share to gain » Innovation http://www.sharetogain.com "By Sharing We All Gain" Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:15:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Linchpin http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/04/linchpin/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/04/linchpin/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:59:25 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1783 linchpinAwhile back I bought 50 copies of a book called Linchpin and have been giving them to speakers, friends and others as I’m inspired.

I have also been contemplating the best way to release more books and have been toying with the idea of having people write a nugget in the book and passing it along.  This would be great, except that I selfishly want to know what people learn, so I thought I would put the “book jacket” online and let people submit there nuggets here.

My key nugget:

Bring my passion to the job!

I am blessed to love what I do for a living, but still don’t always get to choose my “job”.  It’s to easy to hide behind sayings like, find what your passionate about and learn to make money doing it.  And while I think it’s great to be in this position, it’s easier to bring your passion to the job – it could transform not just you, but those around you.

If I look back at when I’ve done this well, I’ve turned “crap jobs” like scrubbing pots & pans at the local university, into timeless memories.  When I’ve done this poorly, the day(s) never seemed to end (“is it 5:00 yet??”).

There’s still discernment needed to know when to get out of toxic cultures and bad situations, but turn on your passion now, don’t wait — it’s likely the ticket to better and better opportunities.

Share your key nugget through the comments, good and bad alike.  I look forward to hearing from you…

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/04/linchpin/feed/ 8 Design Thinking, an Interview with Roger Martin http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/04/design-thinking-an-interview-with-roger-martin/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/04/design-thinking-an-interview-with-roger-martin/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:42:21 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1764 What a fantastic mind, Roger is leading thought on how to reinvent education (from within).

Also, I’ve become friends with the interviewer (Chris Taylor) through Twitter and then in NYC at a Linchpin workshop — his company (Goose Educational Media) is doing a great job of making business books actionable — sign up for his “In-Flight” book reviews today!

From the Horse’s Mouth, vol 3: Mastery & Innovation from Goose Educational Media inc. on Vimeo.

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/04/design-thinking-an-interview-with-roger-martin/feed/ 0 A Review on Human Centered Design http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/01/a-review-on-human-centered-design/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/01/a-review-on-human-centered-design/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:27:03 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1718

