We were asked to identify two problems statements which are very crucial and prove that they are genuinely problems by using facts, figures and examples.
Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s tool-kit to integrate.
In the image above are the 4 rules of Design Thinking.
During the session, based on all our problem statements, all the students were divided into groups of 4-5. We were supposed to select one problem statement for the coming weeks with Amit Sir. All our exercises of design thinking for the coming sessions were going to be based on this problem statement.
Trust the objective, learn the process. Don’t get too attached to your ideas.
In my group was Mayur, Sidharth and Dhruva. We decided to work on the problem of Plastic Waste Recycling. We boiled down to this particular problem after a long analytical process. We applied the DVF theory and identified what was needed to be done.
After resources mapping, ask the HOW MIGHT WE question.
Our HMW question – How might we dispose and recycle non biodegradable waste such that it doesn’t harm the environment?
Now, for the mind map exercise, we were supposed to write down 50 random words that we could think of and that were related to any way to the problem stated above – on sticky notes. From those notes we created a mind map and realised that Plastic Recycling is something that is needed to be done by the 4 of us.
A stakeholder’s map is to be drawn now. After that took meaningful and detailed interviews of the stakeholders and identified different HMWs post every interview as shown below.
- Do not ask Yes/No questions.
- Short questions, long answers
- Don’t be afraid of silence
- Pay attention to nonverbal ques.
- Document your interviews. (take permission ofc)
Here are my interviews.
In this session, we learnt a lot about how Amit sir found his calling, Design Thinking and his experience so far. Learnt about a lot of cool products that he designed and how every little element requires so much thought, research and analytics. A few of his HMW statements and his approach towards their solutions.
https://sites.google.com/view/kit-me310-1819/critical-experiencefunction-prototypes?authuser=0
After identifying and studying the problem in detail, we had to come up with a solution and it’s prototype. 5 prototype ideas and cards were made as shown below.
After choosing what best works for us, we went on to create an actual prototype.
After this we had to get our actual prototypes ready for the final presentations. For this, we met with a lot of people from the plastic recycle background who could help us with building this prototype which I thought would be impossible.
After a lot of disagreements and agreements, on the D-Day…
Sidharth killed it with the prototype. I learnt that things aren’t impossible just because I am from a non-engineering background. There are infinite possibilities and I won’t know if I don’t try.
Meanwhile, I worked on the presentation. Here.
What we learnt in the past few weeks :
1) Fail early, fail often but Fail Smart.
2) During interviews, don’t be afraid of silence
3) Show, don’t tell
4) Design thinking is a process not a final product
5)You can even find a dark horse in an unexpected place
6) Dark Horse & Testing at am early stage
7) Ask short questions which can’t have just yes/no as the answer.
8) The 2x matrix
9) Stakeholder analysis
10) We should have a Dschooled mindset
11) We also have to ensure that the product is a RPF and a RMF
12) Defy Gravity
13) Be a ‘T’ shaped person
14) Art is free expression, but design has constraints.
15) Design is an action
17) Do a DVF analysis for your problem Statement
18) Finding a problem is a more imp step than finding the solution
19) In the design process finalising the narrative process and identifying the core users , extended users and the extreme users.
20) Talking to real users while testing.
Harshita Bordiya's SSI Blog 