Design Thinking
Visual Communication Design
Criticos, R 2024
Types of Design Thinking
Design thinking describes the cognitive processes, strategies and routines used by designers when developing solutions to problems. Designers assess the usefulness of original ideas and develop solutions that are not only innovative, but also effective and fitting in their response to stakeholder needs. Design thinking, therefore, involves both convergent and divergent thinking strategies as well as a flexible and inventive mindset paired with synthesis and critical evaluation.
Divergent thinking is open-minded, curious and imaginative. It suspends judgment, focusing instead on the multiple ways a problem might be solved in unusual, creative or unexpected ways.
Convergent thinking is analytical, critical, reflective and comparative. It seeks to summarise, categorise and synthesise information in logical and efficient ways in order to clarify, reframe or resolve problems.
Divergent Thinking Strategies
Convergent Thinking Strategies (Evaluation Techniques)
Patterson (2023), pp.378
Mind Mapping
There are many ways to create a mind map; here are some steps to get you started.
Forced Association is a strategy that pushes you to apply a theme or idea to an existing idea. Use any of the following suggestions, or use what’s appropriate to your brief.
Examples of Variables to use:
Forced Association
Image source (NHA 2020)
Action Verbs
Action Verbs is a strategy that pushes you to apply exactly that, Action Verbs.
Take an initial idea and apply different verbs to it, such as magnify, rearrange, alter, adapt, modify, substitute, reverse and combine. Each verb suggests a structural, visible change or transformation. This exercise will help to create fresh and surprising variations on the initial idea.
Sprint
1. Set parameters. Define some ground rule, such as a limited range of typefaces and a fixed set of layout elements. You might also create a few set rules and rotate them among your sprints.
2. Warm up. Five minutes of speed reading (look at inspiring books) or loose sketching (no computer) will help you get in the mood. Don’t count the warm-up in your thirty-minute sprint.
3. Plunge in. Try new ways of working. Ward off brain mush by pacing your sprints throughout the day. Work fast have fun.
4. Decision time. When you have generated a body of work, print out small versions of your sprints and lay them out like cards on a table. Sort them out, compare and discard. Repeat four times to get a range to choose from.
Idea Box
Generate your own personalised categories using the suggested table. This then allows an array of options to devise new ideas specific to your brief.
| Type | Theme | Style | Colour |
1 | Serif | Stars | Memphis | Blue |
2 | Sans | Planets | Futuristic | Black |
3 | Geometric | Galaxy | Elegant | Teal |
4 | Script | Rocket | Minimal | Pink |
Russian Doll
A form of problem solving that identifies key design requirements and breaks them down into the required attributes.
State overarching categories, then specific possible choices, finalised by your thoughts provided with evidence.
Attributes�e.g. Paper Stock
Attributes
Attributes�e.g. Glossy
Attributes�e.g. Matte
Attributes
Attributes
Annotation
Annotation
Annotation
Annotation
Annotation
Annotation
Annotation
Annotation
Colour, Symbol, Image (CSI)
Provided you have a brief to fulfil, this thinking routine allows you to associate a colour, symbol and image to represent using visual language.
Initially, complete individually, then seek others opinions and ideas whereby they represent a colour, symbol, image for your brief.
This can be used as a catalyst for generating new ideas. See further reading, Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines.
SCAMPER
SCAMPER is a strategy that pushes you to apply a range of rules to generate more ideas. Follow the steps, or use what’s appropriate to your brief.
S – substitute
C – combine
A – adapt / add
M – modify
P – put to another use
E – eliminate
R – reverse
Image source (Lim D. 2019)
POOCH
This strategy allows you to begin with the big picture, a problem to solve. It then leads you through your options and allows you to find a range of actions or choices you can move forward with.
P – Problem
O – Options
O – Outcomes
CH – Choice
Problem
Options
Outcomes
Choices
De Bono’s Thinking Hats
This is a tool directed for individual thinking and discussion. The six thinking hats provide different viewpoints to analyse a concept or design.
Image source (MindMapSoft 2017)
Design Matrix
1. Get smart and start a list. Study the subject are you are seeking to understand. This could be a group of products, a user culture, or a collection of objects. Create a list of elements to diagram, such as brands, people, personalities, logos, products, etc.
2. Finding opposites. Make a list of polarities (opposites) that you could use to organise your material, such as east/west, high/low, good/evil, formal/informal, expensive/cheap, fancy/plain, etc.
3. Connect the dots. Plot the elements in your list on the matrix. Look for meaningful patterns in the result. Do items tend to cluster in one area? Is there an empty space that should be avoided, or is there a sweet spot you want to hit?
PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting/Improvement)
PMI is a strategy that allows either self or peer evaluation to find a plus, minus and interesting of a concept or design.
P – Plus
A positive, something that works.
M – Minus
An opportunity to change.
I – Interesting/Improvement
What draws your attention?
What can you improve?
Plus | Minus | Interesting/Improvement |
| | |
Consider your design brief, the audience, context and purpose of your design when undertaking this strategy. This strategy helps you reflect upon your final design before presenting them. You can do with with a peer, for a peer or individually.
S – Strengths
W – Weaknesses
O – Opportunities
T – Threats
SWOT Analysis
Strengths | Weaknesses |
Opportunities | Threats |
This is a quick method used to gauge the response to multiple options by a specific target audience. No reasons are required for choices just the weight of numbers is used to determine the most popular.
Class Survey / Straw Vote
Further Resources