post by J.R. Miller

Innovate or Die – Publish or Perish; is Design the answer?  There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of design in business.  Has it moved from the art room to the factory floor; or more importantly into management and operations?  The simple answer is yes.  Like Quality, Design should be pervasive.
Quality has been around in some form since the first clay pot was inspected for cracks and hidden wax fillers.  But the last 60 years have seen the application of TQM, ISO 9001, Six Sigma and Lean.  All brilliant tools that return real dollars when properly applied and utilized.  Design is undergoing the same growth spurt; with all its funny bumps and side effects.  And like ISO 9001 & Lean Six Sigma, management must be directly involved.
IDEO’s Human Centered Design and its associated Tool Kit & Guides have been adopted by major corporations and recognized as key in tackling some of the challenges the world faces.  “The kit offers new tools and techniques to ensure that farmer’s needs are at the heart of design.” – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford’s Design School, a proponent of Human Centered Design, has released D.School Bootcamp Bootleg “. . . a loose collection of the methods, modes and mindsets that Bootcamp students found most useful”.
Following is a brief recap of the 5 Modes.  But before we look at them here is an observation on Design Thinking by Roger Martin from his book, The Design of Business (see the full article Design Thinking 101 and others at the end).
The first tool of the design thinker is observation. What people say is important and this is why so many companies depend on focus groups and surveys. However, the design thinker knows that what people say isn’t as important as what they do:
“An ethnographer attempting to understand how youngsters in China think about their handheld phones would watch them use their phones before even asking a single question. And when appropriate to ask, the question would likely be of the form: ‘I saw you punch one button repeatedly; you looked frustrated. Then you flipped the phone closed and opened it again. Why were you doing that? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?’ That’s a very different approach from asking, ‘What are the top five things that matter to you about your handheld phone?’”
That question—Martin argues—is for the design thinker.
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg – 5 Modes:
1. Empathize is the beginning of the design process.
To empathize, we:
- Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their entire lives.
- Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.
2. The goal of the Define mode is to come up with an actionable problem statement.
It is a mode of “focus” rather than “flaring.” This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user that you uncovered during the empathize mode.
3. Ideate is the point in the design process at which we focus on idea generation.
Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes – it is a mode of “flaring” rather than “focus.” Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.
4. The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of low-resolution artifacts that will later be tested by users.  A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard.
Why Do We Prototype?
To learn. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures.
To solve disagreements. Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, assist in ideation, and reduce miscommunication.
To start a conversation. Our interactions with users should revolve around a conversation piece, not words. A prototype is an opportunity to have another, directed conversation with a user.
To test possibilities. Staying low-res allows you to pursue many different ideas generated in Ideate mode without committing to a direction too early on.
To fail quickly and cheaply. Committing as few resources as possible to each idea means less time and money invested up front.
To manage the solution-building process. Identifying a variable also encourages you to break a large problem down into smaller, testable chunks.
5.  The Test mode is another iterative mode in which we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate context of the user’s life. In regards to a team’s solution, we should always prototype as if we know we’re right, but test as if we know we’re wrong
— testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them better.
To refine our prototypes and solutions. Testing informs the next iterations of prototypes. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board.
To learn more about our user. Testing is another opportunity to build empathy through observation and engagement—it often yields unexpected insights.
To refine our POV. Sometimes testing reveals that not only did we not get the solution right, but also that we have failed to frame the problem correctly.
Institute of Design at Stanford
http://www.stanford.edu/group/dschool/
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg
http://dschool.typepad.com/news/boot-camp/
PDF Download:
http://dschool.typepad.com/files/bootcampbootleg2009.pdf
Design Management Institute (DMI)
http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/index.htm
IDEO | Global Design and Innovation Consulting Firm
http://www.ideo.com/
Musings on design matters, technology and culture: Design Thinking 101
http://danielmckenzie.com/blog/2009/12/design-thinking-101/
Technology Vs. Design–What is the Source of Innovation?
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2009/12/technology_vs_c.htmlpost by J.R. Miller
Innovate or Die – Publish or Perish; is Design the answer?  There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of design in business.  Has it moved from the art room to the factory floor; or more importantly into management and operations?  The simple answer is yes.  Like Quality, Design should be pervasive.
Quality has been around in some form since the first clay pot was inspected for cracks and hidden wax fillers.  But the last 60 years have seen the application of TQM, ISO 9001, Six Sigma and Lean.  All brilliant tools that return real dollars when properly applied and utilized.  Design is undergoing the same growth spurt; with all its funny bumps and side effects.  And like ISO 9001 & Lean Six Sigma, management must be directly involved.
IDEO’s Human Centered Design and its associated Tool Kit & Guides have been adopted by major corporations and recognized as key in tackling some of the challenges the world faces.  “The kit offers new tools and techniques to ensure that farmer’s needs are at the heart of design.” – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford’s Design School, a proponent of Human Centered Design, has released D.School Bootcamp Bootleg “. . . a loose collection of the methods, modes and mindsets that Bootcamp students found most useful”.
Following is a brief recap of the 5 Modes.  But before we look at them here is an observation on Design Thinking by Roger Martin from his book, The Design of Business (see the full article Design Thinking 101 and others at the end).
The first tool of the design thinker is observation. What people say is important and this is why so many companies depend on focus groups and surveys. However, the design thinker knows that what people say isn’t as important as what they do:
“An ethnographer attempting to understand how youngsters in China think about their handheld phones would watch them use their phones before even asking a single question. And when appropriate to ask, the question would likely be of the form: ‘I saw you punch one button repeatedly; you looked frustrated. Then you flipped the phone closed and opened it again. Why were you doing that? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?’ That’s a very different approach from asking, ‘What are the top five things that matter to you about your handheld phone?’”
