Design Thinking

For the past few years, I've begun discussing the subject of "Design Thinking". It is not new or original, but it is becoming more relevant as time progresses. Many business gurus writing books dedicate space to this subject and more schools are developing curricula around it.

Design Thinking is the idea that all professions could benefit by thinking like designers. That is, thinking about the possibilities in a project rather than a single goal; that rather than "Thinking Outside the Box", there is no box; that R&D and the concept of Play is just as important as any defined outcome. More importantly, it is the notion that creativity is not some random spark from a mystical deity, but simply the congruence of different lines of thought than can be taught, explained, utilized, refined and put into practice at many different levels.

For example, Design Thinking is the idea that doctors don't just need to think about their practices; they also can consider how their practices are marketed. That type of consideration can include not only how they choose to advertise, but also how they promote themselves to prospective patients and peers. Doctors can choose to give lectures and speeches to large or small audiences that includes the need for Powerpoint and printed presentations. Thinking like a designer on how these materials are produced and will make the greatest impact is what Design Thinking is about.

Imagine if attorneys found new and innovative ways to present evidence at trial, or pizzeria owners made their interior designs warm and inviting, or small retail store owners could find a way to make their stores easier to navigate; these concepts would be what I'm talking about. It's the notion that everyone can benefit by stepping back and analyzing their current business practices, use common brainstorming activities that designers often engage in, and developing a whole new way of thinking that would not have been possible before a few years ago.

The solutions that can come from exercises such as this can result in a new client base, a new avenue of development, a new source of revenue, a greater influence within personal and professional circles - the possibilities are only restricted by how far you are willing to go.

Everyone has their own opinion on exactly what Design Thinking entails. The great thing about having so many diverse opinions is that they all have one goal - to give Design a more defined presence in our futures. I am among a great many others who believe that Design and Design Thinking are tools that have a place in securing our new futures.

For more information on Design Thinking, visit these websites:

Stanford University d.school
IDEO
Business Week interview with Roger Martin from Rotman Business School
Rotman School of Management

Country Brand Index Competition

Last month, an international design studio called FutureBrand sponsored a competition for college design students to develop a logo for the “brand” of America. I learned about this competition about two weeks before the deadline, whereas the full timeframe was about two months

I immediately saw an opportunity and had my nine Graphics 3 students and my two studio assistants create entries for the contest, with full knowledge that they could not win because it was officially open only to college students. Most of the students were up to the challenge and dug right in.

In total, I accepted eight entries for consideration from Spotswood High School. Out of those eight, three were considered qualified enough to compete against college students and can be seen on the main home page of the competition website. Their appearance on the home page is tantamount to an "honorable mention" - quite an honor for high school students going up against college students and a VERY condensed time frame!

Kudos to Kyle Lacina, Brendan Parks and Jackie Johnsen (also our Channel 3 logo designer) for their achievement! You can see the web page that they appear on here:

http://www.countrybrandindex.com/brand-america/student-design-contest/

I believe that this is a justification that high school students are capable of not only learning about design, but are capable of producing worthy work as well. They may not have the focus or drive that a college-level design student has; they may not have the artistic talent; they may not fully understand the impact that design has on their world, but that is no reason to support their ignorance and delay their education until college.

While I fully support the practice of "scaffolding" and starting their education in design at a more modest level, I also believe that exposure to design at any level prior to college is a good thing. Even if a student is not destined for design studies of any kind, an early exposure can build an awareness and appreciation for design that might carry through to their careers and build a better client for the future.

A New Architecture Style?

A few weeks ago, I was out for a drive with my sons, doing a little "Santa List" shopping. We happened to drive past a newly-renovated Chinese restaurant with an unusual architectural motif. I happened to have a camera on me that I had planned on using to take photos of the presents the boys wanted from Santa, so I pulled over into the parking lot and took the picture seen here.

What struck me was the thought that perhaps this is representative of a new wave of architectural style that has its base in the new sense of national pride that is sweeping China. With their economic dominance over world markets, the fears of the 2008 Summer Olympics safely behind them, and a growing internal economy that is set to surpass that of the United States, could it be that the wave of this pride is trickling down to persons of Chinese descent who have settled outside their native country?

The design that I observed at this restaurant was clearly inspired by the Beijing National Stadium, used in the 2008 Summer Olympics and more well known as "The Bird's Nest".


What is ironic about this sentiment is that The Bird's Nest was designed by a Swiss architectural firm, Herzog & de Meuron. Herzog & de Meuron is a firm known for taking chances in their architectural designs and for showing a penchant for using bleeding-edge materials.

So while it may seem unusual for a Swiss architectural firm to be the purveyors of new Chinese national pride, I think it's downright shocking to see the results of that pride nestled between the trees off a New Jersey highway. Perhaps this will not be the exception in a few years but the norm, right alongside the traditional gold-and-red tapestries and jade statues that are so prevalent in your average, everyday Chinese restaurant today.

Welcome to K-12 DesignEd!

As my first posting to this blog, I'd like to welcome anyone with an interest in contributing to the future of our students, because their futures are intertwined with our own.

If you are an educator, this blog is designed to help you come up with new ideas for lessons that integrate design education. It's not that difficult to do and the goal of this site is to help you see how easy it can be.

If you are a designer of any discipline - graphic design, architecture, interior design, industrial design, etc., then maybe this blog will give you ideas of how you can make a contribution and help educators in your geographic area.