WEEK 5
#DeliveringIdeas #HowCanWe #BrainStorm #IDEO
I was greatly inspired by David Kelly, who is the CEO of a Global firm IDEO which incorporates human behavior into product design. In his interview on a show called 60 minutes, he talks empathetic design. Empathetic design is when the designer thinks about the feeling of the client he is making the product for and tries to be in his/her shows. IDEO’s concept of brainstorming ideas collectively and using each others perspective allows the invention of products which would be difficult for a single person. It would be good to keep in mind that having concepts is just the first step towards making your product.
Our class was mostly devoted to thinking of problems that our team would like to solve by coming out with “How can we” statements. The 5 problems that our team came up with were:
- How can we get busy individuals who are working or in college to drink more water?
- How can we create a laptop case which can fit all laptops and keep them from breaking?
- How can we get households around the world to save energy?
- How can we get bikers in college to wear helmets and keep their bikes safe?
- How can we get people in working areas such as college or the workplace to keep their whiteboards clean?
When we look around us we can find so many designs and products that have been made for such specific purposes and solves them perfectly. If we think about it patiently we would know that a lot of thinking has gone into making one product. It is not just a matter of 2-3 days. Another problem that we faced was that most of the time we think of the product forst rather than the proble we face. This was one of the habits that Professor Vishal changed by asking us to think of a problem first rather than a product. As this would help us in coming up with a number of solutions to one problem rather than just one product that solves that problem. It would further help us in re-designing and making the prouct better each time.
After this we had a guest speaker, Mike Bohlmann, who was a big time maker himself and works as the assisstant dean of technology for the college of media. He was very much into making things in his own time. It was more than a passion than a job for him. The kinds of products that he made was quite innovative and interesting. In all, it was a day full of inspirations.
I agree with Ben — I really enjoyed reading your post! I especially enjoyed your emphasis upon Professor Sachdev’s lesson regarding focusing on the problem before a specific solution in order to ensure the final product has considered the issue from all perspectives. I also enjoyed your point about the fact that while initial ideating can occur in the span of a few hours or days, refining the product to the point that it is ready for market, or even beta testing, is a much lengthier process and requires careful testing. This came to life during Mike’s presentation, in which he showed the prototypes that he has developed, and explained the process that would be required if he were actually going to create those products for sale.
Great post, and great job of summarizing this past week’s activities. IDEO and its CEO, David Kelly, are definitely on the leading edge of innovative ideas. Being able to design a product through the lens of human behavior is an incredibly powerful tool, best used by IDEO. It’s no wonder that companies like Apple and Samsung look to them for guidance on designing their flagship products.
In addition, I absolutely agree that more often than not, we tend to shift our focus from the problem and more so towards the product. While creating a great product is critical, ensuring that it answers a profound problem in our lives is even more important. Again, thanks for sharing!
Hi!
I think your post is written very well and comprehensively. I too really appreciated David Kelly’s knowledge he shared during 60 minutes. Understanding a client or consumer from his or her own shoes when formulating innovations and ideas is certainly crucial to the launch of a successful product. Because after all without any consumer demand or need, that product is just going to sit on the shelf. I love how you guys thought of increasing water consumption amongst college students. Being someone who loves staying fit, I know how important it is to stay hydrated. Not only does it help consumers stay at an optimal level of hydration but it also helps consumer loose weight. Can’t wait to see your final ideas for your final project!