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Why innovate with Designers

venn diagram inspired by Institut of Design at Stanford

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DESIGN INNOVATION is driven by three forces: business, technology an people

  • Business investigates the viability of new products or services
  • Technology explores the feasibility of new products or services
  • People judge the desirability and usability of new products or services

Design innovation occurs in the “sweet spot” in the middle. Design innovation only occurs by understanding and anticipating the needs of your users and creating successful products or services that fulfill their desires.

design driven development

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design driven development

development circle by sovanta AG, 2014
source: sovanta AG

is everybody now a designer?

Design thinking begins with skills designers have learned over many decades in their quest to match human needs with available technical resources within the practical constraints of business. By integrating what is desirable from a human point of view with what is technologically feasible and economically viable, designers have been able to create the products we enjoy today.

Design thinking takes the next step, which is to put these tools into the hands of people who may have never thought of themselves as designers and apply them to a vastly greater range of problems.

Tim Brown, ‘Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation’, Harper Collins, 2009, New York.

With design processes and techniques open to everybody and the availability of powerful CAD tools, 3D printers and open source coding, it doesn’t need a R&D department to turn an idea into a prototype - add kickstarter and you can be close to hitting the market. Is the air for designers getting thinner? What is our contribution to the world of innovation?

IS EVERYBODY NOW A DESIGNER?

the ‘heldenprinzip’ - A creative approach to innovation and change

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research project Innovative Dramaturgy according to the Heldenprinzip at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and Berlin Career College.
source: www.innovation-heldenprinzip.de

Innovation means change, a step in the unknown and unstructured - the process of change itself has a certain structure. To cope with uncertainty and to unleash the necessary personal potential, the Berlin University of the Arts together with Berlin Career College introduced a very artistic, creative method to the business of consulting: The Heldenprinzip (Hero-Principle).

The adoption of cultural strategies to cope with change, to deal with unplanned, chaotic circumstances is very interesting. It is based on myth and storytelling. On his quest of the grail, the protagonist (or the organization) has to pass through a specific structure of 12 steps. The journey consists of the three major phases of change: Awakening, adventure and return. Take a look and enjoy!

experience collaboration and get involved in a real world challenge: OpenIDE

If you want to strengthen your 'creative muscle' and experience what participating in a collaborative team process feels like, you might try out OpenIDEO. This online community composed of more than 40.000 creative thinkers worldwide engages in collectively solving real-world challenges for social and environmental impact.

OpenIDEO’s crowdsourcing innovation platform is open to anyone to participate in and collaborate on ideas.

Since 2010, OpenIDEO has hosted 16+ design challenges sponsored by companies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and governments. Community members can contribute in a variety of ways, from inspirational observations to snippets of code. Members themselves take the winning ideas forward. Anything added to OpenIDEO is available for remix and reuse.

source: Design Thinking Thoughts byTim Brown, Nurture Your Design Courage, One Challenge At a Time

How open ideo works

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How OpenIdeo works

source: openideo.com

Be aware of idea killers…

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source: Creativity Today, ideakillers.net

Design has changed. Designers, not quite.

An interesting article from the Design Management Institute’s Viewpoint series by Tennyson Pinheiro, Director, live|work Brazil who suggests, that Designers in reaction to the changed world of design need to:

  1. Be empathetic: Become good at switching from “Designese” to business language.
  2. "Gestalt" the business you are in.
  3. Get out of Designland: Find, create and nourish non-designer allies.
  4. Drop the rock star attitude and forget about always taking credit.

read it all

source: DMI publications

the context a designer works in 2014

 

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creativity, design and design thinking

Often the words design, design thinking and creativity are used interchangeably - I want to share George Kembels’ (Co-Founder and Executive Director, d.school Stanford) model from his discussion with Oliviero Toscani at the d.confestival in Potsdam 2012 (watch at 00.26)

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Creativity is the spirit, the attitude and bravery to try something new, to be open to the unexpected. Design is the creative act, the ‘making’ of and bringing something new to the world, wheater its a product, service or business model. Design thinking is the ‘how to’, the approach, the mindset and behaviors on the way.

All three of them will come into play in the type of next generations workers and innovators. It won’t be owned by a certain group of people - creativity is something everybody has.

the advocates and critics of design thinking

There is a vivid discussion going on between the advocates and critics of design thinking. But see for yourself:

Design Thinking: A Useful Myth, Don Norman, Core 77, 2010

Design Thinking: Dear Don … Bill Moggridge, Core 77, 2010

Design Thinking Is A Failed Experiment. So What’s Next? Bruce Nussbaum, Fastcodesign, 2011

Design Thinking versus Creative Intelligence, Tom Berno, DMI, 2011

Design Thinking isn’t a miracle cure, but here is how it helps, Helen Walters, Fastcodesign, 2011

Rethinking Design Thinking, Don Norman, Core 77, 2013

a guide for the methods designers use

The British Design Council has grouped 20 design methods into three categories: Discover, Define and Develop. These are based on the first three stages of the Double Diamond, the Design Council’s simple way of mapping the design process.

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source: designcouncil.org.uk

Study: Good Design Is Good For Business

The most innovative companies in the world* share one thing in common. They use design as an integrative resource to innovate more efficiently and successfully. Yet many businesses don’t make it a priority to invest in design - often because the value of design is hard to measure and define as a business strategy. The DMI Design Value Index has taken the mystery out of measurement, demonstrating that an unequivocal financial advantage is attributable to those that do dare to make design a priority.

read more

source: Design Management Institute

Total value

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Nathan Shedroff @DMIfeed says firms Total Value is more than financial value. MBAs sometimes miss it #qualvs.quant

8:23 PM - 6 Nov 2013 from Boston, MA, United States
source: Twitter @innovateopen, DMI. org

12 SHORTCUTS DESIGNERS SHOULD NEVER TAKE

Great designers don't need the dark arts to succeed. (Great article by Daniel Burka on fastco design)

Designers can be tempted to cut corners to get the job done. Whether you're a designer—or a CEO, a product manager, or an engineer who works with designers—you'll want to watch out for these shortcuts. Great designers don't need the dark arts to succeed.

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