That question—Martin argues—is for the design thinker.
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg – 5 Modes:
1. Empathize is the beginning of the design process.
To empathize, we:
- Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their entire lives.
- Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.
2. The goal of the Define mode is to come up with an actionable problem statement.
It is a mode of “focus” rather than “flaring.” This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user that you uncovered during the empathize mode.
3. Ideate is the point in the design process at which we focus on idea generation.
Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes – it is a mode of “flaring” rather than “focus.” Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.
4. The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of low-resolution artifacts that will later be tested by users.  A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard.
Why Do We Prototype?
To learn. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures.
To solve disagreements. Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, assist in ideation, and reduce miscommunication.
To start a conversation. Our interactions with users should revolve around a conversation piece, not words. A prototype is an opportunity to have another, directed conversation with a user.
To test possibilities. Staying low-res allows you to pursue many different ideas generated in Ideate mode without committing to a direction too early on.
To fail quickly and cheaply. Committing as few resources as possible to each idea means less time and money invested up front.
To manage the solution-building process. Identifying a variable also encourages you to break a large problem down into smaller, testable chunks.
5.  The Test mode is another iterative mode in which we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate context of the user’s life. In regards to a team’s solution, we should always prototype as if we know we’re right, but test as if we know we’re wrong
— testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them better.
To refine our prototypes and solutions. Testing informs the next iterations of prototypes. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board.
To learn more about our user. Testing is another opportunity to build empathy through observation and engagement—it often yields unexpected insights.
To refine our POV. Sometimes testing reveals that not only did we not get the solution right, but also that we have failed to frame the problem correctly.
Institute of Design at Stanford
http://www.stanford.edu/group/dschool/
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg
http://dschool.typepad.com/news/boot-camp/
PDF Download:
http://dschool.typepad.com/files/bootcampbootleg2009.pdf
Design Management Institute (DMI)
http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/index.htm
IDEO | Global Design and Innovation Consulting Firm
http://www.ideo.com/
Musings on design matters, technology and culture: Design Thinking 101
http://danielmckenzie.com/blog/2009/12/design-thinking-101/
Technology Vs. Design–What is the Source of Innovation?
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2009/12/technology_vs_c.htmlpost by J.R. Miller
Innovate or Die – Publish or Perish; is Design the answer?  There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of design in business.  Has it moved from the art room to the factory floor; or more importantly into management and operations?  The simple answer is yes.  Like Quality, Design should be pervasive.
Quality has been around in some form since the first clay pot was inspected for cracks and hidden wax fillers.  But the last 60 years have seen the application of TQM, ISO 9001, Six Sigma and Lean.  All brilliant tools that return real dollars when properly applied and utilized.  Design is undergoing the same growth spurt; with all its funny bumps and side effects.  And like ISO 9001 & Lean Six Sigma, management must be directly involved.
IDEO’s Human Centered Design and its associated Tool Kit & Guides have been adopted by major corporations and recognized as key in tackling some of the challenges the world faces.  “The kit offers new tools and techniques to ensure that farmer’s needs are at the heart of design.” – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford’s Design School, a proponent of Human Centered Design, has released D.School Bootcamp Bootleg “. . . a loose collection of the methods, modes and mindsets that Bootcamp students found most useful”.
Following is a brief recap of the 5 Modes.  But before we look at them here is an observation on Design Thinking by Roger Martin from his book, The Design of Business (see the full article Design Thinking 101 and others at the end).
The first tool of the design thinker is observation. What people say is important and this is why so many companies depend on focus groups and surveys. However, the design thinker knows that what people say isn’t as important as what they do:
“An ethnographer attempting to understand how youngsters in China think about their handheld phones would watch them use their phones before even asking a single question. And when appropriate to ask, the question would likely be of the form: ‘I saw you punch one button repeatedly; you looked frustrated. Then you flipped the phone closed and opened it again. Why were you doing that? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?’ That’s a very different approach from asking, ‘What are the top five things that matter to you about your handheld phone?’”
That question—Martin argues—is for the design thinker.
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg – 5 Modes:
1. Empathize is the beginning of the design process.
To empathize, we:
- Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their entire lives.
- Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.
2. The goal of the Define mode is to come up with an actionable problem statement.
It is a mode of “focus” rather than “flaring.” This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user that you uncovered during the empathize mode.
3. Ideate is the point in the design process at which we focus on idea generation.
Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes – it is a mode of “flaring” rather than “focus.” Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.
4. The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of low-resolution artifacts that will later be tested by users.  A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard.
Why Do We Prototype?
To learn. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures.
To solve disagreements. Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, assist in ideation, and reduce miscommunication.
To start a conversation. Our interactions with users should revolve around a conversation piece, not words. A prototype is an opportunity to have another, directed conversation with a user.
To test possibilities. Staying low-res allows you to pursue many different ideas generated in Ideate mode without committing to a direction too early on.
To fail quickly and cheaply. Committing as few resources as possible to each idea means less time and money invested up front.
To manage the solution-building process. Identifying a variable also encourages you to break a large problem down into smaller, testable chunks.
5.  The Test mode is another iterative mode in which we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate context of the user’s life. In regards to a team’s solution, we should always prototype as if we know we’re right, but test as if we know we’re wrong
— testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them better.
