Mi:Lab Principle 3: Be open and curious to finding patterns

Insight comes from finding, collecting and connecting the clues that are hidden in plain sight.

Curiosity is the heart of creativity. When we are open minded to new ideas and patterns, we have the potential to uncover rich insights that would otherwise be hidden in plain sight. It is also important to adopt a questioning mindset where you challenge the patterns, themes and insights that begin to emerge. By probing and asking questions, you challenge your own biases and allow for a true, unbiased reflection of the data.

We should also remain curious in discovering other forms of data collection and analysis. We may find methods that work much more effectively for us. Having the capacity to draw together unusual elements is fundamental to the creative process. We not only have to analyse and synthesise the data, but make sense of the data.

Sensemaking is the process where we make sense of all our data we’ve collected from getting out of the building and talking to people. We find patterns, glean insights and frame these into an actionable design challenge.

Sensemaking is motivated, continuous effort to understand connections in order to anticipate their trajectories and act effectively. (Hoffman, Klein and Moon, 2006)

According to Plato’s Theory of Forms, the world that we perceive only exists from an understanding of our own senses. It is believed that through sensemaking, we bestow a number of characteristics onto these objects, which they then imitate. How we make sense of these objects is based on our conceptual understanding of them. Similarly, in the design process, pieces of data alone could be considered two-dimensional. It is when we connect and make sense of this data that it is transformed into something rich and meaningful.

Innovation and improvement in a complex system like HE requires stakeholders to pay attention to subtle stakeholder needs, be curious and open to new learning and disseminate this learning through knowledge sharing activity (Sohail and Daud, 2009).

Principle 3 in Action:

One tool for sensemaking is reframing data into Point of View (POV) statements. The purpose of the POV statement is to consolidate your user’s needs towards an actionable design challenge. It can be easy to get lost in the data but a POV statement anchors your design challenge around the people you’re designing for and grasps at their most essential needs.

Tips for crafting a strong POV Statement

• Inevitably, your user will have many needs. Start by listing all the needs that you uncover in your research. You may find patterns and redundancies. Focus on pain points. This gets to their most urgent needs.
• Narrow your POV statement to focus on your users’ essential and underlying emotional needs rather than quick technological fixes.
• Ask yourself: what is someone really seeking? For example, reframe James needing a phone into James needing a way to communicate meaningfully with friends, family and the world.