[IxD Theory] Design in organizations

Creativity takes many forms. Designers embody a form of creativity that can sometimes create tensions within an organization. What are the tensions and why do they exist? Drawing from what we understand about other flavors of creativity, how might we facilitate the integration of design creativity into organizations?

Designers can create tension in a number of ways, especially in organizations that are run more conservatively. The type of tension I will focus on for this topic is tension in leadership.

Traditionally, a "designer" is someone who can deliver tangible products; someone with craftsmanship and the ability to make. Increasingly, however, a designer is someone who has the ability and desire to get out from behind the screen and to solve larger more systematic problems. I think a tension exists because a majority of business leaders still see designers in the traditional sense and do not understand why it is important to integrate design creativity into their organization's leadership.

I think the first step is to understand what you can do and to find a job at an organization that is flexible and open to innovation. In my Business of Design class we have been learning about leaders who use design thinking and who solve problems creatively. This, plus our discussion in IxD Theory about different types of creative leaders has influenced me to believe that one of the most important things you can do is to be an influential leader yourself. Bring design into an organization by knowing that the best solutions come from multidisciplinary teams. Be open to change and iteration, and know it's okay to be wrong. And always be inclusive, accessible, and a champion of creative culture.

[business of design]

What would do if you were an employee of Goldman Sachs who didn’t have the option of quitting - what would you say to your clients, friends and family who read Greg Smith’s letter?

This weeks business of design class is about leadership; I think one of the key traits of being a leader is taking responsibility for mistakes and knowing when you need to make changes and pivot your approach.

So, I don't know how the situation above would actually play out, but from my own relatively naive perspective, I think I would start off by acknowledging mistakes. I would discuss openly and honestly where the company went wrong, but I would also talk about the company's strengths. I would try to focus on how to get things back to a healthy place

[IxD Theory] Easy Peasy

Why does everyone think they can do interaction design? Do other design disciplines face this challenge?

I don't have direct experience with everyone thinking they can do interaction design, but assuming that is the case, I will speculate on the reasons why.

1. Interaction is a buzz word. I think because interaction design is such a new field and it's, uh...for lack of better phrase, so hot right now, there are a lot of people out there who want an interaction designer and a lot of people who don't really know what it is, but who want to get the job. 
2. Interaction designers make it look easy. A well designed object or system is universally easy to use, which can lead to the assumption that designing the interaction is simple. I think a lot of the principles of interaction design are actually common sense (keep it simple, recognition over recall, help and documentation, give people an undo), but to really design a system which meets a user's need becomes incredibly complicated. An interaction designer has to use methodology and go through deliberate processes, which not everyone can do.

[Business of Design] Social Networks

Blog on which social network you currently find most engaging and why

Yelp, hands down.

I use Facebook, sure, but I wouldn't say I enjoy it. Most times I log into Facebook it's because someone has tagged me in a photo, or because I'm procrastinating on homework. I get sucked in and an hour later, when I log off, I feel guilty for spending that hour reading my Facebook feed when I should have been reading my homework.

[IxD Theory] Parking app

What’s your pet app idea? Based on the tools and processes that Aaron shared, discuss the minimum essential features, as well as elements that are not essential that you would want to add after launch. 

The first two things that came to mind in response to this prompt were a drinking fountain finding app and a public restroom finding app. Buuuuut, they already exist. So here's one that doesn't exist: an app to prevent you from getting parking tickets.

[IxD Theory] Cognition

Discuss a product via the lens of human cognition. How do we process the product? Consider perception, attention, memory, learning, etc. What did the designers do to help simplify the cognitive processes required to use the product? What’s the mental model and how rigorously is it preserved?

I'm going to look at iTunes because it is a product we process through multiple kinds of cognition -- learning, listening, attention, and memory.

The function which lets you sort by album cover is great because it takes advantage of our ability to quickly scan images. I have over 1000 albums in my library, and while I often cannot remember the name of the album, I can often picture the album cover in my head. Scanning through the music by cover view helps me to find the correct album much faster than reading through the list, and trying to remember what I'm looking for.

[business of design] Brands

Blog on a brand you admire (not just the product or service). Explain what elements of the brand “speak” to you and what they say. 

I am loyal to two brands, Levi's and Patagonia. I am loyal to Levi's because I hate shopping for jeans and Levi's sizing is consistent so I never have to try them on. My loyalty stems out of convenience, but I don't know much about their history or their motivations as a company. Patagonia, on the other hand, has my loyalty because of how and why their company exists; their mission statement is to mission statement is to "build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis."