Design and Creativity Day02

Creativity and Design
Day 2: Who?

“We review a total of 72 experiments, reported in 63 articles… Taken
together, creative thinking does not appear to critically depend on any
single mental process or brain region, and it is not especially associated
with right brains, defocused attention, low arousal, or alpha
synchronization, as sometimes hypothesized.”
Dietrich, A., & Kanso, R. (2010). A review of EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging studies of creativity and
insight. Psychological bulletin, 136(5), 822.
No such thing as ‘right-brained’ or ‘left-brained’ people15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOGXhg8_aFchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFs9WO2B8uI
Creativity is a high-order cognitive and social skill, can’t
be reduced to a brain region. No creative neuron.
16

A designer wears many hats, is able to scope problems and draws from ideas from a wide technical and social repertoire.
Gold, R (2001) The Plenitude, MIT Press
“Jack of all trades”

Sarooghi, H., et al., Examining the relationship between creativity and innovation: A meta-analysis of organizational, cultural,
and environmental factors, J. Bus. Venturing (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2014.12.003
“firms could improve their record of turning useful
and new ideas into process innovations and
innovative products/services by identifying
ambidextrous individuals”

Oakley Disruptive By Design
“Create an innovative design that will disrupt
elite sports performance in a way that hasn’t
been seen before. It needs to be an idea that's
more than just an adaptation of an existing
approach. It needs to be something new and
radical. Something that is truly Disruptive by
Design. The most disruptive ideas come from
unfamiliar and unexpected places. Take
inspiration from the wider world: nature,
aerospace, architecture, science fiction. There
should be no limits to your sources. There are
also no restrictions on the format of the
design. It could be a product, a garment, a
new way to use technology, a digital design, or
something entirely new that responds to or
enhances elite sports performance:
disruptivebydesign.com
James Dyson Award
Design something that solves a problem. The
brief is broad. We’re looking for designers who
think differently to create products that work
better. Engineers who follow an iterative
design process. Rough and ready prototypes.
Products that have a significant and practical
purpose, are commercially viable, and are
designed with sustainability in mind:
jamesdysonaward.org/the-brief/

https://vimeo.com/107567840
Every creative project needs a brief. What is a brief?17

Marketing brief:
Design a “classroom in a bus” where children learn about recycling
Project for TetraPak Mexico (1997-1998)

Fernando Prieto, Ricardo Sosa. “TetraBus”: Children Museum on Wheels. Client: Tetra Pak Mexico (1996-1997)

Museumin a Bus Fernando Prieto / Ricardo Sosa

1. Videogames^
2. A car^
3. A bungalow^
4. Kitchen utensils
5. Toys
6. Farm tools
7. Learning spaces
8. Museum exhibits
9. Playgrounds
10. Point-of-sale
11. Handcrafts
12. Phone cabin
13. Stairs
14. Interactive displays
15. Websites
16. Virtual galleries
17. Office furniture
18. Lamp
19. Suitcase
20. Chairs and benches
21. Book covers
22. Picture frames
23. Interactive toys
24. A thousand products,
websites, systems, services#
25. Rapid prototyping machines#
26. Thirteen companies#
27. Doors*
28. Car dashboard displays*
29. More cars*
30. Robot-friendly furniture*
31. A visual divergence test
32. Reconfigurable robots
33. Curriculums, syllabus,
activities, support materials
34. Design platforms, methods
and techniques
^ as a teenager, before entering college
# by around 800 design and engineering students in 5 countries
* by computational generative systems that I’ve authored

http://www.ideaslaboratory.com/projects/innovation-barometer-2013/
“The ability to understand customers”

http://i.imgur.com/8oixIdR.jpg.jpg
https://hbr.org/2011/04/why-most-product-launches-fail

• Weak market research; No precise market;
Wrong target audience
• Most effort to develop the product, little left
for launching, marketing, selling; No funds left
to sustain the campaign
• Great technology or solution, what was the
problem?
• Key differentiators and advantages not easily
articulated; Product description is unclear;
Consumers don’t understand how the product
works; Discordant messages
• Insufficient testing; deaf to consumer
feedback; Product is launched too hastily and
doesn’t work reliably
• Sales force and retailers uncommitted,
uneducated, no incentives; Distribution
problems; Marketing campaign before
distribution is complete
• Marketing is unfocused, lacks objectivity;
unsupported claims, no trained spokesperson;
Wrong use of social media
• Poor quality; Insufficient supplies; Delays or
problems due to certification, standards
• Bad pricing strategy
• Product launch poorly timed; Fads that soon
fizzle; Lack of persistence during early
versions; Lack of influencers, remains niche
• New category; Instant hit wrongly expected;
intransigence of consumer shopping habits
Adapted from: https://hbr.org/2011/04/why-most-product-launches-fail

