18th March 2017 - Design for Need , Social Design Tips

By Matt McClumpha

Keep it simple, stupid, also referred to as K.I.S.S, is reflected in all great designs, from a mug to a jet engine. Although simplicity can lead to greater user experience, it is important to realise that it should not interfere with the primary design goal. As Albert Einstein said: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."

For example, a smartphone is far simpler than a DSLR camera however it does not offer more options for the photographer. Both designs have considered the users expectations and removed complexity where it exists for its own sake, thus simplifying the design. Within social design, this principle should always be considered to bring the best possible user experience to the solution.

This tip was briefly talked about in our previous article: ‘What is Social Design’. There we discussed how a smartphone can be extremely useful at home, however useless while on top of a mountain. Just because the smartphone works well in one particular context, this does not mean it will work well in another. Social designing is all about being mindful of the community you are designing for.

A good way to get a basic understanding of the context, is to use the ‘5W1H’ method (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How). To use this method, simply take one of the questions, either at random or with a more particular purpose in mind and ask it of the situation. For example if you are organising a office party you might ask; ‘Why are we having it? How much will it cost? What music do people like? Who will come?’ and so on. By asking all of these questions you quickly begin to gain a idea of the context and the bigger picture.

Here at ‘Design for Need’ we cannot get enough of sustainability, it’s our bread and butter. In order to create a sustainable design we need to first consider the social, economic and environmental impact of the potential solution. Ignoring just one of these principles can lead the solution to failure.

For example, when choosing the appropriate material for the solution, you may pick something which is very cheap (economic) and locally available (social), however the material produces toxic gases during manufacturing (environmental). Although the solution may succeed for a short period, the long-term impacts of this material will harm people's health. It is important to be holistic when design a product, what will happen to it when it breaks? Will it simply be thrown away or could there be a better use?

This may sound obvious but being able to communicate clearly is crucial for project work, without communication the overall efficiency of a project will be affected and any vital progression may stop altogether, leaving both parties with nothing. Through good communication you start to build trust with your end-user, collaborators and work colleagues, this is essential to achieving the goal and maintain strong working relationships.

When communicating, ensure that you choose your medium carefully, for many, face to face interaction is the best way to build trust, however this is not always an option. Furthermore, distance or a language barrier can hinder communication, however there are many other options to ensure your message is clear and accessible, such as email, facetime/skype or infographics. Make sure to keep everyone involved as well, keeping all line of communication open, encouraging updates and reports. Finally, remember that even when the challenge is may seem too tough, be transparent and tell the truth to those you are working with, making excuses or choosing not to express yourself at all can be extremely counterproductive for a partnership.