Design Thinking: Actively Creating the FutureDesign Thinking & Captain Kirk’s Third Option
Last week I shared an article about how design thinking was used by a group of USU design students to solve a structural issue at the famed Great St. Bernard Hospice in Switzerland. Well, I can’t stop thinking about it…
So today, I’m giving you a little insight from Captain James T. Kirk. Why? Well, because, one, I’m a Trekie. And two, I’m drawn to this concept of design thinking because it challenges us to find alternative ways to solve problems—giving us more options to solve those problems with…
And this girl, she loves her options!
I was reminded of a phrase that James T. Kirk coined: the “third option”. If I recall correctly, this means innovating and creating new ideas and new technology, not just out of self interest, but also for the common good. Now, to me, that sounds a lot more appealing compared to being stuck with two undesireable choices. Maybe, just maybe, I’m on to something here…
The obvious three steps involved in problem solving are:
1. Firstly, step back from the immediate problem and take a look at the bigger picture. After all, the problem itself is usually ingrained in the larger system, so finding a solution is best approached by first understanding the larger whole.
2. Next, to understand the whole situation you’ll need to call on folks with different expertise—designers, artists, MBAs, technologists, sociologists, communications, etc. Regardless, they all add value because they approach the problem from different angles, with different backgrounds, and with different skill sets.
3. Lastly, get a fresh perspective on the situation. Breakthroughs in any field—medicine, technology, art—hardly ever occur if never approached with fresh perspective. And lack of fresh insight is responsible for many companies getting stuck in a rut (e.g., old patterns and politics). After working at the same company and in the same position for many years, we all come to accept certain patterns as part of our environment. However, newbies on the scene, tend to question everything—especially the obvious—because an outsider has permission to ask “stupid questions” that veterans don’t feel comfortable asking.
That’s when the magic starts to happen. Am I right?
