A designer walks into a library…

It sounds like the start of one of those jokes that rely on professional stereotypes, doesn't it? But, I was actually hired by Cambridge University Library to establish a design practice and run an innovation programme within the Library. I had stepped (mostly deliberately) into a complex context where the traditional models of publishing, education and librarianship are being disrupted.

In this talk, I share some of the human-centred design techniques we have been employing in Cambridge University Libraries to involve library users and librarians in collaborative innovation. These include design research, sketch hacks, design jams and innovation labs.

I also reflect on the successes and the lessons I have learned from bringing design practice and applying design thinking in a library context.

Originally presented at i2c2 in Manchester on Thursday, 7 March 2014.

Transcript

1. A DESIGNER WALKS INTO A LIBRARY… Presented by Paul-Jervis Heath at I2C2 in Manchester on Thursday, 7 March 2014. MODERN HUMAN.
2. Hello! I’m Paul and I’m a designer and innovation consultant.
3. Photo credit Flickr user Anna L Martin - http://bit.ly/1hOknrj 114 libraries 8m volumes in the University Library 6,000 academic staff 18,500 students
4. Academic Libraries face a perfect storm. Photo credit Flickr user Jerry Angelica Photography - http://bit.ly/1pKfZzc
5. Consumer technology is driving the expectations of both students and faculty.
6. The library is a natural home for an institutions eLearning platform, MOOC and the material it contains.
7. Open Access represents a seismic shift that publishers will not be able to continue to resist. Photo credit Flickr user danielito311 - http://bit.ly/OMVJ24
8. “To invent a future that doesn't exist, you really have to understand what people are doing today and completely reimagine it” – Bill Burnett: executive director of the design program at d.school, Stanford. Photo credit Flickr user kakakakatie1983 - http://bit.ly/OMU2Sb
9. Innovation is driven by design research not market research.
12. • Workarounds: Quick, seemingly efficient solutions that address the symptoms of a problem not the root cause. • Values: People’s values play an important role in their motivations. What do they value? What’s important to them? What’s not? • Inertia: Situations in which customers act out of habit. How can you leverage or break that inertia? • Shoulds vs. Wants: People struggle with the tension between wants: things they crave in the moment; and shoulds: things they know are good for them in the long term. How can you help people move from where they are to where they want to be? What are we looking for?
13. Adapted from: Diffusion of Innovations, Everett M Rogers. (1962). Crossing the Chasm, Geoffrey Moore. (1991). Early Adopter Early Majority Late Majority Laggards
14. Immerse Imagine Invent Articulate Entypo Pictograms by Daniel Bruce - http://entypo.com.
15. Searching for clichés Product Interaction Pricing Adapted from: Disrupt: Think the unthinkable to spark transformation in you business, 2010, Luke Williams.
16. Let’s Design a Better World with Everyone. Idea Jams enable lots of people to be involved in the ideation process. Photo credit Flickr user asadotzler - http://bit.ly/15sTd0V
17. Card and Glue, Lego and Minecraft are all media that can be used for participatory design workshops.
18. Architects vs. Scientists: synthesis as a creative problem-solving strategy. Photo credit Flickr user kakakakatie1983 - http://bit.ly/OMU2Sb
19. CHAPTER TITLE. Early stage prototyping provides validated learning.
20. • Use prototypes to learn about user behaviour with your concept • Validates emergent service against business objectives and goals • Validates Concepts with Users • Use Scenario Testing, Concept Probes, Cognitive Walkthroughs with Real Users, Mock environments, Roleplay. Experimenting with prototypes.
21. • Iteration is vital for success • Treat the concept as a hypothesis not as a definitive solution • Learn everything you can • Adapt to what you learn • Refine the concept, refine the prototype • Test Again Iterate and refine.
22. With University of Cambridge we’re using design thinking to work out how we address the challenges of the 21st Century. Photo credit Flickr user YLev - http://bit.ly/MDQTCh
23. • Change is coming and it looks exciting. • Focus group are not design research and will not lead to innovation. • Shadowing and diary studies help you understand people’s latent needs, their behaviour and their motivations. • Divergent thinking and convergent think are separate stages of creative problem solving. Wait, what did he say?
24. • Identifying clichés and turning them on their heads kick-starts creativity. • Codesign involves everyone in coming up with solutions. It can be a huge amount of fun and it’s massively valuable. • Synthesis is just as valuable as analysis and leads to different solutions. • Prototype as early as possible. Learn everything you can from your prototypes. Wait, what did he say?
25. Paul-Jervis Heath paul@modernhuman.co @pauljervisheath MODERN HUMAN. We use human-centred design to help businesses invent their future. We’re a design practice & innovation consultancy. Find out more at http://modernhuman.co