Reliable Magic: How business can benefit from architects' design thinking + doing

Howbusinesscanbenefitfromarchitects’designthinking+doing

Forarchitects,designthinkinginvolvescollabora3ngwithclientsandcolleaguestodevelopinspiredvisionsandbe6erplanningsolu3ons.

Wemustdeliverprojectswithinadeadlineandabudget.Thisrequiresarigorousandreliabledesignprocess.

Wecallthisrigorouscrea3veprocess“reliablemagic.”

Ourprocessaimstoworkwithhumannature,ratherthana?empttoovercomeit.

Hereare10reliablemagic

prac3cesthatcanbeappliedto

businessoutside

theworldofarchitecture.

Designwith–notfor–yourcons3tuents.

Engageindialogueaimedatbuildingdeep‐seatedunderstandingsothatpeople“believein”ratherthan“buyin.”

1.

Iden3fysharedinterests.

It’snotnecessaryforpeopletoagreeonallaspectsoftheproject.Instead,jointlydefinepointsofcommoninterestformovingforward.

2.*

Re‐frametheques3on.

MostiniKalprojectdefiniKonsaimtoolowandpresentfalselylimiKngeither/orchoices.

3.

Don’tjumptotheendofthestory.

Jumpingtoconclusionsandshort‐circuiKngasharedlearningcurveleadstoweakanswersandshakysupport.

4.

Invitedivergentthinking.

Avoidself‐limiKngchoicesbetweenexisKngopKonsbyexploringfast,cheapiteraKonsinafluidlearn/adjust/repeatprocess.

5.

Learntoappreciateuncertainty.

Allowideastoemergeinanaturalprocessofdialogueandinquiry,ratherthandefendpre‐conceivedsoluKons.

6.

Ask:whatelsecanweseehere?

Ratherthanre‐arrangeexisKngpiecesofapuzzle,lookbeyondobvious,linearsoluKonstoseepa?erns,variaKons,combinaKonsanddeviaKons.

7.

Don’tgettooa6ached,toosoon.

AvoidemoKonala?achmentstoearlyideas–especiallyonesthataredevelopedwhileworkingalone.Instead,settheseideasfreetoevolvethroughaprocessofdialogueandinquiry.

8.

Expectsomeresistance.

Itisagiventhatnewideaswillbeadoptedadifferentratesbydifferentpeople.Aimtoworkthroughnaturalresistancewithdialogueandinquiryratherthana?empttoovercomeit.

9.

Adop3ngideasisaprocess,notanevent.

ThedigesKonprocessfornewideascanbeseenassimilartodigesKngfood:it’sbe?ertocreateanappeKteforbite‐sizedpiecesthanforce‐feedinquanKty.

10.

FarrowPartnershipArchitectsToronto,Canada

www.farrowpartnership.com

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