APPLIED THEORY
FOOD | MOBILITY WITHIN THE HOME
FOOD | MOBILITY WITHIN THE HOME
Applied Theory in Design demanded design thinking through the exploration of current design practices, understanding the critical role that theory plays in informing and guiding the management of the design process. As designers facilitating new design strategies, our collaborative team was comprised of backgrounds from Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Visual Communication, Fine Art, Technology, Business, and Marketing.
Our challenge was to select a wicked problem, essentially an indeterminate problem with no definitive conditions or limits, and through design thinking, solutions will manifest themselves as heuristics and algorithms. Based upon initial research, there are two user groups that cannot get to the dining table; those defined as "too busy/unlimited mobility" and those defined as "constrained/limited ability". We found that the dining table is not just a physical object in which to eat a meal, but also a metaphor for communal activities within a home. The outcome of this project would be one that enables people to overcome their real and perceived challenges to exercise their individual independence both physically and mentally.
The following images are representative of the process in which we came to a creative solution for this wicked problem; beginning with an extensive design brief including business objectives, design strategy, research questions, project scope, timeline, and preliminary budget. Our journey also included primary and secondary research, mind map generation, and other methodologies including affinity diagramming, PMI charts, matrix construction, and brain-writing. A re-frame midway required looking at the problem form another perspective using metaphorical thinking. Through opportunity implications and a value proposition, design conceptualization was stimulated and prompted rapid sketch ideation, refinement, and prototype development.
Our challenge was to select a wicked problem, essentially an indeterminate problem with no definitive conditions or limits, and through design thinking, solutions will manifest themselves as heuristics and algorithms. Based upon initial research, there are two user groups that cannot get to the dining table; those defined as "too busy/unlimited mobility" and those defined as "constrained/limited ability". We found that the dining table is not just a physical object in which to eat a meal, but also a metaphor for communal activities within a home. The outcome of this project would be one that enables people to overcome their real and perceived challenges to exercise their individual independence both physically and mentally.
The following images are representative of the process in which we came to a creative solution for this wicked problem; beginning with an extensive design brief including business objectives, design strategy, research questions, project scope, timeline, and preliminary budget. Our journey also included primary and secondary research, mind map generation, and other methodologies including affinity diagramming, PMI charts, matrix construction, and brain-writing. A re-frame midway required looking at the problem form another perspective using metaphorical thinking. Through opportunity implications and a value proposition, design conceptualization was stimulated and prompted rapid sketch ideation, refinement, and prototype development.
Feel free to explore our Process Book for further details and documentation of this project.
