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Mark Dziersk

April 29, 2008

Ethno-shopno

Ethnography has become the "research" technique of choice in new product Development, and for good reason. Getting into an environment, experiencing and observing, are the best way to learn true user needs for any product or service. An effective variation on traditional ideas of ethnography is something I call "ethno-shopno" which involves in home and in-store interviewing all at the same time. About a 2 hour procedure, repeated. Video snipets from this kind of work are extremely effective ways to discern and communicate user needs and set the stage for effective design solutions. Social scientists and cultural anthropologists may be taken aback that 2 hour interviews qualify as any kind of true research, but compared to say, much of focus group results, the net benefit is quite amazing.

Posted by Mark Dziersk at 8:33 PM

January 15, 2008

Design Brainstorming: Creativity as Killer App

One way creativity can apply to every situation faced is to make a protocol of running a problem through a filter of crashing disparate influences. If everytime we are faced with a problem and two or three answers appear, there is great value in smashing those seemingly obvious first choices into other non intuative, even non sensical, options. Brainstorming can help here.

One method (or killer Brainstorm app) is to collect a group of problem solvers and start by brainstorming a list of 3 categories, let's say user, like product and like function. Next pick randomly from the lists, combining the three into an answer. Making the list is fun and thought starting. Combining the three, provides structure within the brainstorm ( I know, sounds counter intuitive, but it works) although the ideas may not be immediately applied, they almost always lead to unexpected answers and new directions.

Although a brainstorm like this is a small step and usually safe to do. The point is to provide a method that allows the embrace of ambiguity and encourages going someplace different. This kind of thing in the long run, helps encourage an organization to look for other ways to integrate creative thinking.

Mark

Mark Dziersk FIDSA.
VP Indusrial Design - laga/one80
mdziersk@laga.com

Posted by Mark Dziersk at 10:26 AM | 5 Comments

November 27, 2007

Organizational Creativity

Creativity is a powerful motivator. If one does anything the same way for long enough it becomes boring, it doesn’t matter what it is or how lucrative it may be. People are usually very motivated when asked and challenged to use creativity to solve problems or invent new methods or discover new opportunities. Design is the tool that most organizations can embrace to infuse creative thinking into the equation. This is one of clearest reasons that Design and Design thinking are so important to business today, they serve as the method for “achieving use from creativity”. But the need is deeper than the role of the designer, it goes to the whole organization. Everyone is creative if given the opportunity and giving the opportunity is becoming an imperative.

Is creativity fostered, promoted, nurtured in your company? If so, in what ways?

Mark Dziersk

laga

Posted by Mark Dziersk at 6:03 PM | 1 Comment