The pace of the build-a-better-wallet Design Thinking project was both a challenge and a freeing exercise in that it forced me to act quickly but in a low stakes environment.
From a few short conversations I was able to learn what my project partner Xina valued the most in a wallet-type thing by learning from her directly what she had in mind about the perfect wallet…. By ruminating on her ideas and putting myself in her shoes, I was able to access empathy and open up the imaginarium: what kind of thing Xina find it useful? could we solve more than one wallet problem? is even a wallet problem?
Ideating, Sharing, and Iterating were the most practically useful part of the DT process. Allowing Xina access to my interpretation and getting feedback from her gave me the chance to challenge and refine my understanding of her needs. What had I not already considered? Converging in collaborating was an opportunity to learn more about our shared understanding.
Taking a break between classes and coming back to the project in the rapid prototyping phase had allowed me to stew on some creative options. Although I had to miss the prototyping class meeting, I was able to follow the project's time allowance for collecting materials from the general junk in my basement and constructing the prototype "sling-wallet" in the allotted time.
I appreciate the fast and furious nature of this icebreaker project which allowed me to get familiar with Design Thinking.