Thoughts about design, logic and emotion
In continuation to the post I’ve uploaded a couple of weeks ago, I wanna share another cool thing I saw on the street with you.
This time – Some creative person who decided to plant some green in the garbage bin.
So. Why? I mean, this is really cool, but what makes someone be so randomly creative?
This is some pretty inspirational stuff in my opinion. Maybe the beginning of a new urban trend? I can only hope so.
These days I’m working on my dissertation research project for my M.Des in Design Management. This project has got me reading a ton of interesting design articles and I’d like to share some of the interesting ones here.
The latest cool article I’ve read is about a really important and sometimes troublesome matter – Integrating design processes in large companies. I guess that might sound kinda… businessy and boringish, but I assure you that this article is amazing and offers some great insight.
I’ve summarized the article for your convenience. Check out the sumary and I hope it’ll get you wanting to read the full thing available free online.
Mainstreaming Design: Faster and For Keeps – Design Thinking our Way into the Heart of Business
(by Steve Sato, Principal, Sato+Partners, LLC)
Summary:
Design thinking, experience design and Customer-centered design are pretty similar. They are all about multi-disciplinary teams in which each discipline has it’s own language. These teams need to work together within organizationas in new ways which might require organizational changes.
These methods require organizations to accept and integrate approaches designers use. Organizations need to rely on the judgement and contribution of a few designers in order for these methods to be effective.
The problem is that sometimes it’s an approach that’s hard for companies to accept and embrace.
The first barrier is that there’s a lack of a critical mass of designers with skills to “influence without authority”.
That means – Initiative designers who can take action on their own.
The first thing is designers need to do is “Positioning design” as a design challenge. That means designing an approach to position design strategically in the company.
Designers need to consider -
1. How can design help your customers be succesful?
2. What will design contibute to business results?
Another thing is to observe stakeholders’ groups within the company and contribute to them. Start small, give estimates, bootstrap and deliver. Then use success to ganner support for larger projects.
In discussions use both hard and soft arguments. Case studies are stories that capture stakeholders’ hearts. Combine them with hard facts.
The main conclusion of this article is that every designer needs to have skills in persuasion, negotiation, facilitation, team building and relationship building.
More designers with necessary skills means better design positioning in business.
I love it when people get creative just for the sake of having fun. The way groups such as improv everywhere add a touch of fun to strangers’ urban lives constantly inspires me.
But it seems to me that the stuff I find really cool and creative is done anonymously and is practically done only once.
For example, check out this cool photo I took a couple of weeks ago -
So, why would anyone braid a palm tree? The obvious answer in my opinion is – Cause it’s really cool! I mean, It’s a braided palm tree! So basically what I’m saying is that next time you’re out on the streets, look around you and try to spot random cases of anonymous urban creativity which are there for you to enjoy and be inspired by.
Or better yet, come up with a cool, stupid, fun idea on how you can add a bit of magic to your surroundings and just do it.
It doesn’t matter if you’re developing a physical product, a website or a certain service – In the field you work in you’ll probably find experts waiting to see what you’ll pull out of your sleeve.
They are your focus group.They are your early adopters.
They have already seen it all and know what can be done and what can’t.
The ground they are standing on is very solid.
Let’s say that you’ve created some new innovation in your field. It probably isn’t perfect yet, as it’s an early iteration.
Let’s say that it’s a “game changer in the rough”. The thing about game changers is that they usually scare experts and shake the ground they are standing on. Game changers challenge their perception and it takes time to adapt to them.
The early reactions you’ll get from experts in regard to game changers will probably be along the lines of “This will never work”, “What were you thinking” and lots of “LOLZ”.
At this stage you might be tempted to go head to head against the experts and prove them wrong. BUT – The great thing is that your possible innovation might get them thinking.
And at this stage – the best thing you can do is ask the experts – “How can I improve it?”
You’ll get two positive outcomes by doing so -
1. Switching them over to your side
2. Getting some really useful feedback you can practically use
In any case, cherish the experts of your field. With the right approach, they can be your greatest asset.
That is, as in a command – “I demand that you’ll love this product, right now”.
Wanting your clients to love your products is completely understandable, even noble I’s say. When you create a product for people to love, you’re mindset is focused on the users’ needs. You emphasize fun and function and pleasurable use on all levels. Just like in the real world, anything you do is better with a touch of emotion.
Now, the thing with love is that there are all kinds of it. Even in the relationship between you as a designer and your clients. In some cases designers have good intentions and a baggage of love for their users, but it ends up being overwhelming. Think of a situation where a designer invests so much in a product that he ends up so involved with it, so in love with his creation that he protects it at all costs, pushes it and practically tries to force it on whoever his client is.