To refine our prototypes and solutions. Testing informs the next iterations of prototypes. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board.
To learn more about our user. Testing is another opportunity to build empathy through observation and engagement—it often yields unexpected insights.
To refine our POV. Sometimes testing reveals that not only did we not get the solution right, but also that we have failed to frame the problem correctly.
Institute of Design at Stanford
http://www.stanford.edu/group/dschool/
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg
http://dschool.typepad.com/news/boot-camp/
PDF Download:
http://dschool.typepad.com/files/bootcampbootleg2009.pdf
Design Management Institute (DMI)
http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/index.htm
IDEO | Global Design and Innovation Consulting Firm
http://www.ideo.com/
Musings on design matters, technology and culture: Design Thinking 101
http://danielmckenzie.com/blog/2009/12/design-thinking-101/
Technology Vs. Design–What is the Source of Innovation?
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2009/12/technology_vs_c.htmlpost by J.R. Miller
Innovate or Die – Publish or Perish; is Design the answer?  There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of design in business.  Has it moved from the art room to the factory floor; or more importantly into management and operations?  The simple answer is yes.  Like Quality, Design should be pervasive.
Quality has been around in some form since the first clay pot was inspected for cracks and hidden wax fillers.  But the last 60 years have seen the application of TQM, ISO 9001, Six Sigma and Lean.  All brilliant tools that return real dollars when properly applied and utilized.  Design is undergoing the same growth spurt; with all its funny bumps and side effects.  And like ISO 9001 & Lean Six Sigma, management must be directly involved.
IDEO’s Human Centered Design and its associated Tool Kit & Guides have been adopted by major corporations and recognized as key in tackling some of the challenges the world faces.  “The kit offers new tools and techniques to ensure that farmer’s needs are at the heart of design.” – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford’s Design School, a proponent of Human Centered Design, has released D.School Bootcamp Bootleg “. . . a loose collection of the methods, modes and mindsets that Bootcamp students found most useful”.
Following is a brief recap of the 5 Modes.  But before we look at them here is an observation on Design Thinking by Roger Martin from his book, The Design of Business (see the full article Design Thinking 101 and others at the end).
The first tool of the design thinker is observation. What people say is important and this is why so many companies depend on focus groups and surveys. However, the design thinker knows that what people say isn’t as important as what they do:
“An ethnographer attempting to understand how youngsters in China think about their handheld phones would watch them use their phones before even asking a single question. And when appropriate to ask, the question would likely be of the form: ‘I saw you punch one button repeatedly; you looked frustrated. Then you flipped the phone closed and opened it again. Why were you doing that? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?’ That’s a very different approach from asking, ‘What are the top five things that matter to you about your handheld phone?’”
That question—Martin argues—is for the design thinker.
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg – 5 Modes:
1. Empathize is the beginning of the design process.
To empathize, we:
- Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their entire lives.
- Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.
2. The goal of the Define mode is to come up with an actionable problem statement.
It is a mode of “focus” rather than “flaring.” This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user that you uncovered during the empathize mode.
3. Ideate is the point in the design process at which we focus on idea generation.
Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes – it is a mode of “flaring” rather than “focus.” Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.
4. The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of low-resolution artifacts that will later be tested by users.  A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard.
Why Do We Prototype?
To learn. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures.
To solve disagreements. Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, assist in ideation, and reduce miscommunication.
To start a conversation. Our interactions with users should revolve around a conversation piece, not words. A prototype is an opportunity to have another, directed conversation with a user.
To test possibilities. Staying low-res allows you to pursue many different ideas generated in Ideate mode without committing to a direction too early on.
To fail quickly and cheaply. Committing as few resources as possible to each idea means less time and money invested up front.
To manage the solution-building process. Identifying a variable also encourages you to break a large problem down into smaller, testable chunks.
5.  The Test mode is another iterative mode in which we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate context of the user’s life. In regards to a team’s solution, we should always prototype as if we know we’re right, but test as if we know we’re wrong
— testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them better.
To refine our prototypes and solutions. Testing informs the next iterations of prototypes. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board.
To learn more about our user. Testing is another opportunity to build empathy through observation and engagement—it often yields unexpected insights.
To refine our POV. Sometimes testing reveals that not only did we not get the solution right, but also that we have failed to frame the problem correctly.
Institute of Design at Stanford
http://www.stanford.edu/group/dschool/
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg
http://dschool.typepad.com/news/boot-camp/
PDF Download:
http://dschool.typepad.com/files/bootcampbootleg2009.pdf
Design Management Institute (DMI)
http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/index.htm
IDEO | Global Design and Innovation Consulting Firm
http://www.ideo.com/
Musings on design matters, technology and culture: Design Thinking 101
http://danielmckenzie.com/blog/2009/12/design-thinking-101/
Technology Vs. Design–What is the Source of Innovation?
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2009/12/technology_vs_c.htmlpost by J.R. Miller
Innovate or Die – Publish or Perish; is Design the answer?  There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of design in business.  Has it moved from the art room to the factory floor; or more importantly into management and operations?  The simple answer is yes.  Like Quality, Design should be pervasive.
Quality has been around in some form since the first clay pot was inspected for cracks and hidden wax fillers.  But the last 60 years have seen the application of TQM, ISO 9001, Six Sigma and Lean.  All brilliant tools that return real dollars when properly applied and utilized.  Design is undergoing the same growth spurt; with all its funny bumps and side effects.  And like ISO 9001 & Lean Six Sigma, management must be directly involved.
IDEO’s Human Centered Design and its associated Tool Kit & Guides have been adopted by major corporations and recognized as key in tackling some of the challenges the world faces.  “The kit offers new tools and techniques to ensure that farmer’s needs are at the heart of design.” – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford’s Design School, a proponent of Human Centered Design, has released D.School Bootcamp Bootleg “. . . a loose collection of the methods, modes and mindsets that Bootcamp students found most useful”.
