Week 5: Brief 2 – Process

How Do We Generate Ideas?

This lecture will create a debate around the constructs of thinking and generating ideas.
It will enable you to understand there are lots of models used to generate ideas.
We encourage you to constantly consider and explore how designers think about their work and how ideas are generated.
The lecture will introduce the double diamond approach, used by this course, which allows reiteration and reflection.
We will then go on to explore two different models and methods of generating ideas and thinking, from the liberal arts and from science.

Bauhaus Theory

The Bauhaus explored the design process very seriously, attitudes changed and a new approach was found. It was illustrated in a circular diagram (opposite) and showed how the study of materials, space, colour, etc. can overlap. At first glance it looks radically different to the liner methods described later, however, it still follows a liner route.

At the top there’s a timeline working it’s way from the outside of the diagram into the centre showing the first six month period to be the basic study of form and materials, with the following three years studying areas like materials, tools, colour, likely in more detail. The next stage looks to be more specific, studying the different materials and then the final stage of designing, building and testing.

Their idea of exercise is an interesting one, physical activity is thought to cause chemical changes in the brain, which can help to positively change our mood. Some scientists think being active can improve wellbeing because it brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control, and the ability to rise to a challenge, could these benefits possibly make the designer more confident about their ideas?

Linear methods

The other more modern methods follow a linear path which certainly makes the process look easier to follow. Breaking the process down into defined stages helps to keep control, the designer can process each stage separately to avoid feeling like there is too much going on at once, restricting the flow of ideas.

The most modern methods, such as the ‘Double Diamond’ (right) and the ‘Six Hats’ where each stage is defined by a colour*, include specified stages where the ideas can be revisited and revised as the project goes along. The modern theories have to be flexible in this way, projects can’t always be solved in one go especially with the amount of variables which technology has introduced and as that technology develops and the designer becomes all things to all stages, so to must the design process.

*White hat: Initial thought and information gathering. “What do we have?” & ‘What don’t we have?”
Red hat: Feelings, intuition, emotions. Express any ideas without the need to explain.
Black hat: Apply caution. Criticise and assess risk, look for loopholes and any weak points.
Yellow hat: Explore benefits and feasibility, review ideas rationally.
Green hat: Creativity, discuss any possible new ideas however ‘way out’ they seem.
Blue hat: Control. A designated ‘leader’ controls and organises the process and may suggest revisiting an earlier stage.

The Challenge

How do we think?

Explore and find an example of a way of thinking. This could be from the area of arts, design, philosophy or science.
Choose a thinker or a process and summarise in a black line drawing.
Explore models of thinking – what sorts of theories and process models exist to help us generate ideas?
Document your whole process and reflect upon it in your blog.
Upload your final black line drawing to the ideas wall and a link to your blog showing process and reflection.

We have to make a real effort to stop and think, we’re expected to turn everything around in such a short space of time that, in some studios, any time ‘sat thinking’ is seen as time being wasted because you’re not producing something tangible (as tangible as on-screen can be). With all reference and research literally at your fingertips, you sit like a battery hen churning out job after job.

Logos were a particular favourite: “something really cool, thoughtful. But don’t spend too long on it, just a couple of hours” – right.

Consciously adopting a design process theory is a great move, it seems to take away the pressure of coming up with the right solution, giving a reassurance that you’ve got everything covered and haven’t missed anything out. If there’s a team atmosphere in the studio which includes the owner/manager it works great, everyone can chip-in and feedback.

Lots of ‘About Us’ pages outline a design process adopted by studios:

dn&co:
Place Purpose

DixonBaxi:
Insight. Getting immersed in your world.
Interpret. The strategy that drives the big idea.
Inspire. A brand that works everywhere.
Implement. Make it, craft it, build it for real.
Impact. Share it and turn up the volume.

Fiasco Design:
Taking our clients with us through every step of the design process.

However they’re described, they’re all pretty similar: Discover | Define | Develop | Deliver

The battery hen also follows a principal, likely without knowing so. Their setup is more suited to the “thinking fast and slow” idea. The brief, the email, the phone call lands and (so the client believes) they jump straight on to it.

A fast look over what’s been supplied as a brief starts the process of getting down as many starting points as possible – perhaps to release some of the pressure from the expected timeline – a quick look on Pinterest, a few quick scribbles in the pad and wait ’til they run out of steam, then have a bit of a panic and get on with something else because just sitting there is wasting valuable time.

Then the slow-thinking starts but you don’t know it because you’re busy doing something else. It’s going on in the back of your mind and so it’s more relaxed and more considered.

Black line

A model following the six coloured hats* method.

I chose to construct this method using a suitably fragile material, as some ideas are right up until they’re launched. The ideal material, although no way practical, would be sugar strand.

The planned structure is illustrated below. Six cubes, each representing one stage, with the white and blue hats positioned on the outside of the main body which is made up with the four remaining colours. The theory is that the white and blue are the entry and exit points of the process whilst the four other colours are able to be visited as many times as necessary as the model turns.

In the end, I don’t think it worked. Mainly because of the choice of material. It doesn’t look serious or fragile enough, it’s too comical.

The dangers of thinking too much? See above…

To try and come back down and get somewhere in the centre of these two dangers I mapped a walk along the river and around town whilst clearing my head, neither hand-drawn nor black, but a line at least. I carried my notebook so technically I was still working…