Design Thinking

Photo: (c) Austin Kleon (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Not a Thing, But a Way

Design thinking — distinct from analytical thinking — has emerged as the premier organizational path not only to breakthrough innovation but, surprisingly, to high-performance collaboration, as well. “It’s not about the pretty,” says one design-thinking practitioner, “it’s about the productive.” In this special section of articles, interviews, illustrated cases and research findings, the Review explores how to put design thinking to work.

Jul 6	USER EXPERIENCE: Designing Waits That Work By Donald A. Norman “Perceptions are more important than reality, so manage [them]. Make the reasons for the wait clear, give feedback about the status, and provide a conceptual model.” Free to subscribers Find out more UNABRIDGED: “The Psychology of Waiting Lines,” the original version of this essay, to be featured in Norman’s upcoming book, Sociable Design.

	IN PRACTICE: Usability for Evil By Chris Nodder How do some companies get their customers to do something that’s useful for the company but not really for the customer? Maybe by trying hard. And often. Free to subscribers Find out more ELSEWHERE: Evil by Design “Discover purposefully designed interfaces which make users emotionally involved in doing something that benefits you more than them.”

Jul 7	PROBLEM SOLVING: How to Become a Better Manager … By Thinking Like a Designer Interview by Jimmy Guterman Presentation experts Nancy Duarte and Garr Reynolds help world-renowned executives, politicians and thought leaders deliver stronger presentations. Here they reveal how to influence and persuade in a different way, regardless of whether you ever have to communicate via PowerPoint. Free to subscribers Find out more

Jul
7

PROBLEM SOLVING: How to Become a Better Manager … By Thinking Like a Designer

Interview by Jimmy Guterman

Presentation experts Nancy Duarte and Garr Reynolds help world-renowned executives, politicians and thought leaders deliver stronger presentations. Here they reveal how to influence and persuade in a different way, regardless of whether you ever have to communicate via PowerPoint.

Jul 13	COMMUNICATIONS: How Facts Change Everything (If You Let Them) By Edward R. Tufte, as told to Jimmy Guterman Information-visualization guru and famed PowerPoint debunker Edward Tufte explains how businesses would think better, make better decisions and present themselves more powerfully if only they would learn to talk — both internally and externally — in facts. Free to subscribers Find out more

Jul
13

COMMUNICATIONS: How Facts Change Everything (If You Let Them)

By Edward R. Tufte, as told to Jimmy Guterman

Information-visualization guru and famed PowerPoint debunker Edward Tufte explains how businesses would think better, make better decisions and present themselves more powerfully if only they would learn to talk — both internally and externally — in facts.

Jul 22	DIGITAL BUSINESS: Morph the Web To Build Empathy, Trust and Sales By Glen L. Urban, John R. Hauser, Guilherme Liberali, Michael Braun and Fareena Sultan We’ve long been able to personalize what information the Internet tells us — but now comes “Web site morphing,” and an Internet that personalizes how we like to be told. For companies, it means that communicating — and selling — will never be the same. Free to subscribers Find out more

Jul
22

DIGITAL BUSINESS: Morph the Web To Build Empathy, Trust and Sales

By Glen L. Urban, John R. Hauser, Guilherme Liberali, Michael Braun and Fareena Sultan

We’ve long been able to personalize what information the Internet tells us — but now comes “Web site morphing,” and an Internet that personalizes how we like to be told. For companies, it means that communicating — and selling — will never be the same.

Jul 24	INNOVATION: Toyota’s Secret: The A3 Report By John Shook How Toyota solves problems, creates plans, and gets new things done while developing an organization of thinking problem-solvers. Free to subscribers Find out more

Jul 27	CREATIVITY: Elegance By Design: The Art of Less Matthew E. May Great designers understand the role subtraction plays in creating elegant solutions. The author of In Pursuit of Elegance shows what managers can learn from the principles of Symmetry, Seduction, and Subtraction. Free to subscribers Find out more

Guest Edition

Improvisations

Special Reports

Design Thinking

Not a Thing, But a Way

USER EXPERIENCE: Designing Waits That Work

IN PRACTICE: Usability for Evil

PROBLEM SOLVING: How to Become a Better Manager … By Thinking Like a Designer

COMMUNICATIONS: How Facts Change Everything (If You Let Them)

DIGITAL BUSINESS: Morph the Web To Build Empathy, Trust and Sales

INNOVATION: Toyota’s Secret: The A3 Report

CREATIVITY: Elegance By Design: The Art of Less

FROM THE MAGAZINE

Winter 2012: Cover Story

Winning the Race with Ever-Smarter Machines

SPECIAL REPORTS

The MIT SMR Store

CONNECT

Topics

Guest Edition

Improvisations

Special Reports

Design Thinking

Not a Thing, But a Way

USER EXPERIENCE: Designing Waits That Work

IN PRACTICE: Usability for Evil

PROBLEM SOLVING: How to Become a Better Manager … By Thinking Like a Designer

COMMUNICATIONS: How Facts Change Everything (If You Let Them)

DIGITAL BUSINESS: Morph the Web To Build Empathy, Trust and Sales

INNOVATION: Toyota’s Secret: The A3 Report

CREATIVITY: Elegance By Design: The Art of Less

FROM THE MAGAZINE

Winter 2012: Cover Story

Winning the Race with Ever-Smarter Machines

SPECIAL REPORTS

The MIT SMR Store

CONNECT

Topics

Trouble signing in or new to MIT SMR?