Following is a brief recap of the 5 Modes.  But before we look at them here is an observation on Design Thinking by Roger Martin from his book, The Design of Business (see the full article Design Thinking 101 and others at the end).
The first tool of the design thinker is observation. What people say is important and this is why so many companies depend on focus groups and surveys. However, the design thinker knows that what people say isn’t as important as what they do:
“An ethnographer attempting to understand how youngsters in China think about their handheld phones would watch them use their phones before even asking a single question. And when appropriate to ask, the question would likely be of the form: ‘I saw you punch one button repeatedly; you looked frustrated. Then you flipped the phone closed and opened it again. Why were you doing that? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?’ That’s a very different approach from asking, ‘What are the top five things that matter to you about your handheld phone?’”
That question—Martin argues—is for the design thinker.
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg – 5 Modes:
1. Empathize is the beginning of the design process.
To empathize, we:
- Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their entire lives.
- Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.
2. The goal of the Define mode is to come up with an actionable problem statement.
It is a mode of “focus” rather than “flaring.” This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user that you uncovered during the empathize mode.
3. Ideate is the point in the design process at which we focus on idea generation.
Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes – it is a mode of “flaring” rather than “focus.” Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.
4. The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of low-resolution artifacts that will later be tested by users.  A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard.
Why Do We Prototype?
To learn. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures.
To solve disagreements. Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, assist in ideation, and reduce miscommunication.
To start a conversation. Our interactions with users should revolve around a conversation piece, not words. A prototype is an opportunity to have another, directed conversation with a user.
To test possibilities. Staying low-res allows you to pursue many different ideas generated in Ideate mode without committing to a direction too early on.
To fail quickly and cheaply. Committing as few resources as possible to each idea means less time and money invested up front.
To manage the solution-building process. Identifying a variable also encourages you to break a large problem down into smaller, testable chunks.
5.  The Test mode is another iterative mode in which we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate context of the user’s life. In regards to a team’s solution, we should always prototype as if we know we’re right, but test as if we know we’re wrong
— testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them better.
To refine our prototypes and solutions. Testing informs the next iterations of prototypes. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board.
To learn more about our user. Testing is another opportunity to build empathy through observation and engagement—it often yields unexpected insights.
To refine our POV. Sometimes testing reveals that not only did we not get the solution right, but also that we have failed to frame the problem correctly.
Institute of Design at Stanford
http://www.stanford.edu/group/dschool/
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg
http://dschool.typepad.com/news/boot-camp/
PDF Download:
http://dschool.typepad.com/files/bootcampbootleg2009.pdf
Design Management Institute (DMI)
http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/index.htm
IDEO | Global Design and Innovation Consulting Firm
http://www.ideo.com/
Musings on design matters, technology and culture: Design Thinking 101
http://danielmckenzie.com/blog/2009/12/design-thinking-101/
Technology Vs. Design–What is the Source of Innovation?
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2009/12/technology_vs_c.post by J.R. Miller
Innovate or Die – Publish or Perish; is Design the answer?  There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of design in business.  Has it moved from the art room to the factory floor; or more importantly into management and operations?  The simple answer is yes.  Like Quality, Design should be pervasive.
Quality has been around in some form since the first clay pot was inspected for cracks and hidden wax fillers.  But the last 60 years have seen the application of TQM, ISO 9001, Six Sigma and Lean.  All brilliant tools that return real dollars when properly applied and utilized.  Design is undergoing the same growth spurt; with all its funny bumps and side effects.  And like ISO 9001 & Lean Six Sigma, management must be directly involved.
IDEO’s Human Centered Design and its associated Tool Kit & Guides have been adopted by major corporations and recognized as key in tackling some of the challenges the world faces.  “The kit offers new tools and techniques to ensure that farmer’s needs are at the heart of design.” – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford’s Design School, a proponent of Human Centered Design, has released D.School Bootcamp Bootleg “. . . a loose collection of the methods, modes and mindsets that Bootcamp students found most useful”.
Following is a brief recap of the 5 Modes.  But before we look at them here is an observation on Design Thinking by Roger Martin from his book, The Design of Business (see the full article Design Thinking 101 and others at the end).
The first tool of the design thinker is observation. What people say is important and this is why so many companies depend on focus groups and surveys. However, the design thinker knows that what people say isn’t as important as what they do:
“An ethnographer attempting to understand how youngsters in China think about their handheld phones would watch them use their phones before even asking a single question. And when appropriate to ask, the question would likely be of the form: ‘I saw you punch one button repeatedly; you looked frustrated. Then you flipped the phone closed and opened it again. Why were you doing that? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?’ That’s a very different approach from asking, ‘What are the top five things that matter to you about your handheld phone?’”
That question—Martin argues—is for the design thinker.
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg – 5 Modes:
1. Empathize is the beginning of the design process.
To empathize, we:
- Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their entire lives.
- Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.
2. The goal of the Define mode is to come up with an actionable problem statement.
It is a mode of “focus” rather than “flaring.” This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user that you uncovered during the empathize mode.
3. Ideate is the point in the design process at which we focus on idea generation.
Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes – it is a mode of “flaring” rather than “focus.” Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.
4. The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of low-resolution artifacts that will later be tested by users.  A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard.
