s total workforce."</i><br />
<br />
<i>"MBO Partners’ most recent “</i><a href="https://www.mbopartners.com/press-room/press-releases/shades-of-independence-report-2014" style="font-style: italic;">State of Independence in America</a><i>” workforce report revealed 30 million classify themselves as independent workers, either as “solopreneurs” who work independently as their only source of earnings, or “side-giggers” — those picking up outside assignments for extra income. That number is projected to grow to nearly 40 million by 2019."</i><br />
<br />
<i>"Ardent’s found that 92 percent of enterprises indicated non-traditional staffing was a vital to moderate facet of their overall corporate strategy."</i><br />
<br />
At the same time one of the most popular speakers on TED is Simon Sinek. His message is almost the polar opposite;</div>
<div>
<br />
<b><i>"The best organizations foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build a Circle of Safety. </i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i>This safe culture leads to stable, adaptive, confident teams, <u>where everyone feels they belong</u>."</i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
If a contingent workforce is "a provisional group of workers who work for an organization on a non-permanent basis, also known as freelancers, independent professionals, temporary contract workers, independent contractors or consultants." there is something seriously wrong.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i>Do you see the conflict?</i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For some insight into this, take a look at Benno Bos'<a href="http://forum.navyadvancement.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=114" target="_blank"> EDSO in Action</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Please note, this isn't touchy-feely, guru-speak, munmo-jumbo. We're talking neuro-biology. The type of human neuro-biology at the heart of all the web chatter about Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, and Design Thinking. The neuro-biology that your most basic actions and thoughts are built on.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Quoting from EDSO in action;</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>"When we are in an environment where we feel safe, with the people around us, we naturally protect them and look out for their interests. Our leaders protect us and we protect our leaders. We hope to make our leaders proud, showing them that their sacrifice to protect us and help us grow has been worth it. We are more capable of overcoming the constant dangers from the outside and creating a Circle of Safety on the inside."</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When Simon Sinek asks what it would be like to have a job where you are in a Circle of Safety does working for an organization on a "non-permanent basis" immediately spring to mind? How about being in a family on a "non-permanent basis"?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This isn't about that availability of insurance benefits, or equal pay for equal work, or protection from discrimination of any flavor. It's about belonging to a group with common goals and beliefs.</div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
To get a feel for what Americans are worried about Chapman College publishes an annual survey called <a href="https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2015/10/13/americas-top-fears-2015/" target="_blank">America's Top Fears</a>. The group area with running out of money and unemployment ranked #5 in 2015, just behind Man-made disasters, Technology, Government and the Environment.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Its part of the reason <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/188144/employee-engagement-stagnant-2015.aspx" target="_blank">70% of workers report they are disengaged in the workplace</a> and a thinly veiled disguise for lack of commitment, even infidelity in the workplace. Staffing agencies love it. Selfish management loves it. Stopping it should be in the platform of any viable political candidate or party.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Its time to call foul on the Contingent Workforce Revolution for the baldfaced lie it really is.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>(End of political rant. We now return you to our regular programming. -df)</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-77048635197986748832016-10-13T03:39:00.001-07:002016-10-13T12:02:11.089-07:00This Truly Changes Everything<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuF_IxAWIbC1Q_9TF1KPAUy-OujMBpls3ZsKEwJ5wxPqg3-vEFIlN0EZBGfemNJvMIIbt_jXtKX4POv933cYm6-9vu0VmTEpx1szZl3yljtTJtoxfH9-TwiVSDZ4vuYLMEEAhiNfzNlYl/s1600/learning-and-neuroplasticity-in-the-brain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYuF_IxAWIbC1Q_9TF1KPAUy-OujMBpls3ZsKEwJ5wxPqg3-vEFIlN0EZBGfemNJvMIIbt_jXtKX4POv933cYm6-9vu0VmTEpx1szZl3yljtTJtoxfH9-TwiVSDZ4vuYLMEEAhiNfzNlYl/s320/learning-and-neuroplasticity-in-the-brain.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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An <a href="http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~rakison/plasticity%20and%20the%20brain.pdf">article by Bryan Kolb, Robbin Gibb and Terry E. Robinson of the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge</a> could literally change your-self perception, enough that you might change your world.<br />