“ It’s so fascinating to look and listen to people”
http://interviewproject.davidlynch.com
“HONY now provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses
into the lives of strangers”
http://www.humansofnewyork.com
Most new designs fail due to dozens of factors, many
related to a poor understanding of users (and tasks)
18

“Double ignorance: we don’t know the true impacts of our products/services and
we don’t realise that we don’t know” Daniel Goleman in Ecological Intelligence

User opinion User behavior User beliefs
Surveys: ask large groups
to choose between
options
Focus group and review
sessions: enroll people to
evaluate or try out an
idea
Record and analyse
emotional responses to a
specific set of stimuli
(i.e., semantic differential
techniques)
Semi-structured
interviews: engage in a
dialogue to inspect a
specific topic
Generative sessions: give
people tools and
materials and ask them
to imagine and build
things
Record and analyse what
people say while solving
a structured task (i.e.,
think aloud methods)
Contextual dialogue:
spend time with people
in their natural context
and engage in
conversations
Ethnographic
observations: immerse
yourself in situations
where you can witness
issues of interest
Listen to people chat and
articulate their ideas in
their natural setting (i.e.,
conversation analysis)
Increasingdegreeofstructureandexplicitness
Increasing importance of ethical considerations
Sanders, E. N. (2000). Generative tools for co-designing. In Collaborative Design (pp. 3-12). Springer London.

User model vs. Task model
Dr. Ricardo Sosa: sosa.ricardo@gmail.com
“It was performing so well from a design standpoint that users no longer felt the need to browse areas outside of
the News Feed as often, so they were spending less time on the site” http://dcurt.is/facebooks-predicament

Design intentions

Problems and questions
“Smoothie Shops” https://vimeo.com/16472980

Rule # 1: Don’t ask what people want
Rule # 2: Don’t (only) ask people
Rule # 3: Don’t (only) listen to people
Two creativity killers when talking to clients and users: a) to
ignore them, b) to believe them. The secret is to interpret
19

12/03: "Students have
problems finding lecturers"
12/03: “Poor teamwork due
to limited social interaction"
26/03: “Self-learning
toolkits"
26/03: “An experiential
workshop to learn advantages
of collaboration”

Sample well-framed problems:
“We decide to tackle child obesity, since it is a
growing trend in many countries including
Singapore and will target one or more of the
key factors involved: sedentarism, eating
disorders, stress, nutrition, food preparation,
advertising, genetics, and inherited habits.”
“Doing laundry wastes too much water,
requires too much energy and generates
unnecessary waste. Something radically
different needs to change to reduce pollution
and improve efficiency dramatically.”
“A new space is required for exhibition and
work activities. The design should reflect a
forward-thinking integration of technology and
design. Allocated space and budget are
attached.”
“Studies A and B of creative teams report that
existing software applications don’t offer
adequate support for creative collaboration.”
Not so well-framed problems:
“I want to help people lower their energy
consumption by automating lights at home”
(Jumps straight to a specific solution)
“Students need a system to locate their
lecturers outside class hours” (Fails to inspect
actual problems and lacks a basic
understanding of teaching/learning dynamics)
“Buildings should promote courteous
behaviours between dwellers” (Based on
personal biased impressions, easy to
challenge if no further baseline data or
concrete examples are given)
“We will design an electric baby stroller”
(Why? Who needs it?)
“The problem with poverty is people lack
money” (Not only a circular argument, also
ignores a myriad non-financial factors)

“If I had an hour to solve a problem
I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about
the problem and 5 minutes thinking
about solutions”
-A wise remark attributed to Einstein
Calaprice, A. (2010), The Ultimate Quotable Einstein,, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.

