a speed date with
design
thinking
Zaana Howard | QUT

zaana howard
associate lecturer | information systems school
science and engineering faculty | queensland university of technology
phd candidate | swinburne university
tweeting?
#VALA2012 #BCE @zaana

your mission:
redesign the
grocery shopping
experience
based on the experience
of a group member.

start by gaining empathy.
interview
3 mins

start by gaining empathy.
interview again:
dig deep
3 mins

reframe the problem.
capture findings
needs: what are they trying to do?
insights: what have you learned
about the person?
4 mins

reframe the problem.
define problem statement
(user)________ needs to
____________________
_______________(need)____________ because
_______(insight)______________________________.
3 mins

example.
(user)
a global sportswear company
(need)
needs to redesign their employee
performance review system
(insight)
because it is inconsistent, time
consuming and does little to
improve work practices

idea generation.
sketch 3-5
radicaluser’s needs.
to meet your
ideas
5 mins

idea generation.
share your solutions &
capture
feedback
4 mins

iterate based on feedback.
reflect & generate
a new solution
sketch your big idea,
note details if necessary!
4 mins

build and test.
build your solution.
make something the person
can interact with.
5 mins

build and test.
share your solution
& get feedback.
what worked | what needs to be improved
questions | ideas
4 mins

done!
Adapted from ‘An introduction to design thinking: redesigning the gift giving
experience’ by Hassno Platner Institute of Design at Stanford.

show
& tell
each group
60 secs

quick
a
look at the
process

the design squiggle
Daniel Newman, Central Office of Design

design thinking "
modes
Hassno Platner Institute of Design design thinking modes

non-linear "
process

diverge &
converge
flare
focus
Hassno Platner Institute of Design, Stanford University

so…
what is
design
thinking?

one of many definitions
(& none are quite right…)
design thinking uses the
designers sensibility & methods
to match peoples needs with
what is technologically feasible &
what a viable business strategy
can convert into customer value
& market opportunity
tim brown

design thinking uses a
human centred, creative,
iterative, practical approach
to problem solving.
tim brown

design thinking taps
into capacities we all
have but are often
overlooked by more
conventional problem
solving practices
tim brown

design thinking core values
human centredness |
inquiry | empathy | iteration
action orientation |
collaboration | reflection |
comfort with ambiguity |
visualisation & prototyping

design thinking tools
interviews | observation |
conversation | synthesis |
visualisation | heuristics |
prototyping + + +

so…
why
design
thinking?

it
starts
with…
We are Snook
http://web.fumsi.com/go/article/use/64147

ultimately about
understanding
needs

we increasingly expect
sophisticated experiences
that are emotionally
satisfying and meaningful…
design thinking is an
approach for imagining
these experiences
Brown, 2008

so…
design thinking...
what for?

design thinking for
solving wicked problems |
designing (human) systems
& services | organisational
change & transformation |
social innovation | product
development

micro
macro

engagement

if libraries are not willing to become
obsolete than that is exactly what’ll
happen to them. "
"
throw out the library completely, "
start with value and how to co-create
it, and then you’re designing the new
library…"
get people engaged in your service
and it will grow naturally."
"
Arne van Oosterom,
Design Thinkers"
"

so…
design thinking…
what next?

empathise
listen, share,
contribute,
reflect

be curious.
ask why.
rinse. repeat.

observe.
what? how? why?

reflect.
what works?
what doesn’t?
what could be
better?

experiment
make, test,
reflect

where to from here?
it’s a choose
your own
adventure

thankyou
zaana howard
z.howard@qut.edu.au
zaanahoward.com
@zaana