By Rachel Won / 22 Jul 2019 / Tags: Design Insights

Natasha Jen: Six questions for design thinkers.
After watching the video, I felt Natasha Jen is less intimating, not so aggressive compared to her first video. As she has been a graphic designer for many years. I find that she didn’t get the basic of Design Thinking correctly. Design Thinking was intended for: non-designers, who need to solve creative problems.

In this video, she shares 6 points that might be useful to help design thinkers to improve their design thinking process. Some of her points are relevant.

1) How might we make it more nuanced?
Nuanced mean subtle difference, subtle shades of expression. People have been innovating before design thinking comes about. Design thinking starts to rise in 2011-2015. Renowned design firm IDEO. How could we make the Design Thinking ideas be implemented in the real world?

2) How might we make it more meaningful vocabulary?
Use of language, having a deep dialogue about how to use words that are meaningful to the context, audience and budget.
E.g. We Define Problem, We Generate Ideas. We Build User Flows/Systems. We Deliver Purposeful Design.

3) How might we elevate the standard?
Currently design thinking doesn’t have much case studies on how it has impacted the world. It is still too shallow. This part I do agree. We need to have more proven records to proof that Design Thinking really works. It is not just a concept.

4) How might we change its attitude on education?
Get design thinking into education system is like having “fast food” thinking.
She had the idea that design thinkers just want to become Olympic athlete but refused to be trained and that is the problem.

This is untrue. There are courses that train UX Design and Design thinking. Solution: is to get trained and certified to know the process well. Could have more result-oriented case studies to show how the process works.

5) How might we make it more beautiful?
Clarity (Legibility), Hierarchy (Structure), Style (Pleasant looking) -> Form and Function
Precision Beauty -> It evolve with times
– Original Ideas
– Bring culture into products, more relatable to people
– Everyone grows up with better things

6) How might we make it more delightful?
How can we make the experience more delightful for the users? Improve the user experience for the front-end customers and backend operation for the staff.

Overall, I feel that Natasha needs to dive deeper herself to really understand what Design Thinking is all about. Design Thinking involved UX Research to build empathy for the users and there are prototyping and testing with the real users. These process helps the decision maker to make clear decision on the company products direction. It is not just visual aspects of the product.

Keen to know how design thinking can improve your customers’ experience?
Make your appointment with us

#DesignThinking #6QuestionsForDesignThinkers