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Yes, you read that right. I said the information in the article could change your world.<br />
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The abstract states; <br />
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<i>"Although the brain was once seen as a rather static organ, it is now clear that the organization of brain circuitry is <b>constantly changing as a function of experience</b>. </i><i>These changes are associated with functional changes which include memory, addiction and recovery of function. Behavior can be influenced by a myriad of factors including both pre and post natal experience, drugs, hormones, maturation, aging, diet, disease, and stress. </i><br />
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<i>Understanding how these factors influence brain organization and function is important not only for understanding both normal and abnormal behavior, but also for designing treatments for behavioral and psychological disorders ranging from addiction to stroke."</i><br />
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The popular term for this phenomenon is brain plasticity and the implications are <b><i>huge</i></b>.<br />
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Generations were taught that the brain grew until we reached adulthood, stopped growing, and that was that. By the time you reached your mid-twenties, the die was cast, the organic computer between your ears was built and the rest was just about applying the information that was stuffed into it at school. That idea was a pillar of education and the law, what we taught and how we taught it, our ideas and definition of crime and punishment, treatment of disease and who you could become in your career and family.<br />
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There have been a few who thought about this differently - Carol Dweck and Albert Bandura, for example - scientists and sociologists who dared to suggest that what we teach our children can have a dramatic effect on their success and that even the most primal fears can be overcome. But this confirmation that our brains and behaviors are plastic from cradle to grave, even to the point of recovery from massive loss of function, is more than ground breaking - its game changing.<br />
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And it couldn't have come at a better time. The challenges we face in our families and at work are literally tearing the fabric of our society apart. As long as we believed that there was some immutable, organic reason why we couldn't change there was an excuse not to change.<br />
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That excuse has been blown away and what is left opens a range of possibilities which could literally change the world.<br />
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Don't take my word for it. <a href="http://www.psy.cmu.edu/~rakison/plasticity%20and%20the%20brain.pdf" target="_blank">Read the article</a>. </div>
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Think about it. Do something about it.<br />
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Stop making excuses.<br />
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Be the change.</div>
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Design it.</div>
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Do it.</div>
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-63931077366608697232016-09-23T00:00:00.001-07:002016-09-27T06:50:21.745-07:00Bottoms Up Plus Top Down Equals Design Thinking?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbYzKKJlfRX7g7_RbIxAdps0iPWiKCJTbgnTlFdPUZatRsbKBmJAHei19YS5Q0gN9PKdVVoF0o2Mri0ZV5OiUO1o5GMb9uSPTCEv0UwWg0HmI73drX31jr6TjmWQB-5vZyYBsN6VC1qQ1/s1600/topsy_turvy_doll.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbYzKKJlfRX7g7_RbIxAdps0iPWiKCJTbgnTlFdPUZatRsbKBmJAHei19YS5Q0gN9PKdVVoF0o2Mri0ZV5OiUO1o5GMb9uSPTCEv0UwWg0HmI73drX31jr6TjmWQB-5vZyYBsN6VC1qQ1/s400/topsy_turvy_doll.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Modern Topsy Turvy Doll</td></tr>
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One of the hottest topics in one of the online Design Thinking discussion groups has to do with the nature of DT; Is it an authentically valid problem identification and resolution approach or a fraudulent repackaging of old ideas in an effort to drive more money into the pockets of consultants?<br />
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One aspect of this question which I haven't seen discussed much relates to the differences in the Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up approaches to design, problem solving and learning. These were discussed very nicely in two articles; one by <a href="https://medium.com/@toofan/top-down-vs-bottom-up-product-development-4469536b9fd0#.2bjbsin8f" target="_blank">Dipwal Dessai</a>, Director of Product at Samsung VR and the other by Allison Toepperwein and Vince Penman on the Product Design Show;<br />
