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Sometimes on does not see the wood for the trees. This time is on: Design Thinking ;-) Essentially Ellen di Resta over from the Foresight 20/20 Blog (http://www.ellendiresta.com) posted a very helpful comment on the ongoing discussion on Design Thinking.
While for me so far Design Thinking has been more of an application of 'Abductive Reasoning' (that seems to be sort of 'natural' to a Designer's way of solving problems) Ellen is trying to address the confusion that is taking place on the around the question: Who is entitled to be called a 'Design Thinker' and whether this is a new sort of 'Profession'.
I can't agree more on her view that the application of 'new' tools (in this case 'Abductive Reasoning') does not necessarily result in changing job descriptions or careers. On the contrary:
"If a business person uses design thinking to develop an innovative business model, the outcome is still a business model and the profession is still that of a business person."
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Don Carter Says:
November 17th, 2008 at 17:04Visit Don Carter
Ralf,
As a source for Design Thinking I would recommend that you and your readers read “Design Thinking” by Peter G. Rowe, MIT Press. Its focus is Architecture but it has relevant to design thinking throughout the design profession.
I enjoy your reading your blog and read it often.
Ralf Beuker Says:
November 17th, 2008 at 17:19Visit Ralf Beuker
Hi Don,
and thanks for dropping this note! Great to hear that you are a regular visitor of this blog! Essentially I will give the title a definite read and it’s already on my Google Library: http://is.gd/7Qnc
Ellen Says:
November 18th, 2008 at 23:09Visit Ellen
Hi Ralf,
Thank you for the acknowledgement! It’s good to connect with like-minded people. I would like to keep in touch. There is a lot of work to be done in design and business, and I’d like to support this work however I can.
Ralf Beuker Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 13:20Visit Ralf Beuker
Hi Ellen,
great to hear from your and thanks for getting in touch :-) Highly appreciated as I love your insights and the style you are blogging about it! I got in touch with your blog via Alex btw. the world is so comfortably small once in a while ;-) Keep blogging, Ralf.
Chris Flanagan Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 21:13Visit Chris Flanagan
Here’s my two-cents on design-thinking, some of which I already said in my comment on Ellen’s blog..
A powerful methodology for marrying creative right-brain thinking and analytical left-brain thinking, design thinking doesn’t prefer one method over another but rather, it blends the positive aspects of both. This talent is at a premium today because innovation so often happens in the space between disciplines. Design thinking can get you into those spaces.
Interestingly, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet with Roger Martin earlier this month in Toronto. I highly recommend his recent book The Opposable Mind. He’s in the midst of editing his second book, due out next year. Originally he had planned to include the term “design-thinking” in the title but changed his mind. May have to do with your point…it’s a squishy term that requires far too much explanation.
Here’s where I wholeheartedly agree with Martin: Success comes from an ability to utilize tensions between different business models in order to build a better one. Martin calls it ‘integrative thinking’ and it’s a direct assault on the reductionist, either/or approach to decision-making, which is typically taught in business schools. This holistic - and yes, more complex and often times ambiguous - approach to thinking, Martin says, is at the heart of many great, new business models.
Martin has a strong, optimistic point-of-view. While there are those who believe that great leaders are born and not made, he says no. To prove it, he established Designworks, a centre for a new way of learning and thinking on the campus of Rotman.
Managed by Heather Fraser, Designworks Director and Adjunct Professor at Rotman, the program provides a learning experience that encourages and nurtures new ways of thinking and leading. Bypassing the often linear “management only” or “design only” curricula, Designworks makes use of its resources in the academic and design community by teaming Rotman MBA students with those at the Ontario College of Art and Design. (Stateside, I think Stanford’s d.School probably comes close to this type of curricula.)
I blogged about my recent experience in Toronto here: http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/weblog/archives/2008/10/want_to_learn_a.html#more
Looking forward to reading your follow-on blogpost. We’re big advocates of design-thinking here at the Business Innovation Factory. Many of our research advisors are pioneers in this nascent field and it guides our project portfolios..most recently the nursing home of the future.
Cheers, Chris
Ralf Beuker Says:
November 19th, 2008 at 23:19Visit Ralf Beuker
Hi Chris,
and thanks for this comprehensive and insightful comment to which I’ve sort of replied in my latest posting! I’m looking forward to having interesting conversations in the future :-)