Bookworm: Change by Design

Tim Brown argues the case for design thinking at work: ideation, experimentation and implementation.

Who is the book for?

Change by Design speaks most directly to the world of design, innovation and product development; its author, Tim Brown, is founder of IDEO, a world-leading innovation company.

But much of the insight and advice are applicable to jobs outside of that sphere, and even to life outside work. Anyone with a problem to solve could benefit.

So, what’s the big idea?

The idea is to get away from the traditional, expected ways in which we try to have ideas or solve problems, and to move towards a more inspired, open, purposeful approach.

Brown explains that the notion of ‘invention’ puts all the significance onto the product – that it must be new, it must be clever, it must be impressive. What’s much more important, actually, is how useful something is, and how accessible it is. This is what makes for a true ‘innovation’.

So, how do we start thinking more like Tim?

The catchy phrase given to what we should be aiming for is “design thinking”. This breaks down into three phases:

• Inspiration, where time is spent looking out at the world, looking for common problems and asking why things are the way they are.

• Ideation, when solutions start to present themselves.

• Implementation, putting our ideas to the test in real-life scenarios.

What kinds of problems are we talking about?

It’s true that most of us aren’t paid to sit and come up with problems that need solving – maybe just those who work at IDEO. But in every job, office, home or life, there are things we continually wrestle with.  

For example, how to find fresh content for a marketing strategy; how to keep on top of emails without neglecting our actual job; how not to unplug someone’s screen when trying to unplug your laptop.

What uninspiring problems! How can I suddenly feel inspired?

Ask “why?”

Why?

Yes – why don’t I have enough new content for a fresh campaign this month? Why do I use emails as an excuse for avoiding doing my actual job? Why is it such a mess under the desks in our office?!

Ok, ok! But, why?

So that you can get closer to the real source of the problem, not just the symptom of the problem.

Aren’t these problems just part of life?

 They don’t have to be. We are really good at adapting our behaviour and putting up with these types of discomforts. But this creates needless work, and limits our potential.

When we consciously, thoughtfully, observe these problems playing out, there will almost always be an identifiable moment when things went wrong, and where an innovation is required.

Can you give me an example?

Does your blood boil every time there is an ‘unexpected item in the bagging area’ meaning that you have to wait for the help of an assistant, meaning that the whole transaction takes ages, and now you won’t be home in time to read to your kid before bed?

An outside observer of this mini tragedy might consider that making barcodes on packaging bigger would be a good idea.

Good old Aldi. So, how does that lead onto the ideation phase?

Design thinkers use their hands as much as their heads. Rather than trying to describe a problem or proposed solution, we could draw it, build a little model, act it out, allowing us to see the scenario from a new perspective and encouraging ideas to percolate faster.

So, how would one go about implementing an idea that only exists as a role play?

Implementation just means testing. Test the idea with a diverse bunch of people, with differing skill sets and perspectives to your own. Try not to be precious or defensive; rather, listen to how the idea might be improved or made more accessible. Oh, and when we test our idea, we should be fully prepared for it to fail completely.

Well then, what’s the point of it all?

Failure is actually kind of the point. The stages of design thinking should be viewed like a cycle, not a straight line. Our failure might show us that our understanding of the problem wasn’t quite right, inspiring us to ask what the problem really is, and why it exists. And around we go again.

Why should I, or my business, adopt this approach?

First, taking a holistic view of the problem you’re trying to solve will make your solutions more sustainable, as you’ll have tested them from every perspective before they become a reality.

Second, by continually asking why problems occur, you’ll start solving bigger and bigger issues, which is good for everyone.

What am I most likely to say after reading this book?

“Why?”

What am I least likely to say after reading this book?

“Twas ever thus.”