Lessons in innovation
Reflections from my first studio class
The following are my thoughts on my very first studio class in the Design Strategy program at California College of the Arts.
Ideation
Ideation is all about identifying opportunities, envisioning the future and doing a lot of research.
With any project, the planning and the ideation phase can be extremely overwhelming. How do you narrow your focus? How do you know what avenues to explore and which ones to leave for later? The answers aren’t always clear at first, but having a clear process in place, where you go though certain steps to identify, explore and refine — these steps will guide from the beginning to the end.
Studio
Having a routine and/or a designated studio space is so critical. It lends a project the right amount of gravitas, while still allowing for creative forays away from home base. Working with a team, as part of a routine, you can eliminate a lot of unnecessary logistics discussions and really get down to the work at hand, while getting the opportunity to get to know your teammates better.
Team relations
People always worry about teams that don’t get along, but teams that do get along can also be problematic. They can be a double-edged sword — as it is great for the initial ideation and prototyping and output — when the team runs well, you get things done. But when it comes time to send the ideas to the chopping block, you need to have some more dissenting voices if you want to see a fuller picture. Good teams get along well, but great teams have just the right amount of friction.
Prototyping
Prototyping is such an important part of the design process. There are so many ways to prototype — sketching, journey maps, adcepts, personas, even skits — and each type of prototype helps convey the concept in a different way.
Prototyping allows you to test out ideas, get feedback and make adjustments. It helps you learn how to tell your design’s story, and helps you uncover what works and what doesn’t. It’s easy to lose the thread when you’re too deep in the process, and when that happens it’s so so important to take a step back and look at everything from the outside in. Even when you think you’ve gotten enough people to give you feedback on your work, you always need more.