Why Do We Prototype?
To learn. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures.
To solve disagreements. Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, assist in ideation, and reduce miscommunication.
To start a conversation. Our interactions with users should revolve around a conversation piece, not words. A prototype is an opportunity to have another, directed conversation with a user.
To test possibilities. Staying low-res allows you to pursue many different ideas generated in Ideate mode without committing to a direction too early on.
To fail quickly and cheaply. Committing as few resources as possible to each idea means less time and money invested up front.
To manage the solution-building process. Identifying a variable also encourages you to break a large problem down into smaller, testable chunks.
5.  The Test mode is another iterative mode in which we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate context of the user’s life. In regards to a team’s solution, we should always prototype as if we know we’re right, but test as if we know we’re wrong
— testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them better.
To refine our prototypes and solutions. Testing informs the next iterations of prototypes. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board.
To learn more about our user. Testing is another opportunity to build empathy through observation and engagement—it often yields unexpected insights.
To refine our POV. Sometimes testing reveals that not only did we not get the solution right, but also that we have failed to frame the problem correctly.
Institute of Design at Stanford
http://www.stanford.edu/group/dschool/
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg
http://dschool.typepad.com/news/boot-camp/
PDF Download:
http://dschool.typepad.com/files/bootcampbootleg2009.pdf
Design Management Institute (DMI)
http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/index.htm
IDEO | Global Design and Innovation Consulting Firm
http://www.ideo.com/
Musings on design matters, technology and culture: Design Thinking 101
http://danielmckenzie.com/blog/2009/12/design-thinking-101/
Technology Vs. Design–What is the Source of Innovation?
post by J.R. Miller
Innovate or Die – Publish or Perish; is Design the answer?  There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of design in business.  Has it moved from the art room to the factory floor; or more importantly into management and operations?  The simple answer is yes.  Like Quality, Design should be pervasive.
Quality has been around in some form since the first clay pot was inspected for cracks and hidden wax fillers.  But the last 60 years have seen the application of TQM, ISO 9001, Six Sigma and Lean.  All brilliant tools that return real dollars when properly applied and utilized.  Design is undergoing the same growth spurt; with all its funny bumps and side effects.  And like ISO 9001 & Lean Six Sigma, management must be directly involved.
IDEO’s Human Centered Design and its associated Tool Kit & Guides have been adopted by major corporations and recognized as key in tackling some of the challenges the world faces.  “The kit offers new tools and techniques to ensure that farmer’s needs are at the heart of design.” – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford’s Design School, a proponent of Human Centered Design, has released D.School Bootcamp Bootleg “. . . a loose collection of the methods, modes and mindsets that Bootcamp students found most useful”.
Following is a brief recap of the 5 Modes.  But before we look at them here is an observation on Design Thinking by Roger Martin from his book, The Design of Business (see the full article Design Thinking 101 and others at the end).
The first tool of the design thinker is observation. What people say is important and this is why so many companies depend on focus groups and surveys. However, the design thinker knows that what people say isn’t as important as what they do:
“An ethnographer attempting to understand how youngsters in China think about their handheld phones would watch them use their phones before even asking a single question. And when appropriate to ask, the question would likely be of the form: ‘I saw you punch one button repeatedly; you looked frustrated. Then you flipped the phone closed and opened it again. Why were you doing that? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?’ That’s a very different approach from asking, ‘What are the top five things that matter to you about your handheld phone?’”
That question—Martin argues—is for the design thinker.
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg – 5 Modes:
1. Empathize is the beginning of the design process.
To empathize, we:
- Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their entire lives.
- Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.
2. The goal of the Define mode is to come up with an actionable problem statement.
It is a mode of “focus” rather than “flaring.” This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user that you uncovered during the empathize mode.
3. Ideate is the point in the design process at which we focus on idea generation.
Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes – it is a mode of “flaring” rather than “focus.” Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.
4. The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of low-resolution artifacts that will later be tested by users.  A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard.
Why Do We Prototype?
To learn. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures.
To solve disagreements. Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, assist in ideation, and reduce miscommunication.
To start a conversation. Our interactions with users should revolve around a conversation piece, not words. A prototype is an opportunity to have another, directed conversation with a user.
To test possibilities. Staying low-res allows you to pursue many different ideas generated in Ideate mode without committing to a direction too early on.
To fail quickly and cheaply. Committing as few resources as possible to each idea means less time and money invested up front.
To manage the solution-building process. Identifying a variable also encourages you to break a large problem down into smaller, testable chunks.
5.  The Test mode is another iterative mode in which we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate context of the user’s life. In regards to a team’s solution, we should always prototype as if we know we’re right, but test as if we know we’re wrong
— testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them better.
To refine our prototypes and solutions. Testing informs the next iterations of prototypes. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board.
To learn more about our user. Testing is another opportunity to build empathy through observation and engagement—it often yields unexpected insights.
To refine our POV. Sometimes testing reveals that not only did we not get the solution right, but also that we have failed to frame the problem correctly.
Institute of Design at Stanford
http://www.stanford.edu/group/dschool/
D.School Bootcamp Bootleg
http://dschool.typepad.com/news/boot-camp/
PDF Download:
http://dschool.typepad.com/files/bootcampbootleg2009.pdf
Design Management Institute (DMI)
http://www.dmi.org/dmi/html/index.htm
IDEO | Global Design and Innovation Consulting Firm
http://www.ideo.com/
Musings on design matters, technology and culture: Design Thinking 101
http://danielmckenzie.com/blog/2009/12/design-thinking-101/
Technology Vs. Design–What is the Source of Innovation?
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2009/12/technology_vs_c.htmlhttp://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2009/12/technology_vs_c.html