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<span class="s1">Dipwal tells a story about discussing a new feature that involved building functionality which had never been done before. In order to design it, they relied on a few assumptions that were difficult to validate without actually building the product. He wrote;</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>"This reminded me of the fundamental differences between bottom-up vs top-down product development, and two companies that follow them: Google and Apple, and how this approach defines how products are built.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Google believes in being extensively data driven. All the products that are built at Google go through extensive number-crunching and analysis before (well, for the most part). It is very difficult for someone to justify a brand new product as there might not exist enough existing data to validate it.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Apple, on the other hand, is driven by vision. There is, of course, a lot of user research which drives the vision, but Apple has repeatedly built new products which create a new market which never existed before. They have changed the company focus multiple times in major ways that affects more than 50% of their revenue or users. It usually involves the high level teams defining a clear product vision for the company, and everyone working towards executing on that path.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Creating something that is truly groundbreaking is extremely difficult to validate using existing data, so it relies on having clear vision of what is going to be useful. It is also very difficult to create something using iterative, data driven techniques to change people’s behavior significantly. It is, however, a great way to do incremental improvements to an existing product and get big results and can work quite well until someone ‘changes the game’. A <b>top-down, vision driven strategy</b> can refute the existing mindset to create something truly revolutionary, but it relies on a ‘leader’ being able to analyze the data they have and define the new 'vision’ clearly.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Having a clear overall vision for the company also helps the project teams know what’s good and bad, because they have a clear path which they can follow to be successful. The vision has to be broad enough to consider global trends, but also sharp enough that it can be followed, This is absolutely the most critical thing for the long term success of a company.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>One can also argue that the difference is similar to a democracy vs dictatorship. On paper, under the ideal conditions, dictatorship based governance can be more efficient. However, its more prone to ‘rogue dictators’ which leads us to the belief that democracy is better in the long term.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>In the end, getting the right vision is extremely difficult, but is arguably the biggest factor in determining long-term success of a company. As someone building new products, I always strive to have a very clear direction for where the product should go in the long term, and if that vision is right, the pieces will fit in as its executed."</i></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SVVz6Yy9uhA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SVVz6Yy9uhA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
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Vince and Allison discuss the same subject in this video from the Engineering.com web page. </div>
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To summarize;</div>
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<i><b>Which design method will work best for your project? Consider the following:</b></i><br />
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<i>1. Will your Product Concept Phase be heavily experimental? </i><i><b>Are you trying to make something completely new? </b>If so, a <b>Bottom-Up</b> iterative approach might be best for your project.</i><i><br /></i><br />
<i>2. Is your project <b>constrained by a tight budget</b>? If so, a <b>Top-Down</b> approach can help you maximize savings by thoroughly planning budgets at the beginning of your product concept design cycle.</i><br />
<br />
<i>3. Are you building a <b>large, complex system</b>? Complex systems and machines benefit from a T<b>op-Down</b> approach because it breaks down a project’s goals into smaller problems that are more easily solved.</i><br />
<br />
<i>4. For your project to be successful will you need <b>everyone’s voice to be heard</b>? If the problem you’re trying to solve is going to require a lot of creativity a <b>Bottom-Up</b> approach can help leverage all of the creativity in your group by letting them experiment and voice their opinions.</i><br />
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Of course, that raises the question; What do you do when you are trying to design a completely new, large, complex system, on a tight budget and need everyone's voice to be heard? In the video they don't give that process a name, but they do on the website;<br />
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<i>"While some insist that one approach is better than the other, those who are invested in the <b>Design Thinking</b> methodology know that a <b>blend of the two approaches</b> often produces the best results."</i><br />
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What would you call that? Apparently Bottom Up + Top Down = Design Thinking.<br />
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-44415235665942944842016-09-21T07:10:00.000-07:002016-09-21T07:30:37.942-07:00The Zachman Framework and Design ThinkingI've posted previously about TRIZ, the method of resolving conflicting requirements and we've explored how similar Design Thinking and Boom's Taxonomy are, but I was introduced to something today that I'd never seen before. It's called the Zachman Framework;<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Zachman's Architecture of Everything</td></tr>
