Constraints Propel Design Thinking
Have you noticed how the tea kettle is
designed? Why is it designed differently from other pots that hold liquids like
water? It is because the tea kettle holds boiling hot liquid which needs to retain that
temperature till it gets consumed. It also
needs to serve the purpose of pouring the hot tea into small cups, without
it getting cold while doing so. Hence the kettle is designed with a handle to
lift the hot pot. A spout is incorporated so that the liquid can be carefully
poured into the small cups with ease while retaining the required temperature. Now
imagine using the regular water pot for storing and serving tea. You will
probably end up burning your fingers; mess up the place while pouring tea and it
will most likely be served cold!
Human mind is capable of imagining far more
sophisticated solutions to problems when we are faced with constraints. The
kettle demonstrates that someone successfully overcame the problem of handling
hot tea and could elegantly serve it. This is how ships were built - because we
could not walk on sea. Airplanes were conceived because we couldn’t fly. And
cars were built because we could not run as fast as we wanted to. This goes to
show that, design thinking helps us get around any situation.
Human race has evolved & developed because
we were faced with certain constraints, every step of the way in our
evolutionary journey. Constraints propel innovation and progress. Unfortunately,
we often look at constraints or problems in a negative light. Constraints are
looked upon as roadblocks. We tend to take the easy route of looking at a
problem and coming up with solutions which were used by others earlier or are
the norm. We often assume that we too have the same resources available as the
person who has faced a similar problem earlier. If we methodically analyse our
situation we will realise that every problem is unique and needs a carefully
thought out customised solution. We need to consciously train our minds to not
see constraints as problems but as opportunities to create something useful,
meaningful and which adds value to the outcome. Design thinking also involves
harnessing the power of divergent thinking where you explore different ways to solve
a given problem and choose the best fit.
Why DesignThinking is the Need of the Hour?
Design thinking has been around since the Stone
Age and was practiced by our ancestors. But it was only recently that design
thinking has evolved as a formal discipline. There is a greater need for it
right now, as our world is getting more & more complex for us to make sense
of it all. We become impatient, confused, frustrated or angry when devices, machines,
organisations or any living experiences around us does not respond to our needs
when required. Therefore, a good design in today’s time requires good
communication, especially from machine to person. Rapid technological advances
will soon enable us to stay connected to all devices around us and we hope to have
better control of our environment. Hence, a studied approach to design thinking
and learning its methodologies can help create the right mind set for
individuals and for organisations to design a better product, experience and/or
service. The best part of it all is almost anyone can be design thinker if they
just decided to become one!
So what’s your excuse for being chained to your
constraints?
- - By
Priya Dubey, 12 October 2018
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