Spend 55 minutes talking about the problem with people
and 5 minutes thinking about solutions
19

“A paradigm shift occurs when a question is asked
inside the Current paradigm that can only be
answered from outside it”
The Art of the Question, Marilee Goldberg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oberazzi/318947873/sizes/l/

A Powerful Question
• generates curiosity in the
listener
• stimulates reflective
conversation
• is thought-provoking
• surfaces underlying assumptions
• invites creativity and new
possibilities
• generates energy and forward
movement
• channels attention and focuses
inquiry
• stays with participants
• touches a deep meaning
• evokes more questions

Scope of Powerful Q’s
Different levels of asking the same question:
• How satisfied are you with your job?
• How would you personally define a satisfying job?
• How may one define job satisfaction?
• How may one possibly define happiness?
(balance insight, scope and relevance)

Assumptions of Powerful Q’s
Different assumptions behind the same question:
• What can you do to improve your job satisfaction?
• What can the company do to improve the job satisfaction of its
employees?
• How would new KPIs affect your job satisfaction?
• How may job satisfaction impact life quality?
(implicit / explicit)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/86979666@N00/7623744452/sizes/l/
Behind every innovative breakthrough, there is a set
of powerful questions
20

“It's really sad to have
biological limbs, you're
constrained by nature
and you can’t upgrade”
Hugh Herr: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
“We started at: What does the user want? And we think the
user really doesn’t want to carry a wallet. Why do you want
to do that?” Tim Cook
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101989345
“Let’s retire the term entrepreneur. It’s outdated
and loaded with baggage. It smells like a members-
only club. Everyone should be encouraged to start
his own business… Instead of entrepreneurs, let’s
call them starters. Anyone who creates new
business is a starter. You just need an idea, a touch
of confidence, and a push to get you started.”
“Rework” by Jason Fried and David H. Hansson

Abductive logic
‘Inference to the best explanation’
Premises that lead to “what if?” statements
Deductive: “All men are mortal, therefore…”
Inductive: “All swans are white…”
Abductive: “Our new idea will be a success…”

Think abductively
Roger Martin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txhBTi1STn8

Dean Kamen (2002): Big Idea
“a fairly big problem in transportation”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSWBcizzpKM
To innovate, you need to think abductively. By
definition, you will fail before you succeed.
21

“I’m a pedestrian” (09:56)
“We knew that the technology would not be
as hard to develop as an attitude” (10:56)

Apple G4 Cube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-PB86oy044
Rotman Design Challenge 2013
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNgBRcp0u7w

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph https://www.classicaltv.com/the-informer/emil-berliner-and-the-invention-that-started-the-recording-industry

Teams
From islands to awareness to appreciation to understanding
Fruchter, R. (2001). Dimensions of teamwork education,
International Journal of Engineering Education, 17(4/5), 426-430.

Some rights reserved by Joseeivissa 2.0
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/house-river-serbia/
ISLAND

“engineers are so square-minded and only do numbers,
they aren't as creative as designers"
ISLANDS
“designers don't know much; they come up with crazy
unfeasible fluff, but we engineer great solutions”

“engineers are good at solving problems and some can be
quite inventive, let them solve our technical problems"
AWARENESS
“artsy stuff can be useful, great design makes our awesome
solutions usable, let them embellish our products”

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/wind-blown-tree/
APPRECIATION

“there are marked differences across engineering areas;
specialists know x amazing stuff but are trained in y limiting ways”
APPRECIATION
“good designers can help everyone in a team be creative, they are
able to see things differently and bring value to technology”

“I learned some key concepts, techniques, and tools used in
engineering. This improves my design practice and I can also
contribute in the technical aspects of a project”
UNDERSTANDING
“I learned some key concepts, techniques, and tools used in design.
This improves my engineering practice and I can also contribute in the
creative aspects of a project”

http://www.shweeashbamboo.com/
Cross-disciplinary collaboration demands a
transformation process
22

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fraleigh/
Ficus benghalensis: aerial prop roots that grow into thick woody trunks which, with age,
can become indistinguishable from the main trunk

Generating novel designs based on qualitative modelling,
Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia CAADRIA 2005, New Delhi
2D representation of heritage timber doors

QSR abstraction

Original doors New fit doors
New unfit doors

‘ROBOT GRACIOUSGAIT’ RoboMods
Sosa, R., Mohan, R.E., Rojas, N. and Nansai, S.

