What do I do? I already decided that
what I want to do is participatory design, but I have to find a niche. Because
the point of design thinking is to find an opportunity space, I cannot
differentiate myself on tackling a singular and unique issue. Also, because I
am offering a service that aims find opportunities, there is not an easy fit
into the positioning templates offered. I guess it is better to find the
answers to the following questions: why did I start the company, why should
customers patronize the company, and why should good people work for the
company. Perhaps from here I can gain some insight into what the niche is.
Why did I start the company? I hope
to offer an opportunity to disadvantaged communities, guiding them as they make
their own decisions on how best to solve issues that they care about. The company
will promote design thinking as a tool that will give residents a voice in how
their neighborhood will move into the future.
Why should customers patronize the
company? It is entirely up to the residents how they choose to move forward,
and the first step would be to decide whether they need to pay a design company
to help them find out what they might think they already know. For this, I say
that we are “eliminating the broom” on a neighborhood scale. At the beginning
of my time at Carnegie Mellon, a guest speaker came to tell us how design
thinking is used at his company, Proctor and Gamble. He told us a story about
how he was researching how customers use their detergent. One customer was
asked about the solubility, to which she replied the solubility was great. The
speaker asked her to show him, so the customer added the detergent powder to
water, took a broom handle and stirred the whole tub until the powder was
dissolved. At no point did the instructions say to stir with a broom handle.
Since hearing that anecdote, “eliminating the broom” has become my favorite
phrase for what I feel is the area where design thinking can add the most
value. Sometimes the opportunity is not in overcoming some obvious obstacle,
but in realizing idiosyncrasies and inefficiencies that hinder us but to which
we have grown so accustomed that we completely ignore.
Why should good people work for my
company? I guess this goes back to my friend who got excited to see my list of
issues and was eager to discuss them, but quickly realized discussion would not
be enough. There are underserved communities in every city, not just the major
metropolitan areas that are design hotspots. And there are talented people in
each of these cities who can help connect communities to resources and guide
their growth. So I guess I’m looking for people who see that “sketchy”
neighborhood not as a threat or the next place to get gentrified, but can see a
vibrant community ready to flourish.
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