I am thrilled to be teaching “Design Methods & Research” this semester at California College of the Arts with Lucie Richter.
We are at midterm and have assigned the students a final project that should explore the core skills we expect them to learn:
Inspiration: develop skills to observe people in a way that inspire better design
Context: explore the full picture of where designs live
Design for use: propose solutions that fit appropriately into a system of use
Systems Thinking: understand multiple stakeholders and the effect of design choices
Empathy: develop a deeper understanding of others
Depth: seek to gain a new perspective on why people choose the products and services that they do
Ethics: respect and responsibility before, during and after observations
Synthesis: move beyond the obvious with new insights
Storytellingshare insights in a thoughtful and generative way
The fastest secret weapon to success would be to look as if you’re playing by somebody else’s rules, while quietly playing by your own.
It always takes me more than 3 weeks to prepare a fantastic impromptu speech.