Innovate or Die – Publish or Perish; is Design the answer?  There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of design in business.  Has it moved from the art room to the factory floor; or more importantly into management and operations?  The simple answer is yes.  Like Quality, Design should be pervasive.

Quality has been around in some form since the first clay pot was inspected for cracks and hidden wax fillers.  But the last 60 years have seen the application of TQM, ISO 9001, Six Sigma and Lean.  All brilliant tools that return real dollars when properly applied and utilized.  Design is undergoing the same growth spurt; with all its funny bumps and side effects.  And like ISO 9001 & Lean Six Sigma, management must be directly involved.

IDEO’s Human Centered Design and its associated Tool Kit & Guides have been adopted by major corporations and recognized as key in tackling some of the challenges the world faces.  “The kit offers new tools and techniques to ensure that farmer’s needs are at the heart of design.” – The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford’s Design School, a proponent of Human Centered Design, has released D.School Bootcamp Bootleg “. . . a loose collection of the methods, modes and mindsets that Bootcamp students found most useful”.

Following is a brief recap of the 5 Modes.  But before we look at them here is an observation on Design Thinking by Roger Martin from his book, The Design of Business (see the full article Design Thinking 101 and others at the end).

human centered design

The first tool of the design thinker is observation. What people say is important and this is why so many companies depend on focus groups and surveys. However, the design thinker knows that what people say isn’t as important as what they do:

“An ethnographer attempting to understand how youngsters in China think about their handheld phones would watch them use their phones before even asking a single question. And when appropriate to ask, the question would likely be of the form: ‘I saw you punch one button repeatedly; you looked frustrated. Then you flipped the phone closed and opened it again. Why were you doing that? What were you thinking? How did it make you feel?’ That’s a very different approach from asking, ‘What are the top five things that matter to you about your handheld phone?’”

That question—Martin argues—is for the design thinker.

D.School Bootcamp Bootleg – 5 Modes:

1. Empathize is the beginning of the design process.

To empathize, we:

- Observe. View users and their behavior in the context of their entire lives.

- Engage. Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short ‘intercept’ encounters.

2. The goal of the Define mode is to come up with an actionable problem statement.

It is a mode of “focus” rather than “flaring.” This should be a guiding statement that focuses on insights and needs of a particular user that you uncovered during the empathize mode.

3. Ideate is the point in the design process at which we focus on idea generation.

Mentally it represents a process of “going wide” in terms of concepts and outcomes – it is a mode of “flaring” rather than “focus.” Ideation provides both the fuel and also the source material for building prototypes and getting innovative solutions into the hands of your users.

4. The Prototype mode is the iterative generation of low-resolution artifacts that will later be tested by users.  A prototype can be anything that a user can interact with – be it a wall of post-it notes, a role-playing activity, or even a storyboard.

Why Do We Prototype?

To learn. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a prototype is worth a thousand pictures.

To solve disagreements. Prototyping is a powerful tool that can eliminate ambiguity, assist in ideation, and reduce miscommunication.

To start a conversation. Our interactions with users should revolve around a conversation piece, not words. A prototype is an opportunity to have another, directed conversation with a user.

To test possibilities. Staying low-res allows you to pursue many different ideas generated in Ideate mode without committing to a direction too early on.

To fail quickly and cheaply. Committing as few resources as possible to each idea means less time and money invested up front.

To manage the solution-building process. Identifying a variable also encourages you to break a large problem down into smaller, testable chunks.

5.  The Test mode is another iterative mode in which we place our low-resolution artifacts in the appropriate context of the user’s life. In regards to a team’s solution, we should always prototype as if we know we’re right, but test as if we know we’re wrong

— testing is the chance to refine our solutions and make them better.

To refine our prototypes and solutions. Testing informs the next iterations of prototypes. Sometimes this means going back to the drawing board.

To learn more about our user. Testing is another opportunity to build empathy through observation and engagement—it often yields unexpected insights.

To refine our POV. Sometimes testing reveals that not only did we not get the solution right, but also that we have failed to frame the problem correctly.

Further Resources:

Institute of Design at Stanford

D.School Bootcamp Bootleg

PDF Download

Design Management Institute (DMI)

IDEO | Global Design and Innovation Consulting Firm

Musings on design matters, technology and culture: Design Thinking 101

Technology Vs. Design–What is the Source of Innovation?

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/01/a-review-on-human-centered-design/feed/ 0 Social Media in the Corporate Environment http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/01/social-media-in-the-corporate-environment/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/01/social-media-in-the-corporate-environment/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:24:56 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1704 Great session today by @HSchoegler, @BeTheLink & @craigdcrook

Here are the slides for you to share with others, as well of a list of tools that people have been tweeting in to us…

Corporate Social Media

View more presentations from sharetogain.

