Welcome to my blog
Here I dissect design with the goal of becoming a better, more intentional designer. Join me to geek out on design process and the psychology behind design. I'm especially interested in designing for human behavior to improve Service and Experience Design. I hope this blog inspires us to think about the possibilities of design and our role in using it.
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Problem solving with design
Design is about problem solving. Here are examples of how designers approach problems to come up with innovative solutions. The cases and techniques are from Kees Dorst’s book ‘Designing for the Common Good’.
Service Design lessons from Isetan’s Omotenashi (hospitality)
Many of us have observed Japanese service from a customer’s point of view. I was happy to find this book which is like the handbook to hospitality training at Isetan (a giant Japanese departmental store chain). I was impressed by their thoughtfulness and approach and would like to share a few of these points with you.
Improving sustainability in Product Design
Think ‘sustainability’ and words like recycling and renewable materials usually pop up. Yoshiyuki Matsuoka, a Design Professor at Keio University encourages an additional way - by getting people to use products for longer, fall back in love with things, and design for the changes in scenarios people go through in life with the product. He focuses on reducing waste by improving value and desirability over time.
What we can learn from the banishment of brothels - redesigning clinics and health behavior
Urban design can radically transform the perception of cities and behaviors of its residents. Here we’ll take a look at the revitalization of a seedy neighborhood in Yokohama and examine the opportunities in health clinic frontage design.
‘Design Science’ vs ‘The Science of Design’
The intersection between design and science is important - but there are a few terms floating around which can be confusing - I’d like to clarify the difference between ‘Design Science’ and ‘Design as a Science’.
Design Thinking is actually psychologically genius!
Psychologically, humans seek logic, certainty, control, direction, and aim to save face. But these tendencies restrict creativity. The Double Diamond separates these processes and the Design Thinking Framework has some genius ground rules to help us embrace ambiguity and beat the unbearable feeling of uncertainty.
Could posture be a designer’s most overlooked tool?
What’s the relationship between posture and design? This article showcases how posture changes physiology, psychology, behaviour, interactions, and ultimately cultures (micro and macro). With a greater awareness of how posture influences the products, services, and spaces we design, we can be more intentional to use it to foster the type of society we want to live in.