The history and practice of design is following that of technology, how do they correlate in notions of innovation and creativity?
Kelley, T. (2001). "The Art Of Innovation: Lessons In Creativity From IDEO, America’s Leading Design Firm". Crown Business. 23-52.
In The Art Of Innovation, the author Tom Kelley writes about the experience of designing products from the perspective of the Sillicon Valley company IDEO, describing the process with an user centered approach in mind.
In the text, he describes how important is for the company to actually look into the users needs by employing methods such as observation instead of other more traditional ones like interviews or tests in a controlled environment. By doing so, they can figure out more accurately what the users want and need.
It should never be the user's job to tell a designer how the product is, because in fact, it could be that they even lack the words or the knowledge to really describe what works for them and what doesn't.
One of the key learnings of this book is that of first hand experience. Seeing with your own eyes can be the first step of improving a product, or even of innovation. Observing your environment, specially when this environment is completely unfamiliar, can open up the possibilities for inspiration. New ideas very often come from being there.
The author also emphasises the company's policy of developing empathy for their consumers. By studying and understanding people's differences, they have learned that the best products always are inclusive.
Focused observation can be the best tool. Trying to get under user's skin to figure out what they think, what they do and why they do it is important in order to make a successful product. Interpreting people's actions in order to figure out their emotions and needs is also crucial in the design process.
The best people to observe are often the ones who break or simple don't follow rules, the ones that make misuse of products. That way one can learn the most about the boundaries of the products and the downfalls or possibilities for future development.
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