KANSEIacross SCALES SUTDfor SC @ JEM
Sosa, R., Lee, J.B., Albarran, D., Otto, K., Chia, H.M.L, Kabincalan, R.P., Poh, W.Y., Haruki, S., Toh, H.P., Clifford, M. K. (2013) Scaling Kansei in Engineering Product Development (forthcoming)
Varying the radius and the tension on the elastic rope, the assembly can be fine-tuned to capture the Kansei of the desired wave movement
Elastic rope
Transformation of a Mechanism
From: torsion of a steel cable
(Order of Magnitude: 10-1 m)
To: elongation of an elastic rope
(Order of Magnitude: 101 m)

DISCIPLINES
Education and workplace are designed to isolate
people and nurture/reward specialisation
23

Danger: Designing Products Your Customers' Customers Will Love
http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=1146

Liz Sanders and her team use this map to present participatory approaches in design: http://www.maketools.com
People know best. But facilitation is required24

Who participates?
Project:
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
People, roles, background, responsibilities,
relationships, hierarchies, whose decisions?

Who
https://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/liquids/character.html
‘Solid PartE’:
Islands of knowledge:
“Participants master
his/her discipline, but
lack experience in
other disciplines”
Stability and clarity in
“Who”, “How” and
“Why” dimensions
with direct linkages
across (person px has
goal gx and
contributes via
method mx)

Who
‘Liquid PartE’:
Awareness and
Appreciation:
“Participants become
aware of other
disciplines' goals and
constraints; become
interested to
understand and
support the other
disciplines' goals and
concepts and know
what questions to
ask”
Less clear roles in
“Who”, shared and
adapted tools in
“How”, negotiated
goals in “Why”

Who
‘Gas PartE’:
Understanding:
“Participants can
negotiate, are
proactive in
discussions with other
disciplines, provide
input before the input
is requested, and
begin to use the
language of another
discipline”
Hard to separate
individuals in “Who”,
emergent
collaborative tools in
“How”, shared goals in
“Why”

Self-assessment: Emancipation of Creativity

Cultural dimensions
http://files.publicaffairs.geblogs.com/files/2013/02/2013-GE-Global-Innovation-Barometer-_-Results-Summary-3.pdf

• Power Distance
the degree of equality/inequality
between people in a particular
society
• Individualism
the degree to which a society
reinforces individual or collective
achievement and interpersonal
relationships
• Masculinity
the degree societies reinforce, or
do not reinforce, the traditional
masculine work role model of
male achievement, control, and
power
• Uncertainty Avoidance
the level of acceptance for
uncertainty and ambiguity within
a society
• Long-Term Orientation
http://my.fit.edu/~gabrenya/cultural/course.html
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/assessments/GlobeStudy.pdf

Dimensions of culture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdh40kgyYOY
15:08 -
Hofstede: Seven sins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2V8kVwIp2U

http://geert-hofstede.com/
There are only seven (7) countries in the
Geert Hofstede research that have
Individualism (IDV) as their highest
Dimension: USA (91), Australia (90), United
Kingdom (89), Netherlands and Canada (80),
and Italy (76).
High IDV ranking indicates a society with a
more individualistic attitude and relatively
loose bonds with others. The populace is
more self-reliant and looks out for
themselves and their close family members.

The low Individualism (IDV) ranking is
manifest in a close and committed
member 'group', be that a family,
extended family, or extended
relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist
culture is paramount. The society
fosters strong relationships where
everyone takes responsibility for fellow
members of their group.

Asia and Latin America: Collectivism

Scandinavian countries: A low
Masculinity (MAS) may be indicative of a
low level of differentiation and
discrimination between genders. In this
culture, females are treated more
equally to males in all aspects of society.
This low Masculinity ranking may also be
displayed as a more openly nurturing
society.

A high score (MAS) indicates that the
society will be driven by competition,
achievement and success, with success
being defined by the winner / best in field
– a value system that starts in school and
continues throughout organisational
behaviour.
Masculine society: Performance is highly
valued and early required as the school
system separates children into different
types of schools at the age of ten. People
rather “live in order to work” and draw a
lot of self-esteem from their tasks.
Managers are expected to be decisive and
assertive. Status is often shown, especially
by cars, watches and technical devices

Mexico's highest Hofstede Dimension
is Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) (82),
indicating the society’s low level of
tolerance for uncertainty. Strict rules,
laws, policies, and regulations are
adopted and implemented. The
ultimate goal is to control everything
in order to eliminate or avoid the
unexpected. As a result, the society
does not readily accept change and is
very risk adverse.
Singapore scores 8 on this dimension.
Why?

http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/assessments/GlobeStudy.pdf

