Insight Combination - AC4D Design Library - Austin Center for Design

Insight CombinationJon KolkoProfessor, Austin Center for Design

Ethnography Synthesis PrototypingMaking meaning throughabductive sensemaking andreframingCombining data in new waysIdentifying patterns and anomaliesJudging, and learning2

InsightsAn insight is a clear, deep, meaningfulperception into human behavior in aparticular design context.It’s a provocative statement of truth.* And it may be wrong.

InsightsAn insight is a clear, deep, meaningfulperception into human behavior in aparticular design context.It’s a provocative statement of truth.* And it may be wrong.

InsightsAn insight is a clear, deep, meaningfulperception into human behavior in aparticular design context.It’s a provocative statement of truth.* And it may be wrong.

InsightsAn insight is a clear, deep, meaningfulperception into human behavior in aparticular design context.It’s a provocative statement of truth.* And it may be wrong.

Design PatternsA design pattern describes a possiblesolution to a problem, based on problem /solution sets in other contexts.

Design PatternsA design pattern describes a possiblesolution to a problem, based on problem /solution sets in other contexts.

Design PatternsA design pattern describes a possiblesolution to a problem, based on problem /solution sets in other contexts.

Insight CombinationA method of building on insights andestablished design patterns in order tocreate initial design ideas.

Insight CombinationA method of building on insights andestablished design patterns in order tocreate initial design ideas.

Insight CombinationA method of building on insights andestablished design patterns in order tocreate initial design ideas.

Insight CombinationA method of building on insights andestablished design patterns in order tocreate initial design ideas.

Insight CombinationA method of building on insights andestablished design patterns in order tocreate initial design ideas.INSIGHT COMBINATION/1. Is detailed2. Is divergent3. In nonlinear4. Is generative5. Is biased

I saw this + I know this = Insight18

I saw thisI know this+ =InsightData gathered throughethnography, contextualinquiry, questionnaires,and interviews19

I saw this + I know this = InsightData gathered throughethnography, contextualinquiry, questionnaires,and interviewsGuided by ethics & morals,intellectual prowess, and theaccumulation of world viewand breadth of experience20

I saw this + I know this = InsightData gathered throughethnography, contextualinquiry, questionnaires,and interviewsGuided by ethics & morals,intellectual prowess, and theaccumulation of world viewand breadth of experienceClear, deep,meaningful perceptioninto human behaviorin a particular designcontext21

I saw this + I know this = Insight + Design Pattern = Design IdeaData gathered throughethnography, contextualinquiry, questionnaires,and interviewsGuided by ethics & morals,intellectual prowess, and theaccumulation of world viewand breadth of experienceClear, deep,meaningful perceptioninto human behaviorin a particular designcontext22

I saw this + I know this = Insight + Design Pattern = Design IdeaData gathered throughethnography, contextualinquiry, questionnaires,and interviewsGuided by ethics & morals,intellectual prowess, and theaccumulation of world viewand breadth of experienceClear, deep,meaningful perceptioninto human behaviorin a particular designcontextA trending paradigm that describesinvariant qualities, referencinghistory and similar solutions23

I saw this + I know this = Insight + Design Pattern = Design IdeaData gathered throughethnography, contextualinquiry, questionnaires,and interviewsGuided by ethics & morals,intellectual prowess, and theaccumulation of world viewand breadth of experienceClear, deep,meaningful perceptioninto human behaviorin a particular designcontextA trending paradigm that describesinvariant qualities, referencinghistory and similar solutionsA new, creative concept,somewhat facilitated byexisting design paradigms24

Insights go on yellow cards.Provocative statement of truthUnique insight numberEvidence from a transcript(citation)

Patterns go on blue cards.Pattern, or trending piece ofculture and societyUnique pattern letter

Design ideas go on green cards.Design idea, built on thecombination of an insight and apatternUnique insight andpattern identifier

Insight Combination…… with boring old enterprise configuration software …

I saw this + I know this = Insight + Design Pattern = Design IdeaData gathered throughethnography, contextualinquiry, questionnaires,and interviewsGuided by ethics & morals,intellectual prowess, and theaccumulation of world viewand breadth of experienceClear, deep,meaningful perceptioninto human behaviorin a particular designcontextA trending paradigm that describesinvariant qualities, referencinghistory and similar solutionsA new, creative concept,somewhat facilitated byexisting design paradigms

Performing Insight Combination1. Begin to identify insightsExamine the data you’ve gathered, and constantly ask the question “why” (and tryto answer it). This is an interpretative activity: you are assigning meaning to data.Tell a credible story, but realize you may be wrong.Write the insights on yellow post-it notes.Reference the line numbers from any applicable transcripts, and give each yellowpost-it note a unique numeric ID.32

Performing Insight Combination2. Identify design patternsYou can use patterns that are “appropriate” to your context, in order to provoke“safe” ideas. You can use patterns that are extremely disassociated from yourcontext, in order to provoke “wild” ideas.Ideally, you begin to keep a design pattern library.Write the patterns on blue post-it notes.Give each blue post-it note a unique letter ID.33

Performing Insight Combination3. Combine insights and patterns.Mingle the blue and yellow post-its, moving them around physically, and activelyreflecting on potential combinations.Force each combination into a new design idea. Write the idea on a green post-itnote.Give each green post-it note a unique design idea ID (referencing both the yellowand blue notes above).Limit yourself to 1 minute per idea; use a timer.34

Insight CombinationA method of building on insights andestablished design patterns in order tocreate initial design ideas.INSIGHT COMBINATION/1. Is detailed2. Is divergent3. In nonlinear4. Is generative5. Is biasedHOW TO DO INSIGHT COMBINATION/1. Begin to identify insights2. Identify design patterns3. Combine insights and patterns,to provoke new ideas

Jon KolkoDirector, Austin Center for Designjkolko@ac4d.comDownload our free book,Wicked Problems: Problems Worth Solving,at http://www.wickedproblems.com