Change By Design - Tim Brown (2009)

Tim Brown is the CEO of IDEO.  IDEO is a consulting firm focusing on Industrial Design that Business Week identified as one of the 25 most innovative companies.

Change by Design describes how the process of "Design Thinking" can be applied to any organization, program or process to spur innovation and to add value.  Brown provides examples of how IDEO has worked with large and small companies to bring  cost-effective solutions and to meet basic human needs in highly impoverished areas.

Unlike the traditional analytical approach to problem-solving, Design Thinking utilizes a divergent model.  Design Thinking begins with the user.  Much like an anthropologist, the designer observes and records the user as he or she goes about his or her daily activities.  This often reveals needs that might not be apparent through interviews or traditional marketing research.  Brown notes that "empathy" is a key skill of the designer.

Brown stresses that design is a participatory process. Users must be engaged and have input throughout the process in order for it to be successful. This is consistent with Tapscott's observations in "Wikinomics" that today's consumers wish to  participate in the development and customization of products.  Tapscott christened this new breed of consumers, "Prosumers." 

Brown contends that the participatory culture needs to extend beyond the marketplace to every service area, particularly  education.  He calls for a "participatory" teaching and learning environment that encourages divergent thinking and creativity; a learning environment that encourages risk taking and embraces failure. To this end, Brown cites the IDEO motto, which is "Fail early to succeed sooner."

Design thinking requires careful consideration as to the total experience of the user rather than simply the end product.  It is the overall experience that determines a user's satisfaction with a product or a service not just its effectiveness.

How can we design a participatory learning environment in our schools?  What would this look like?  When designing instruction, what consideration do we give to the learner's "experience?"  By emphasizing a positive experience for the learner, might we increase motivation and retention?