Inspired by the Krebs Cycle for citric acid, Architect, Designer and Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab, Neri Oxman created the Krebs Cycle of Creativity. Ms. Oxman explains that we usually think of Art is for expression, Science is for exploration, Engineering is for invention and Design is for … Read more
Contextual inquiry is a semi-structured observational and interview (inquiry) method to understand how and why a prospect or customers uses (existing) or may use (prototype) your solution in the environment that they use it (context). This could be using an appliance in a kitchen, a tool on the shop floor, a device in a lab, … Read more
You can now listen to the Easy to Use 2.0 audiobook! Here are few things that folks have been saying about Easy to Use 2.0: “It’s refreshing to see the thoughtfulness and design expertise Sean Van Tyne brings to the enterprise software space. It is a technology category that’s ripe for design-led disruption, and this … Read more
“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” – Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft “Early success is a terrible teacher. You’re essentially being rewarded for a lack of preparation, so when you find yourself in a situation where you must prepare, you can’t do it. You don’t know how.” … Read more
According to some of the latest theories on creativity (componential theory), creativity is composed of three components: task motivation, domain-relevant skills, and creativity-relevant processes. Motivation is often intrinsic, though it is for some people, or some of the time, extrinsic as well. Domain-relevant skills are often technical (e.g., knowing how to conduct research, for a … Read more
How do you know you’re making the right bets with your ideas? Which bets do your ideas hinge on? These are our riskiest assumptions. They need to be tested before you spend your valuable time and money. With the ‘problem’ in mind, map out the customer journey to identify the riskiest assumption. Armed with a … Read more
“There is a flaw at the heart of the term Minimum Viable Product: it’s not a product. It’s a way of testing whether you’ve found a problem worth solving. A way to reduce risk and quickly test your biggest assumption. Instead of building an MVP identify your Riskiest Assumption and Test it.” – Rik Higham, … Read more
How we make machine learning transparent to our customers is one of the great design challenges of our time—and a very necessary one. Machine learning refers to different kinds of algorithms that learn from inputs like human interaction or data and create evolving feedback over time from that input. It can use preexisting data to … Read more
Listening is one of the most powerful things we can do. It is also very challenging. It seems strange that it is difficult. But it is… because it demands us to be both self-aware and willing to be compassionate. Active listening is all bright-eyed, big smile and nodding approval kind of a listening. Deeper listening is … Read more
A common misconception is that a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) consists of the minimum set of features deemed necessary for a working software product, with the goal of bringing it to market quickly. This is incorrect as there is an over-emphasis on speedy delivery and time to market, as opposed to focusing on customer and … Read more
In Mona Patel’s TED Talk, SeeProblems as Opportunity, she explains how to shift your attitude from “ICan’t” to “I Can” by asking yourself “What if?” We all get stuck sometimes when looking for solutions. It can seem overwhelming when you think of all the obstacles in your way. And the more you think about the … Read more
Markets are changing faster than ever. Driven by expediential changes in technology, customers want more personalized experiences and they want it now. How do you keep up with the ever-changing market landscape and deliver high-quality products and services? No matter how deep our up-front understanding is of our market, we really cannot predict our customers’ … Read more