While I love the idea of design having meaningful impact in business and the world, I have mixed feelings about Design Thinking. I believe the term was coined in a well intentioned manner. And, I know that the deep thinking, research, analysis and science behind the ways a human can engage their mind to solve problems, is spot on. But, I fear today’s rampant use of the term has, perhaps, led to some misconceptions and, perhaps, poor conclusions.
Back in the day…
Noticeably absent? Design Thinking. Oh, and sticky notes. I never saw those in design school either.
I attended design school in a mostly pre-digital age. Email was beginning to gain traction, but far from what it is today. There was no social media, e-commerce, mobile apps, or mobile computing. There was no User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX) or Service Design. There was architecture, landscape architecture, graphic and industrial design. Importantly, there was no drive to specialize. One could, if desired, mix studios and specialty classes across disciplines. That’s what I did.
Across a spectrum of structures, installations, painting, screen printing, illustration, animation, woodworking and weaving, I was continually indoctrinated in and challenged to apply design fundamentals to grow my design literacy:
- Understanding and applying gestalt principcles of layout, space and composition.
- Identifying and forming conceptual relationships between things, activities, and systems.
- Creating compelling stories that could move people and impact their point of view.
- Properly identifying problems, human needs and wants and solution requirements.
- Exploring possibilities at rapid pace and mass quantity through constant ideation.
- Making things with my hands and embracing the qualities of deep craftsmanship in all one produces.
- Applying critical thinking, and the critique process, to refine concepts and uncover additional opportunities.
Noticeably absent? Design Thinking.
Oh, and sticky notes. I never saw those in design school either.
Instead I learned to nurture a personally effective design process, and how rigor in design is identical to the scientific method of inquiry: one should develop, refute or prove hypotheses to solve problems (credit: Marvin Malecha, while at NCSU College of Design).
My Hope
I’d like Business Thinking to come to the forefront, be placed on par with Design Thinking, and be viewed as a necessary skill set for Service Design.
I support what’s happening today with regard to teaching design thinking to MBAs and business leaders. But, it’s not enough.
We need to realize that many of the soft, complex skills in the business education framework are as critical as design thinking skills. Perhaps more critical. Skills like effective communication, facilitation and change management are priceless, and should be elevated and recognized as key enablers to design thinking and innovation efforts.
In parallel, I’d like to see core design skills of ideation, exploration and story telling continue to be instilled in designers. I’d like to see the design community and degree programs avoid over specialization. We need designers that can design and think, not ones that have been taught how to do today’s journey map, wireframe, persona or some other trick du jour.
I’d like the broader design community to step back and take stock of what it does and does not know. I’d like to see more designers take active steps to augment their understanding of business. More importantly, I’d like designers to honestly self-assess the work they do and more accurately separate product, interface and experience design from service, system and business design. Most importantly, I’d like Business Thinking to come to the forefront, be placed on par with Design Thinking, and be viewed as a necessary skill set for Service Design.
Photo Credit: Hugo Rocha
