Go Right Before Left

It was just a few days back I was with one of my friend, exchanging brand-roadmap ideas for a product. We were also discussing a related issue he had on his hand. He was my colleague who had just joined a start-up to explore his entrepreneurial skills.

After hours of speculation, I said “let’s think of something else...” as if brainstorming were not enough. In reality, it was not. I had begun to discover the real meaning & value of a new concept Design Thinking. I have been taking training in Design Thinking from some time now and it is not only making more sense now but also becoming real treasure as far skill set is concerned. And this new skill can not only unlock professional but also personal arena as well.

Within a fraction of seconds, it struck me that we are getting too analytical with the problem. I told my friend and explained threadbare the idea of Design Thinking. Slowly it all began to make sense to us.

Being a student of Design Thinking I realized that we were giving our marketing strategy a too much of logical thrust. We were getting too rational with the marketing plan which is how it is commonly done. However, I wanted to try a different route – right brain route.

Now when I relate the discussion to my topic (and in a cerebral terminology) we were using only our left brain and not our right side of our brain. We were hampering our creative-flow. No wonder then that our plan seemed incomplete as if we were missing a core point.

I had a moment of truth. I decided to use my right brain which I learnt in my Design Thinking pursuit and infuse some ingenuity to our marketing strategy. I reflected on the knowledge I had gathered and molded the plan. I addressed our current reality, challenged it, and created a prototype. Then it was ‘WOW’. Suddenly all fell in its place and the plan looked perfect.

Channeling our thoughts from the right brain than my left brain gave the strategy a subtle twist. It made us empathize with the customer’s point of view. In short, we had permeated our plan of action with a ‘customer-first’ attitude thus thinking more of her needs need than our profits.

Major start-ups or all the reputed 100 brands of the world today have become successful by using their right brain strategy. Yes, this is how Design Thinking works. 

A little research has revealed that many successful ventures used Design Thinking in their launch plan. Airbnb, Uber, Spotify, Apple, Google and such are fine examples of big corporate houses where your right brain thinking methodology is applied.

I am still probing Indian companies that apply Design Thinking in their business. My guess that unlike western countries there aren’t many. (#1 - USA / #2 - UK / #3- Israel) and India (#8 – India)

The driving reason for this could be our upbringing. Since childhood, we are wired to use our left brain. We are compelled to analyze, to be methodical, rational, and not to show empathy. All these aspects and more are ingrained in the Indian culture. I for one was never taught to be creative and innovate. In a world where math, algorithm, calculus, science and such subjects are given more importance, what chance do arts & creativity have? So the right brain remains dormant.

Another reason is that when we think from a professional capacity, we single out one person and begin to question as to ‘what value he will bring to the table’. Isn’t it true? 

Whereas in the US and elsewhere, they have a “we/team” concept. This is most apparent in Japan. After being completely devastated after WWII they built the nation again. Tenacity Japan has shown over the years is remarkable. Today their concepts are popular worldwide and followed by all. Concepts like ‘Kaizen’ and ‘Ikigai’ are noteworthy as they lay the basis for a successful life.

Two important fundamental rules of Design Thinking is Empathy (for customers/consumers and which is crux of marketing called Insight) followed by collaboration across the board. In my brand-building career, I have seen best of the outcome when there was a collaboration with the single goal to achieve – “How to solve customer problem”

I can conclude quite confidently that the future belongs to those who master the art of Design Thinking. Thankfully I have embarked on this journey to learn this art which can also be used in science. Apple in its marketing philosophy calls out – ‘Empathy no.1 priority’ in its philosophy (no wonder reason for 1 Trillion dollar company)

True, you cannot miss the logical left-brain worth, the thinking process and what it subsequently ‘brings to the table’.

However I strongly believe the real magic happens when your right brain efficiency moves up (A popular book first published in 1979, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain extends this concept. It suggests that regardless of how your brain is wired, getting in touch with your “right brain” will help you see — and draw — things differently).

I suggest that we all first think from the right side and then travel left. Let us use the entire brain.

This mysterious organ in the human body has enabled mankind to reach till moon; the convergence of left & right together made it happen.

Our brain is always right before it goes to the left!

#stayinspired