- Making the leap from researching to designing
can sometimes be a difficult transition.
Research has a way of feeling imposing
or even limiting, especially when you begin
to explore design solutions.
I know that for me I can feel
trapped by my research and I have a hard time
opening back up to wild and creative solutions.
I think this is because I'm afraid
that I'll let go of my research
and might end up making some kind of
subjective decision.
It's a delicate balance to find.
As we've said before, a good design process
starts by thinking big
and then becomes more and more narrow,
eliminating and combining ideas
into more feasible solutions.
In this video, I'll share some methods
that I use to help me think big
and also some ones that I wanna focus
and determine what's best.
Any good brainstorming session
always starts with a clear problem.
John Dewey says it best in this quote,
"A problem well stated is half-solved."
So, make sure you take a step back
and review Chapter 5 in case you need a quick
reminder on how to generate an effective problem statement.
Let's start with this statement.
We need to improve the train station's
ticketing service to function more efficiently.
Now let's consider generating some design criteria.
A good set of design criteria
should work to direct how you can
creatively approach your problem
and provide some sense of boundaries
for your initial thinking.
It should also act as a benchmark for success
when you begin to evaluate which ideas
to move forward with.
Let's create a list of criteria
for our train station problem.
Ticketing needs to take 5 minutes or less.
Shorten line-length at ticket counters.
Integrate the use of smart phone technology.
The visual system that should
support an international audience.
Okay, so this information should
come from a synthesis of research.
Likely, this information is generated
from a collection of experience models,
graphic organizers, and other synthesis tools
that you've used to analyze your research.
One important element to keep in mind
when writing design criteria
is to make them specific enough to guide
the design process and open enough
to encourage exploration.
So, we're trying to brainstorm ways
that we can make the train station's ticketing system
more efficient.
We know that in order to do so
out solutions need to be quicker
than the existing system.
Be usable by international passengers
and may integrate smart technology into the process.
If we start there, it's fairly easy
to remain open and creative
and begin thinking of ideas for solutions.
I tend to begin the process of brainstorming
or thinking of my ideas
in a variety of ways depending
on my comfort level with the problem.
Sometimes I might jump right in to sketching ideas
as they pop right into my head
and other times I might feel like
I could benefit from something like a mind map
to help me build ideas and organize
my thoughts a bit better.
It really just depends
and there are a lot of great tools out there to use.
One of my favorite sources for inspiration
is Ellen Lupton's
Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming.
Before you begin any type of brainstorming process
let me share a couple of ground rules
that I always try to stick by.
Visualize.
We're visual people so quickly sketching
and mapping out ideas is a must.
Sketching should be just enough to communicate an idea.
Don't let yourself get caught up in making every detail.
You might also use additional visuals
to help brainstorm and build on ideas,
such as a mind map.
There is no bad idea.
Early in the process, your goal is to get all
of your ideas out.
Liberate yourself momentarily
from the limitations of your research
and think creatively.
This is very important.
Pieces and parts of those off the wall ideas
may very well come back to inform a more feasible
solution later in the process.
Embrace getting stuck.
If you run out of ideas, take a break.
Change techniques and revisit your design criteria.
Sometimes I just need some fresh air
or a change of pace.
I might take a walk, leave my desk,
work on something else for a little while.
I guarantee when you return
you'll have a fresh perspective.
When you have some ideas that you're feeling good about
use your design criteria to begin
to narrow down your concepts.
You may also find opportunities
to combine ideas together,
or to use two ideas and create an entire new one.
Once you successfully identified
some potential ideas,
we can then go on to build mock ups
and working prototypes in order
to test them with actual users.
In the next section, we'll talk more
about generative research and building
on the protoypes and what you need to do
in order to test them.