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It's a matix which maps the artifacts of storytelling against the points of view of of everyone involved in the product development process - except the customer/user.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlNbDUqHdWo6-l4Gzxy3VpGnO2ixv8ctmR3uRwy5OdsTiAvb5pHHukmZhgZIkabky30OM3PD1zYnZoxx6EDr85l_2Fi9SJ4KCMSh8QdNE1MpEqkSP-1q8WNPPIKXt6vtFI7IbIG9c75mN/s1600/phases-of-a-story.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlNbDUqHdWo6-l4Gzxy3VpGnO2ixv8ctmR3uRwy5OdsTiAvb5pHHukmZhgZIkabky30OM3PD1zYnZoxx6EDr85l_2Fi9SJ4KCMSh8QdNE1MpEqkSP-1q8WNPPIKXt6vtFI7IbIG9c75mN/s320/phases-of-a-story.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storytelling</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixErjYqlomVhjV7tN_SA-YXNhUrkYtyslqPq7vZxBscQ-wQwysAfIbUwI7W6F_Y2Kc_wX9OTE2X83P4WlqRyw6eS290kiQ3FoQTZhXUO151STXpU9tZgj6BxNO9mBxhTLeCEfbSeMy0lnU/s1600/Swimlanes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixErjYqlomVhjV7tN_SA-YXNhUrkYtyslqPq7vZxBscQ-wQwysAfIbUwI7W6F_Y2Kc_wX9OTE2X83P4WlqRyw6eS290kiQ3FoQTZhXUO151STXpU9tZgj6BxNO9mBxhTLeCEfbSeMy0lnU/s320/Swimlanes.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Product Development Swim Lanes</td></tr>
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According to John Zachman the framework is; "a theory of, the existence of, a structured set of, essential components of, an object, for which explicit expressions is necessary and perhaps even mandatory for creating, operating, and changing the object (the object being an Enterprise, a department, a value chain, a "sliver," a solution, a project, an airplane, a building, a product, a profession of whatever)".<br />
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In other words; a way to describe something completely enough to be able to understand and change it, and therefore be able to control, the process of its creation/manufacturing.<br />
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Zachman said; "this ontology was derived from analogous structures that are found in the older disciplines of Architecture/Construction and Engineering/Manufacturing that <b>classify and organize the design artifacts</b> <b>created in the process of designing and producing complex physical products </b>(e.g. buildings or airplanes).<br />
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It uses a two dimensional classification model <b><i>based on the six elements of storytelling</i></b>; What, How, Where, Who, When, and Why, intersecting six distinct perspectives, which relate to stakeholder groups <b><i>(Planner, (Business) Owner, Designer, Builder, Implementer and Worker)</i></b>. The intersecting cells of the Framework correspond to models which, if documented, can provide a holistic view of the (business) enterprise".</div>
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Apparently Zachman's framework didn't take the world by storm. In 2004, twenty years after it's creation, he admitted that the framework was theoretical and had never been fully implemented, saying; "If you ask who is successfully implementing the whole framework, the answer is; nobody that we know of yet."<br />
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Perhaps it would be interesting to add a row, at the top of the matrix, for the end user's "story"?<br />
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Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6931647527178312163.post-35248917805352539462016-09-17T16:31:00.004-07:002016-09-17T17:01:11.346-07:00Doing the Spectrum Dance - Autism in the Workplace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UOTWemRJaTpeBD5JoUiY5XocvVl2OykQ3clRCtgPd6WyQUmoaYZZdwIl4fdQ_ne6YYOYORDIWzwJCHkpoDwf14f6wsvPV3fTpUzpvZy4sgsk9KqpqciBbw0Di5NabkQB3wfrvDabuQwI/s1600/Professor-Ludwig-von-Drake+Rainbow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UOTWemRJaTpeBD5JoUiY5XocvVl2OykQ3clRCtgPd6WyQUmoaYZZdwIl4fdQ_ne6YYOYORDIWzwJCHkpoDwf14f6wsvPV3fTpUzpvZy4sgsk9KqpqciBbw0Di5NabkQB3wfrvDabuQwI/s320/Professor-Ludwig-von-Drake+Rainbow.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listen... Up!</td></tr>
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Working with someone with autism (including Asperger syndrome), can be an interesting and challenging experience for managers, colleagues and employees.What follows are some suggestions to avoid or overcome any difficulties, in order to ensure enjoyable and effective working relationships.<br />
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It's important to understand what is going on for both parties in the interaction. Here are some ideas, collected from reputable sources, that may be helpful on both sides of the conversations;</div>
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<b>Social Communication</b><br />
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People with autism have difficulty using and understanding verbal and non-verbal language, such as gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice, as well as jokes and sarcasm. Autists tend to be quite literal and may not understand analogies. They might also have very specific meanings in their personal vocabularies. They may understand what others say to them but prefer to use alternative forms of communication, like e-mail.<br />