Would that work? Well, maybe in some very specific cases actually. But most of the time it’ll just be annoying as hell.
When doing design, love your clients, love the process and love your work. But let other people choose what they love for themselves.
“This product is completely foolproof” means that it’ll withstand all kinds of foolish misuse possible.
Foolproof products and packages are designed to prevent errors when the product is out of your hands and you won’t have any control over it.
But the thing is that the very definition limits you and forces you to design to the lowest common denominator.
Designing foolproof is ok, but designing smart is way better.
Some actions become usability myths.
I’ve just seen an Iphone photo app which imitates the photographic qualities of a Polaroid cam – You know, the slightly vintaged look and the imperfect focus. Now, I don’t want to get into the nostalgic bit which is obvious or the magic of pseudo-chemical photo development. The thing I found interesting about this app is that it requires that you’ll shake your phone in order to produce the photo. In a way, that’s totally understandable, I mean, everyone knows that Polaroids are magically fun. you point, click, and a card pops out. you shake it and a photo magically appears. The best part is the shaking and seeing the photo appear.
For arguement’s sake, please ignore the fact that the last time you’ve probably seen a polaroid was a bunch of years ago. Please think about this – What if I told you that the shaking part was totally unnecessary, had no effect at all and that vigorous shaking might even hurt the developing picture? That’s absolutely true by the way, in modern Polaroid shaking has no effect. Would knowing that stop you from shaking the card till the photo appear? I hope not. Because it’s plain fun. And that’s a part of why the Iphone polaroid app is fun. It’s as plain and stupid as the fact that people just like to shake things.
Fun is so important in a good product’s experience that even if it’s unnecessary, irrelevant and might sometimes undermine function it should stay there, in all it’s silly glory.
If you’re reading this you are probably in front of a computer, which means there’s probably a keyboard in front of you with lots of clicking buttons. I want you to try out a small experiment. Open Notepad, word, or whatever text editor you like and just type a bit. Sentences, Gibberish, whatever. While you are typing, listen. Do you hear the keyboard clicking away under your fingers? That’s the sound of words being created (or gibberish, whatever).
Has it ever occurred to you that the clicking sound of your keyboard has been designed (or at least, should have been)? Have you ever thought about the importance of clicks as a product’s feature?
Think about your keyboard again, in a different context. Think about a small child who plays with a keyboard – She pretends to be typing by mimicking the clicking rhythm she hears when her dad is typing away. In a way, ‘Clicks’ are probably the most important sound a product can make. It tells so much about the product in terms of build quality, functionality and attention to details. They affect the overall experience and can bring joy or grief to the user.
There are many types of clicks. There’s the click of a well made car door, which tells you “Your car was well made. You can trust it, it’s safe”. There’s the famous click of a gun being loaded, used in all action movies to tell that “Shit just got real, this machine is ready to operate”.
Clicks can also have a negative aspect. You know that thing when you’re in a quite room and all of a sudden you notice that the clock on the wall is ticking, and now you just can’t quite get that ticking noise out of your head? I swear that when I bought the watch I currently own I held it up to my ear before buying it only to avoid annoying sudden clicks.
So next time you’re appreciating a product’s design, don’t just watch and feel it. Hear it. It speaks – you just need to listen.
In many cases, design serves as a mediator between the manufacturer and you, the user.
Design helps you understand and use the product as it was intended to be used, it allows you to enjoy the product you now proudly own.
In many cases, that isn’t a simple task due to the fact that many products are comprised of an assortment of various different parts. Even a “simple” product such as a toolbox has it’s complexities. It’s made out certain types of plastic and metal. It’s handle works in a specific way. It’s hinges are supposed to move in a certain angle and above all else, it’s supposed to give you a certain level of trust that your tools are well kept in it. The designer’s job is to make sure all of the above happens. That’s a toolbox for you. More complex than you’ve imagined.
I’m not even beginning to talk about electronic products here, they bring along an entire different assortment of complex potential design fails (or wins!). But the thing is, simply put, most products are conceptually complex. They have different parts that do different things.
On the other hand there are the monoblocks. The monoblocks are the tried and tested items that usually have one purpose, one part (or close to one part) and have usually evolved over many years. Good examples of a monoblock are a nail, a chef’s knife or a Japanese wood saw.
Of course, by no means am I suggesting that they are easy to design. Each product comes with it’s challenges, whether they are ergonomic, functional or even marketing related. What I’m stressing out is that these products are unique in their very singular, functional purpose which makes them beautiful.
The beauty of the monoblocks, in my opinion, lies in the joy of the simple function and in their refined versatility.
Think about that next time your hammering a nail, or cutting a finely chopped salad.
Appreciate the simplicity and pureness of the monoblocks.
