Design thinking can be defined as the “transformation of existing conditions into preferred ones” (Herbert Simon, Sciences of the Artificial”). So in a way design thinking deals with improving something to make sure that our future is improved. This approach to thinking helps use redefine what an object is.
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Day 17
Design something completely new!
Does is sound tricky, well, it is not really that difficult.
Take a subject, and set yourself the task: Are there alternative ways to perform the function? Can it be improved?
Some suggestions for subjects:
- Pick something in your kitchen such as the fridge, water tap, water kettle or washing machine. Something that functions excellently. Then improve it, design a better one.
- Choose a transportation vehicle on your way to work – bicycle, car, train. Design a better one – faster, more comfortable, easier to use. . .
- Choose something that annoys or irritates you, and design something that functions better. Computers and smart phones will do a good job here. But also problems at home for example, your neighbor has a private parking place on his land next to his house, but uses it as a basketball court, and parks his car instead in the street in front of your door; you don’t have a private parking, so you have to park your car in the street. But now the place is occupied by your neighbour’s car. Or maybe you have a trailer parked opposite your home in your street, but drunk pub-goers throw it in the creek next to the street. It happens all the time, whatever you do to prevent it – a new lock, making it heavier. . . so design a better solution.
If you have problems to decide on what item to do some design thinking, take an object from a random object generator. Take one object and stick to it till you can proudly announce your new invention.
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