Reducing ambiguity through design thinking

As discussed in my previous post a Design helps reduce ambiguity and increase clarity, so that clients can construct meaning about the actions and purpose of their organisation.

IDEO helped reduce ambiguity by applying a ‘human-centred’ framework during their knowledge creation and the sense-making process.

To explore this thought I had the good fortune to interview IDEO’s Illya Prokopoff. He is the co-leader of IDEO’s Transformation Practice. Their human-centred framework comprises of three interdependent considerations:

Prokopoff summarized it as:

“(1) The technical capability of an organisation … not just what capabilities they have, but how able are they to deliver on them. (2) The business situation that they’re in, and (3) the human need or the human ability to do what that organisation is creating out there in the world"

"All these things are critical. I mean if you come up with something that people want in an unsustainable business, shame on you. If you start with technology and you’ve got a great business designed around it, but people don’t like it, shame on you. Our feeling at IDEO is that you have to start by understanding what people are really wanting and what people are really needing … It’s not saying that this negates business issues or technological ability, it’s simply saying if ultimately what you’re trying to do serves the needs people have, focus on understanding what that need is first, then fill in how capable you are of delivering on that need … So, always start with the person in the system.”

— Excerpt from my research into the value of design thinking