Natasha Jen: Design Thinking is Bullsh*t.

Summary

The speaker, a graphic designer and educator, critically examines design thinking, a popular approach to problem-solving. They express concerns about its oversimplification, lack of depth, and the potential for ignoring the broader consequences of design. The speaker challenges the design thinking community to consider the importance of language, aesthetics, and the true impact of design on society. They conclude with a creative project that humorously applies design thinking to itself, aiming to provoke thought and add a touch of delight to the often dry discourse around this methodology.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The speaker identifies as a graphic designer, emphasizing the role of playing with words, symbols, and images to make information tangible and delightful.
• 🏫 As a design educator, the speaker is intrigued by different design approaches and learns from other disciplines like architecture, but questions the oversimplification of design thinking.
• 🤔 The speaker expresses difficulty in understanding design thinking and its methodologies, leading to a self-reflective exploration and reframing of their perspective.
• 📈 The popularity of design thinking, as shown by internet search trends, spiked around 2015 with the launch of an online course by IDEO, suggesting a correlation between marketing and trend.
• 🔍 The speaker criticizes the uniformity of design thinking results, noting that searches for design thinking yield similar diagrams and methodologies rather than diverse outcomes.
• 🏗 The speaker argues that design thinking's focus on a single medium (posters) is limiting and that design should involve a broader range of research and resources.
• 🌐 The speaker is concerned about design thinking's ignorance of the potential negative consequences of design, such as waste or climate change.
• 💬 The language of design thinking is criticized for being filled with jargon and promoting an instant satisfaction mindset, rather than a deep, developmental approach.
• 📚 The speaker is troubled by design thinking's infiltration into education, particularly with the rise of quick boot camps and courses that undermine the value of thorough education.
• 🎨 The speaker, as a graphic designer, finds the visual representation of design thinking to be lacking in aesthetic quality and clarity, advocating for a more thoughtful approach to visual communication.
• 😄 In conclusion, the speaker suggests that design thinking could benefit from a more nuanced, less dry, and more visually appealing approach, and presents a project that humorously critiques and analyzes design thinking through a designer's lens.

Q & A

What is the speaker's profession and how do they describe their work?

The speaker is a graphic designer who explains their work as playing with words, symbols, and images to make information tangible and understandable, with an aim to also make things delightful.

Why does the speaker find it hard to explain what a graphic designer does?

The speaker finds it hard to explain because people often assume graphic designers are only involved in branding, UX/UI, or advertising, whereas the speaker believes they deal with these areas in a much broader way.

What is the speaker's view on design thinking?

The speaker expresses skepticism towards design thinking, finding it too simplistic and formulaic, and criticizes its approach as being too focused on process rather than the broader implications of design.

How does the speaker feel about the use of posters as the primary medium in design thinking?

The speaker is critical of the reliance on posters as the main medium for design thinking, arguing that design should involve a variety of research materials and not be confined to a single method of expression.

What does the speaker think about the language used in design thinking?

The speaker finds the language of design thinking to be problematic, filled with jargon and buzzwords that lack depth and can be misleading, suggesting a need for a more nuanced vocabulary.

What is the speaker's opinion on the impact of design thinking on the world?

The speaker questions the impact of design thinking, noting that it often settles for superficial solutions and fails to address deeper issues like waste or climate change.

How does the speaker view the role of beauty in design thinking?

The speaker believes that beauty is integral to design and is critical of the design thinking approach that separates form from function, arguing that beauty is not just decoration but a reflection of intelligence and quality.

What is the speaker's concern about design thinking's influence on education?

The speaker is worried that design thinking promotes a fast-food approach to education, suggesting quick fixes and instant results rather than deep, thoughtful learning.

What did the speaker and their team create to critique design thinking?

The speaker and their team created a poster that applies design thinking's own methodology to analyze and critique itself, aiming to provide a different perspective on design thinking in a visually engaging way.

What is the speaker's final message regarding design thinking?

The speaker's final message is a call for design thinking to be more nuanced, considerate of broader implications, and to value the importance of beauty, artistry, and culture in design.