NextD Journal I ReReThinking Design Special Issue, April 2007
Tim Brown |
Beautiful Diversion
IDEO, United States
I applaud Bruce Nussbaum’s challenge to think critically about our practice. In a time where almost every activity is being ‘democratized’ by technology, designers cannot expect to be immune. The tools of design thinking will become available to ever more people, just like the tools of music making or image making. As ‘professional designers’ we can respond in two ways. We can attempt to protect our activities like the guilds of the Middle Ages or we can embrace the opportunity to be expansive about Design Thinking and what it can achieve. I have always tried to judge my contribution as a designer, and the contribution of IDEO, by the impact our work has in the world. I believe the motivation to have impact is at the core of why we design which is why we have been active supporters of the idea of Design Thinking. By encouraging as many people as possible to understand and apply Design Thinking we believe that it is possible to massively increase the level of impact. If social entrepreneurs can use Design Thinking to create better solutions for the poor then we are creating positive impact. If business people can use Design Thinking to better understand the needs of their customers and create offerings that are truly valued; that is positive impact. If anyone can use Design Thinking to solve a problem that they face in their lives then the result is positive impact. There is no doubt in my mind that if designers are going to make a positive contribution to a sustainable society we are going to have to leverage every nuance of Design Thinking to the full and that is why I believe there is plenty of opportunity left for professionals. But to fulfill that ambition we are going to have to move beyond our fascination with the surface. This is difficult. I will be the first to admit that I am seduced by beautiful objects and images. I enjoy creating them and I enjoy acquiring them. Business makes a lot of money by providing us with seductive things and we are not going to persuade ourselves, or our clients, to kick the habit just because it is worthy. We have to leverage the same tools of Design Thinking to create functionally, emotionally and economically compelling alternatives. These solutions will be more nuanced than the solutions of today. They will make more of less. In some cases they will require breakthrough innovation in business models, technology and behavior. In all cases they will be the result of talented interdisciplinary teams working across all aspects of the problem and not the product of the lone designer. I am pleased to see that Bruce is already challenging the role of his own profession in the promulgation of outdated ideas about design. While ever the vast majority of journalism is obsessed with the stylish object and the beautiful image we should not be surprised if business people, young designers and the public at large assume that is what design is about. While I applaud his personal efforts to champion Design Thinking perhaps the opening line for his next talk can be “Design journalism sucks.”
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