What in the world is design thinking?
Design thinking, such an interesting concept right?
Is it rocket science?
Is it open-heat surgery?
Obviously not, but it can be as complicated as those things. To me, it is the process of gathering, collecting and recording thoughts, ideas and ‘takes’ and transforming them into a meaningful platform. It is how we solve issues and problems. It is the process of going through the motions of fixing/solving these issues. This process can help us go through and solve problems. Ironically, I feel like IBM is the king of design thinking. Maybe I am a victim of their awesome commercials but I feel as if they show a great model of design thinking. They try be innovative, creative and most importantly, SOLVE PROBLEMS. That is what design thinking is, solving problems in an innovative, efficient way.
Aside from the classic difference of career fields and tasks associated with each respective job, I think artists and architects approach design thinking very differently from ethnography. An ethnographer, in my opinion, focuses way more on opinions and what could or should be as opposed to an artist or architect who try and be more creative and different in their approaches. In the world of artists, it is all about being unique and different. How can I paint this picture different? How can I make it appear differently? How can I open the minds of others in ways never opened before? As for an architect, how can I change the concepts of buildings? How can I make production cost less but safer? You get the point about those “surface level” thinking. However, ethnography is more about freedom in the sense that they look at what could be and how it could be that way. They try to find answers to questions that are not concrete. What does a culture do this? What do people like this? Why does the social media world run the way it does? How can social media impact life as we know it? When are we going to get to a place in society where you do not have to take a picture of your dog one million times or the food your eating? Maybe that last one is just my frustration with this new age of technology but my point is clear, ethnography is about digging deep and thinking about what may be based on something not so concrete. Looking and analyzing trends and trying to find the data to support their conclusion. For example, if an ethnography believes more puppies are being purchased due to social media’s endless pictures of puppies, they can try to prove it, but it would be hard to be concrete.
Michael G. Powell discusses what I am talking about above in “The Para-Ethnographic Trajectories of Professional Ethnography”. He states, “Professional anthropologists cross and complicate existing boundaries: collaborating with, debating, struggling with, writing about, negotiating, navigating and translating between different dynamic audiences. Embracing our hybridity is a powerful recognition that our difference is relevant and valuable” (Powell).
What Powell is talking about is the freedom that ethnographers have but unwritten rules they have as well. I experience this as writer for the Baltimore Beatdown. I must write meaningful, original posts that the fans/readers want to read and discuss about. My job is not only to do research and write meaningful, compelling articles but to write articles that will generate views and good debate. However, ‘clickbait’ is the last thing that I want to do. ‘Clickbait’ may generate views but they will not last nor will I get anywhere by writing those type of articles. It is a balancing act but one of my main tasks is to be honest and have integrity in the sense that what I am writing about not only is the truth but I believe in my ‘take’.