Sarooghi, H., et al., Examining the relationship between creativity and innovation: A meta-analysis of organizational, cultural,
and environmental factors, J. Bus. Venturing (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2014.12.003
“Three moderating factors: collectivism, uncertainty avoidance,
and power distance:
- We find no support for an inverse U-shaped effect of collectivism.
Collectivist cultures have a greater success rate in converting creative
ideas into innovations
- Moderate levels of risk-taking are critical to generate novel and useful
ideas and to implement them effectively into innovations
- Our results do not provide full support for moderate levels of power
distance maximizing the creativity-innovation relationship. Perhaps the
leadership style within an organization will have a more powerful impact”

Asia Scandinavia Western
PDI High Low Med
IDV Low High High
MAS Med Low High
UAI Low ? Med
LTO High Med Med
A person/group/company can be creative its own way.
It probably has to.
25

http://www.globalinnovationindex.org/gii/main/fullreport/index.html

No. 2 – South Korea
Overall score: 2.26
Innovation inputs score: 1.75
Innovation performance score: 2.55
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $1.3 trillion
Foreign Direct Investment: $74.6 billion
No. 3 – Switzerland
Overall score: 2.23
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $309.9 billion
No. 4 – Iceland
Overall score: 2.17
No. 5 – Ireland
Overall score: 1.88
No. 6 – Hong Kong
Overall score: 1.88
Foreign Direct Investment: $1.1 trillion
No. 7 – Finland
Overall score: 1.87
No. 8 – U.S.
Overall score: 1.80
Foreign Direct Investment: $2.7 trillion
No. 9 – Japan
Overall score: 1.79
Foreign Direct Investment: $597 billion
No. 10 – Sweden
Overall score: 1.64
No. 11 – Denmark
Overall score: 1.60

Uncertaintyavoidance(UAI)
http://geert-hofstede.com/singapore.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/map/world.swf?data_file=ua.xml
Japan: 92
Singapore: 08
ricardo_sosa@sutd.edu.sg

Uncertaintyavoidance(UAI)

http://www.designsingapore.org/Files/Dsg_II_Strategic_Blueprint.pdf
“… this rate of change will need to be matched with mindset and
paradigm changes in order for us to maintain our ability to innovate,
and to create new value.
It is no longer business as usual. We are already facing increasing
global competition in the new ideas-driven creative economy…
Design must become the critical strategic tool for futureprooﬁng
Singapore from the uncertainties of the future.”

Reflect
Do you tolerate/enjoy ambiguity?
Do you know people who avoid uncertainty?
Think about your childhood and remember recent responses to
uncertainty
Select one certainty in your life. Question it,
imagine alternate scenarios and their consequences
What is “Asian creativity”?

You have to begin designing without all the information
that you’ll eventually need
26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpjaoZjETHw

The “Wovel”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/nyregion/21towns.html
http://www.gizmag.com/go/6490/
http://www.wovel.com

“We identify opportunities to make your environment a
little more enjoyable. We started with the alarm clock”
http://www.nandahome.com/story/index.php

“TOMS matches shoes purchased with new
shoes given to a child in need: One for One”
http://www.toms.com/our-movement/l

Wovel: simplify an arduous task
Clocky: more enjoyable daily life
Toms: altruistic sustainable business model

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTt6ebLTA3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvBGnkLb8Hg

http://kristen-soley.blogspot.sg/2012/03/in-sculptors-hands.html
http://www.gladwinlibrary.org/joomla/index.php/june-25th-knitting-club
Make

Avoid the “not invented here” syndrome28
www.webplunder.com/not-invented-here/

Love side-projects29
www.flickr.com/photos/walkingsf

Avoid incentives29
www.flickr.com/photos/76657755@N04

• Directive leaders: primary
creators materialize their
vision through other people’s
work
• Integrative: synthesis of vision
and inputs with
heterogeneous creative
inputs of team members
• Facilitators: not idea
generators, but make
supportive contributions to
creativity in the workplace
Charalampos Mainemelis, Ronit Kark & Olga Epitropaki (2015) Creative Leadership:, The Academy of
Management Annals, 9:1, 393-482, DOI: 10.1080/19416520.2015.1024502
Strategies for creative leadership30

“Invention factory” at Menlo Park in New Jersey, 1876
http://www.oldjerseynews.com/in-defense-of-edison/

3 Lenses
http://savic.cc/tag/feasibility/ http://www.wixomdesigns.com/architecture.php

http://elantiguofuturo.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/1653dymaxion_car_041.jpeg

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