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CHAPTER 5: SLIDE SHOWS
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DESIGN THINKING
projects introduced in Chapter 7, the last chapter of the book.
solutions, then racking your brain for unexpected approaches. Many design- ers draw a series of informal, thumb- nail sketches to work out their ideas. Such storyboards need not be much to look at as long as they help think through production. (Storyboard)
another gear—production per se. Stan- dard tasks and corresponding workflow will vary depending upon the medium in which you are working. Execution is commonly divided into three production phases: preproduction, production, and post production. (Implement)
AND DESIGN DOING
There is a big difference between Art and Design. Art changes the world. It is trans- formative. Design communicates informa- tion. It is attached to a specific topic or “problem” to be worked on.
1. figure out what you want. The initial step for any large project is to study the challenge you are taking on. Say, for example, you were planning
Media design has a foundation of ideas and practices that have been nur- tured by architects and graphic designers. Sometimes the products of media design are quite artful, just as sometimes artists will weave content “messages” into their work. What distinguishes a designer from an artist is the process of design. This way of working unifies all the different design professions.
a birthday party and wanted invitees to send in funny pictures of the friend you have in common. Your “design brief” (as it’s called in the trade) would identify two tasks: finding out how many were coming and soliciting JPEGs that you could blow up or mess with by adding bogus captions or out- rageous doctoring. (Define)
4. try it three ways. It is always best to assemble a choice of three pos- sible approaches. You want multiple ideas so you don’t fall in love with one solution too soon. Besides, your different ideas will cross-fertilize each other. It takes discipline to come up with second and third choices when you think you’ve got it the first time, but you have to keep trying. Step 4 is where you will work your way to true originality. (Prototype)
7. share it. You’ve done your best. Prob- ably some things didn’t turn out quite like you’d have wanted them. But the work is complete. This is the moment of judgment from your target audience. (Distribute)
In contrast to critical thinking, which is a process of analysis and breaking things down, “design thinking” involves building things up. It is very practical and pragmatic and can be used on creative problems of all kinds. Design thinking, which is championed by David Kelley, chairman and founder of Ideo and Stan- ford Design School, is receiving corporate and academic interest because it is rec- ognized as a driver of innovation.
2. come up with ideas. The second step in the design process is the most overtly creative one: Come up with ideas, large and small, that you’d like to use in your project. In our example, the ideas can be typefaces you like, photos you want to include, stories you want to convey, one-liners you want to position for maximum laughs. One of the best ways to come up with creative ideas is by brainstorming with friends. (Ideate)
8. evaluate it. Please, please find time at the completion of a project to take stock of how things worked out vis à vis what was envisioned at the get-go. Was the effort worth it? Did you have fun? What’s next? (Learn)
There are eight steps in the design process: Define, Ideate, Storyboard, Prototype, Budget, Implement, Distribute, and Learn. My years as a media producer and teacher have enforced upon me the certainty that a measured, step-at-a-time way of working becomes essential as you approach the more ambitious kinds of
3. work it out on paper first. Paper is a proxy for the real thing, and much easier to revise. This is the phase of strategy. Sort out the “why” behind the piece you are making. This is also where you bake in the structure, or- ganize your ideas, and figure out how you’re going to execute. Think outside the box by first listing the obvious
All of us have lives filled with so much: work, family, friends, fitness, community building. Personal media takes time, so you need to be strategic about how many projects you take on, how much time you will give them, and how you will share them. The last of these—the sharing part—should be first in your mind as you evaluate what to take on next. What is go- ing to make the most impact, give you the most satisfaction, and contribute most
5. figure out the time and money.
The creative process shifts into a new gear as you lay out the produc- tion plan. Regardless of whether your project is large or small, expensive or cheap, requiring lots of collaboration or not, I recommend two obligatory documents: a schedule and a budget. This is the phase of tactics. Even the simplest communications job can require this kind of planning (in the birthday party example, you might realize you need to collect $5 from each person to help cover the blowup costs). (Budget)
A BENEDICTION
6. make it. Here is where the design thinking pays off. You shift into yet
to your world? Because there are only so many projects you can do in a given year, make each one count.