Are you an optimistic or pessimistic designer? The classic test is how you perceive the glass above. Is it half empty of half full? Be honest. There’s a few of you out there that live in the world of rainbows and sunshine. While, some of you imagine all the ways that kite could be struck by lightning.
While the illustration above is an exaggeration, the point is that we all see the world in our own unique lens which also dictates how we experience day to day life. An optimist and pessimist could witness the same situation but react completely differently.
What’s interesting about this situation is that even though the reactions are different, both bring up legitimate points about this scenario. Both points of view are completely valid. So it’s not a question of whether it’s half-empty of half-full. Maybe it’s both?
If we limit our perspective to our own lens, this can limit our understanding of the world around us. Confirmation bias is a designer’s worst enemy, especially when we are striving to create human-centric design solutions.
Have you ever caught yourself being biased in your own life?
It isn’t easy to admit but we are all culprits. I know I can sometimes fall into this trap. I’m actually the optimistic one. While most people would consider this to be a positive trait, it can have drawbacks. Sometimes it’s hard to estimate work because I always believe it will get done. Or sometimes I think they can overcome huge obstacles even though it’s not realistic.
Over time, I have learned how to adjust my expectations and I have to thank all the “pessimistic” people in my life for that.
There’s often a stigmatism that optimism is “good” while pessimism is “bad” but I think this is an unfair misconception. There are benefits to “pessimistic” thinking, such as anticipating danger, adjusting expectations, or developing back up plans. This is why I often consult
in my work, to make sure my sanity is in check. At the same time, she also seeks my advice on how to look on the bright side.In fact, we purposely seek out each others’ opinions even if it conflicts with our own, in order to gain a more realistic perspective on things.
Feedback is often referenced as an important part of the design process but how many times have you asked feedback from your own circle of friends or like-minded designers? While that is a good starting point, I challenge you to seek out someone’s opinion that differs from your own. By approaching the situation from both ends of the spectrum, hopefully you’ll arrive at a point of realism.
The Optimistic/Pessimistic Game
Elushika and I have both immensely benefited from this form of feedback and together we are able to design better solutions. In fact, we believe this is so beneficial that we are now developing a game so that you can experience this phenomenon as well.
We are still in the research phase of how this game would work. But essentially it’s a tool to help you gain different perspectives in your work. It could facilitate conversation between team members or if you are working alone, it could provide prompts to reframe your thinking.
Tell us what you think!
We would love to hear feedback. Here are some questions for you:
- Would you be interested in this game?
- Tell us about a time you worked in a team and experienced group think.
- How do you collect feedback at work?
- Do you play a game similar to this concept already?
- Do you know anyone who is an expert on game design?
Check out Elushika’s post about our idea here, I promise, it’s much shorter.
If you would like to get involved, please send us an email at ruth.tupe@gmail.com and elushika@gmail.com
