Design Thinking for Brands: Making a case for Analogous Inspiration

We are all well aware of the deficit surplus trade equation. In this?over connected,?hyper commoditised,?always on?world, we face a?surplus?of information, goods, services and a?deficit?on the other hand of time, resources, attention. Marketers and brand owners are in a constant?state of beta?to address this ever widening chasm.

When?brand owners?are defining new products and services across?healthcare?to?hospitality, or?shaping stories?to draw?tighter connections?to?relevant?audiences, it would be worthwhile to tap into a network of?inspiration?to cultivate responses to a range of?design challenges.?From a point of shared understanding of?a design challenge, we begin to set the stage to design something that has?impact.

Empathy, observation?&?openness?are the pillars on which design thinking thrives and creates meaning and relevance for brands wanting to make people’s?lives better.?What’s critical therefore, as we are all aware, in designing amazing things is to start with?people.

While each design challenge might require a different?set of expertise, a?healthy mix?of?backgrounds?and?perspectives?helps us strike a better balance in designing what’s?desirable, what’s?feasible?and what’s?viable.

To?spark?new ways of thinking about a challenge, we also turn to what we call “analogous inspiration.” Which is all about identifying and observing experiences that are not directly related to the industry that is being designed for, yet have a?relatable aspect. For example, a team designing for the?operating room?for a?healthcare brand?decided to observe a?pit crew?at an F1?race track. High stress, quick judgment, and?timely action?characterise both situations, yet the “outside” context of?car racing?provided?fresh insights?that the team at?healthcare?would not have been exposed to had they only researched other healthcare moments. Such catalysing methods are less about getting a full-picture approach and more about getting inspired to design something that’s?game-changing.

So, the next time you are developing or enhancing a product, it would be worthwhile to look beyond the ‘?walled garden?‘ that defines or chains your industry for some?analogous inspiration.?For that idea or product of yours to become truly beyond compare.

ENDS