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<b>Social interaction</b><br />
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People with autism have difficulty recognizing and understanding others’s feelings and managing their own. They may, for example, stand too close to another person, prefer to be alone, behave inappropriately and may not seek comfort or help from other people. This can make it hard for them to make friends.</div>
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<b>Social Imagination</b><br />
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Those with autism have difficulty understanding and predicting other people’s intentions and behavior, and imagining situations that are outside their own routine. This can mean they carry out a narrow, repetitive range of activities. A lack of social imagination should not be confused with lack of imagination. Many people with autism are very creative, but typically in a narrow range of expression.<br />
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<b>Awareness</b><br />
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On occasions when problems do arise – particularly in social interactions where communication can break down, try to deal with them promptly and tactfully.</div>
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If the person seems aloof or uninterested in talking you or colleagues, or says the 'wrong' thing,<br />
remember that this is probably unintentional and is likely to be due to the person's communication difficulties.</div>
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If the person irritates colleagues by seeming to 'muscle in' on a conversations or other's jobs, be patient, and explain the boundaries. Remember that reinforcing the boundaries may not just be necessary for the person with autism – other staff may also need reminding that their attitudes may have a strong impact on the job performance of their autistic colleague.</div>
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If the person becomes anxious try to find out what is causing the problem. One-on-one is probably the best way for doing this. You may need to think laterally. For example, the stress may not be caused by a difficulty in the job but by a colleague not being explicit in their instructions, by things not working efficiently. Trying to think around the immediate issue may help, as well as supportively asking the employee specific (though not invasive) questions to try to get to the root of the problem.<br />
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<span class="s1"><b>Support</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">The following approaches may help companies with employees on the autism spectrum;</span></div>
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<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Having clear unambiguous codes of conduct, job descriptions and competency frameworks;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Using direct and unambiguous communications;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Creating documents, including agendas containing standard and specific points for discussion, and timetables.</span></li>
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<span class="s1"><b>Adaptations</b></span></div>
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<li>A consistent schedules/shifts/manager(s);</li>
<li>A defined set of job responsibilities;</li>
<li>Use of organizers to structure jobs;</li>
<li>A reduction of idle or unstructured time;</li>
<li>Clear reminders;</li>
<li>Feedback and reassurances;</li>
<li>Working arrangements and responsibilities of Occupational Health, line managers, HR;</li>
<li>Positive behavior feedback and support.</li>
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<b>Adjustments</b><span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Reasonable adjustments are a fair and robust way managing health-related performance and attendance issues in the workplace. Employers should consider any request on its individual case merits rather than worrying about setting a precedent.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"> An assessment should explore:</span></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Social interaction deficits;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Cognitive inflexibility;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Sensory abnormalities.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b>Individual Needs</b></span></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Equipment;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Training;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Mentorship;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Supervision;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Time off or flex-time to attend a health improvement programs to improve performance performance or attendance, for example cognitive behavioural therapy;</span></li>
<li class="li1"><span class="s1">Temporary redeployment or alternative work activities or promote skills or rehabilitation after an acute episode.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">The process should have clearly defined objectives and success criteria to ensure that employment decisions can be made in a timely and appropriate manner.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Thinking of Designhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15202963376017843238noreply@blogger.com0