Design Thinking Insight from Captain James T. Kirk

Last week we took a look at how design thinking was used by a group of USU design students to solve a structural problem at the famed Great St. Bernard Hospice in the Swiss Alps. Well, I’m still thinking about it …

So I’ve decided to geek-up today’s blog post with a little Captain James T. Kirk insight into the situation. Why? Because, one, I like Star Trek. And because, two, this new way of thinking challenges each and every one of us to find alternative ways to solve problems—thus giving us more options to play with … and this girl loves options!

So how does one get in the habit of creating more options?

James T. Kirk coined this the practice of creating a “third option”, which means innovating and creating new ideas and new technology, not just out of self-interest, but also for the common good—as opposed to being stuck with just two undesirable choices. You see, I’m on to something here …

In my humble opinion, there are three steps involved in solving any problem:

1. First step back from the immediate issue and take a look at the big picture. After all, finding a solution to any problem is best approached by first understanding the larger whole (the problem itself is usually an ingrained part of the larger system after all). Am I right?

2. Next, come to understand the whole situation by bringing folks with different expertise on board—designers, artists, MBAs, technologists, sociologists, communicators, etc.—all add value just because they approach the problem from a different angle, with a different background, and with different skill sets.

3. Lastly, get a fresh perspective on the situation. You have to admit, breakthroughs in any field—medicine, technology, art—would never occur if people didn’t approach them with fresh points of view. It’s this lack of fresh insight that often keeps companies stuck in a rut, unable to break out of old patterns and politics. Anyone, no matter how clever, working at the same job and in the same position for many years, comes to accept certain patterns—never questioning, always accepting. Newbies, on the other hand, question everything—especially things that seem obvious to everyone else. You’ve heard the old adage “there are no stupid questions”? Well, outsiders have permission to question the standard way of doing things. And that’s often when results start to happen.

All Star Trek analogies aside … what do you think? Am I onto something?