Thanks to the speakers and others (@KMullet, @ScLoHo) for the resource list:

  • mashable.com
  • oneforty.com
  • namechk.com
  • social media today.com
  • co tweet.com
  • tweet funnel.com
  • hoot suite.com
  • kazle.com
  • dandydid.org
  • hellotxt.com
  • hi.im
  • twiping.com

tweet about this #TQMSM

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2010/01/social-media-in-the-corporate-environment/feed/ 0 The “Cloud” Simplified http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/the-cloud-simplified/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/the-cloud-simplified/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:05:46 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1701 Many talk about the cloud, but what exactly is it? Here’s a quick and simple video that explains it:

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/the-cloud-simplified/feed/ 0 Revolution or Evolution? http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/revolution-or-evolution/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/revolution-or-evolution/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:30:36 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1688 (Design as an iterative process)

Our culture loves the idea of revolutionary movements — perhaps because it was the foundation of our country?  Revolutions are powerful and from time to time necessary… but it is disruptive to everyday life as it shakes foundations.  Consider an alternative – “fast evolution”, “rapid proto-typing” or “iterative design” for designing new products, services and processes.  Listen to David Kelley of IDEO talk about this concept.

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/revolution-or-evolution/feed/ 0 Organic Lean http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/organic-lean/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/organic-lean/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:57:37 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1679 by craig henderson of SysteMental

It’s no secret – companies often struggle to implement Lean. In fact, according to an Industry Week article, By The Numbers: Of all firms responding to the IW/MPI Census of U.S. Manufacturers less than 20% of companies report a major increase in performance generated from improvement initiatives like Lean.
A typical transition to Lean starts out just fine. Once the executive vision for Lean as a business strategy has been communicated, introductory training then follows. The training is usually effective – bringing exciting Lean ideas and concepts into view. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm often quickly fades when the first Lean activities begin. What’s the problem? Organizations frequently see standard implementation practices as potentially harmful. This perception of danger leads to a fast build-up employee resistance. Overcoming this “resistance to change” increases costs, weakens results, and decreases return on investment.
Organic Lean™ corrects standard implementation practices to fully deliver the benefits of Lean.
To learn more, read the full article An Introduction to Organic Lean , or see the presentation below.
Vist the Systemental website for information about Organic Lean™ Services

It’s no secret – companies often struggle to implement Lean. In fact, according to an Industry Week article, By The Numbers: Of all firms responding to the IW/MPI Census of U.S. Manufacturers less than 20% of companies report a major increase in performance generated from improvement initiatives like Lean.

A typical transition to Lean starts out just fine. Once the executive vision for Lean as a business strategy has been communicated, introductory training then follows. The training is usually effective – bringing exciting Lean ideas and concepts into view. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm often quickly fades when the first Lean activities begin. What’s the problem? Organizations frequently see standard implementation practices as potentially harmful. This perception of danger leads to a fast build-up employee resistance. Overcoming this “resistance to change” increases costs, weakens results, and decreases return on investment.

Organic Lean™ corrects standard implementation practices to fully deliver the benefits of Lean.

Intro to Organic Lean

Vist the Systemental website for information about Organic Lean™ Services

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/12/organic-lean/feed/ 0 Lessons for Young Entrepreneurs http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/11/lessons-for-young-entrepreneurs/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/11/lessons-for-young-entrepreneurs/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:57:42 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1651 Jun Loayza shares a few road tested lessons:
  • When your young, start small and build a track record
  • Don’t spend to much time on business and long range strategic plans
  • Create systems to manage the processes

What I’ve learned in 1.5 Years as an Entrepreneur from Jun Loayza on Vimeo.

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/11/lessons-for-young-entrepreneurs/feed/ 1 Come on, have a little fun! http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/11/come-on-have-a-little-fun/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/11/come-on-have-a-little-fun/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:50:02 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1612 How can you bring a little fun into your workplace?

I don’t suggest work has to be a playground, but engaged employees are more productive. Try a little, try a lot — and see if you can’t see a difference. Here are some great videos to fuel the fires of creativity.



Found something that’s worked? Share your ideas with others in the comments – or send them to craig [at] tqmnet.com

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/11/come-on-have-a-little-fun/feed/ 1 The Evolution for Spread Sheets?! http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/10/the-evolution-for-spread-sheets/ http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/10/the-evolution-for-spread-sheets/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:52:47 +0000 craigdcrook http://www.sharetogain.com/?p=1592 Very interesting look into how collaboration and work gets done in the era of rapidly changing expectations.  Just as Facebook changes overnight — so does the user interface expectation for millions of users in days vs. years.

SOCIALTEXT ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE BRINGS MORE COLLABORATION TO THE WORKSPACE

Socialtext is creating new ways for business staffs to collaborate online through enterprise social software.  The Palo Alto, Calif., group was founded in 2002…

Let us know how this is impacting you.  Are you using this – Google Wave – Google Docs – SharePoint — something else??

]]> http://www.sharetogain.com/2009/10/the-evolution-for-spread-sheets/feed/ 1