What I did
This time I experimented with the 10+10 method for ideation where I generated 10 initial sketches on a domain of focus. I chose to ideate based on the following domain:
Sustainable commuting: Focus on developing design ideas that both reduce city vehicle congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, by offering a variety of mobility options.
With this domain came a mental obstacle as the broadness of the description did not prompt any initial ideas worth of sketching, nor did I think of much to sketch. However, I managed to get through the initial phase of the 10+10 method by thinking relevant objects and apps. In the initial portion of this ideation sprint, I chose to sketch a variety of divergent ideas on the domain of focus, that apps and objects used to reduce vehicle congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. Above, one can see a sketch that I labeled, “Initial Most Promising” of which I based the next 10 sketches on. The main inspiration for this box shaped alarm clock was greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle congestion in the cities are shaped by human decisions. So, I decided to tackle the domain of focus on the moment a person wakes up, which helps them plan their day according to city congestion and greenhouse gas emissions in their city.
Note: I used CO2 and greenhouse gases interchangeable in my sketches. Although CO2 is a major contributor of greenhouse gases, it is not the only one so to speak. According to the EPA: CO2, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, and Fluorinated Gases take part in greenhouse gas emissions.
My next 10 sketches focused on how to make it more friendly to a user, especially considering the context that my proposed object sketch envelopes. Out of all the 10, the most promising one had blended elements of previous sketches that I thought were useful in dealing with the domain of focus.
My inspiration for this object came from an attempted crowd funded temperature display for homes, called “tempescope”. The sleek and industrial look of tempescope was what I wanted to incorporate into my sketch.
So What
For this project, I liked that I was able to draw what came across my mind that was relevant to the prompt, or domain of focus on sustainable commuting. However, as I described above, it was not an easy task that was more straightforward as previous projects because the broadness of the prompt was a bit constricting on what I should sketch. Once I finished a few of the initial 10 sketches, I gained some momentum which was an enjoyable experience for that period of time as ideas started to flow into my head. The prompt was a fun mental challenge that improved my confidence with thinking and putting thoughts on paper on the fly.
Now What
In the professional environment, where products rely on a stream of thought processes based on a prompt similar to the one I received above, experience with ideation methods such as the 10+10 are important in efficient progress. I can see myself using the 10+10 method to generate good individual ideas based on diverging then converging on a single promising idea. I thought that the 10+10 was a good way to filter out flawed ideas that one may have and continuously rectifying those ideas to a decent idea. For example, a project may involve designing a gaming mouse that is aesthetically appealing, ergonomic, and contains well placed buttons. With this prompt, I would use the 10+10 method to generate sketches based on a variety of different ideas, then focus on the initial most promising idea to improve it through 10 more sketches. This technique would be most inappropriate for projects that can be too broad and may result in widely different “most promising ideas” from several different designers that do not effectively answer the project’s prompt.
Citations
- “Home.” Home — tempescope. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017.
- “Overview of Greenhouse Gases.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 20 Jan. 2017. Web. 09 Feb. 2017.