“If you think of doing the opposite of what should be done, you can often stimulate innovation and do something creative and interesting.”
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Archives
Knowledge transmission.
Jul 27, ’11
10:12 PM
“The point here is that the crucial knowledge in any innovative industry is not standardized information, routine patterns or the public knowledge of science. It is also often not the kind of data that can be obtained through quantitative market research involving the analysis of secondary data or statistical survey research, nor from qualitative methods such as focus groups and interviews. What is really useful is what is new, what are the latest changes and the specialized know-how that individuals have acquired through practice and mistakes.”
– Pierre Desrochers, “Geographical proximity and the transmission of tacit knowledge,” The Review of Austrian Economics
Eyes Wide Open I.
Jul 26, ’11
10:26 AM
I recently signed up to become a volunteer at a local hospital. One of the many requirements to participate in such a program is to ensure you have been suitably vaccinated and aren’t subject to any serious infections (e.g. measles).
Now my second time in the hospital in less than a year (this time on purpose), I made a point to again survey my surroundings. In particular, I took a closer look at the heart monitor adjacent to where I was sitting along with the tools the nurse used to take blood from my arm.
Here are a few things I noticed in just 30 seconds:
Center of Gravity: The monitor rested on a short pole connected to a set of wheels that were arranged in 90 degree angles to one another. What was interesting about this is that the pole was lowered approximately two inches so that its center of gravity was lower to the ground. This allows the unit to be moved much more easily and rapidly with reduced risk of toppling over.
Robust Power Cord: The end of the power plug was larger in size than a standard power plug. This allowed the cable to be removed from the wall with little effort, allowing for rapid transport to different locations within the hospital.
Protection: The needle that was used to draw blood from my arm had a plastic cover that was attached just below the collection tube. After the blood was drawn, as if reading my mind, the nurse rotated the cover (using one hand) until it snapped in place, completely protecting her from the needle end.
Color: The unit was a bright blue color, making it much easier to spot in case of immediate need.
One of the main reasons I mention this experience is because one can find any number of design strengths or opportunities in virtually any situation. While I have not had the need to use a heart monitor, I could still glean a few key design traits from the device that I could, in theory, use in future designs of my own.
Nurses and doctors who use the device on a routine basis may skim over what I’ve just mentioned, and instead highlight other traits that are more familiar to them. For example, they may comment on the size of the display or the height of the actual unit; traits that I would take for granted given my lack of experience and exposure.
A good designer is always taking in the world around them to see what’s working and what’s not. Similarly, design elements used in one situation or context can be employed in an entirely different situation; it just takes knowledge and understanding to enable the transition to occur.
In my next post I’ll give a real-world example and go a step deeper into this cross-pollination concept.
7: Concept Vehicle – Initial Sketches
Jan 12, ’11
6:52 PM
Right now I’m unsure how many sketches I’ll post on a daily basis, but here are a few from day 1. Prismacolor pencil is, I think, the best way to get some initial ideas on paper; doing a similar exercise in digital just isn’t the same.
As you can see here, I’m leaning towards a vertically-oriented cockpit and am exploring the use of various power / transmission mechanisms. (Click on the images below to enlarge)
(Click on the above image to enlarge)
Seven Days.
Jan 11, ’11
7:56 PM
After some brief thought over the past twenty-four hours, I’ve decided to spend the next seven days designing a new vehicle concept.
Given this type of experiment, I am not going to spend a lot of time developing a creative brief because my goal at this point is pure creative focus, and less so on adherence to a specific need (fabricated or otherwise).
This journey will start with some exploratory sketches using traditional media (pencil, markers, etc.) and will ultimately conclude with a final 3D rendering using Modo and Photoshop. While I’ve done several designs and models, these efforts have been separate and distinct – thus, I think it’s going to be a challenge (at least right now) to incorporate both into one project, particularly within such a short duration.
The benefits of this challenge are many. Two that immediately come to mind include the following:
- Be able to independently start and finish a design void of any external forces (clients, instructors, etc.).
- Develop techniques to accelerate creative thinking.
If this experiment proves successful, it’s entirely possible you’ll see other seven day challenges appear on the horizon throughout the year.
Immersion: Core Objectives (Preview)
Jan 6, ’11
7:33 PM
While I’m still working through the details of the Immersion strategy (estimated duration ~2 years), I am certain of the primary objectives which are listed here:
I’ll post further details of the Immersion strategy in the next several days.
The Crystal Ball.
Mar 12, ’10
1:57 AM
“Begin with the end in mind” is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things. – Stephen Covey
One of the many things I’ve learned in project management is that “starting with the end in mind” is one of the best methods to ensuring a successful outcome. When your team has a clear sense of what need to do from the beginning, task definition and assignment activities come naturally and the team is able to spend more time focusing on the “day-to-day” issues vs. continuously wrestling with an ever-changing scope definition.
A similar approach can work extremely well when envisioning your future.
An article in the Futurist magazine entitled “Envisioning your Future: Imagining Ideal Scenarios” suggests that:
… having a vision is to be an idealist. This idealism should not be confused with unrealistic ideas; it should be used synonymously with having “a standard of excellence”. A person that is by nature a visionary looks into the future as though it is filled with possibilities, not probabilities.
If I look at my future based from who I really am, and document a clear description of what that future looks like, my life starts to become what I’ve created for myself.
After much thought, I came up with the following personal vision:
“My vision for the future is comprised of positive experiences that intertwine my ‘personal’ and ‘professional’ lives into a single life structure. Because of this, the long-held notion of “work-life” balance is lessened, and at its extreme, no longer required. By thinking strategically, I am able to spend my energy on activities that pay dividends over both the short and long-term. A continuous and purposeful stream of explicit and implicit challenges allows my mind to expand at an accelerated rate. With this expansion comes possibilities, and possibilities spark further action towards an ideal state called “Ultima”. My relationships are continuously expanding, but only at a rate where the relationships themselves are developing at a natural and lasting pace. My ability to see the unique qualities of each person and strive towards relationships that are, at their core, genuine, helps build strong partnerships that ultimately become central figures in a life structure built around growth, energy, complexity, awareness and intensity.”
Fortunately, I think this is fairly representative of what I want my future to look like. The next step is to take this concept and apply it to my design firm.
What does my business vision look like? I’ll talk about that in my next post.