As we all show off our bookshelves in our virtual backdrops, here’s some learning from the latest book I’ve been reading/doodling on/talking about. I’ve pulled out some lessons and quotes that resonated with me.

What’s it about: This book is all about ‘design thinking, the collaborative process by which the designer’s sensibilities and methods are employed to match people’s needs with what is technically feasible and a viable business strategy. In short, design thinking converts need into demand. It’s a human-centered approach to problem-solving that helps people and organizations become more innovative and creative.’ (Ideo blog).

What Lynn Learned: I asked the people I work with if they had read this book, which was met with a resounding, ‘Yes!’ - a sure indicator that I needed to read it too. Apart from studying Visual Communication for a year, I have had no formal ‘design’ training and I am far from calling myself a ‘designer’; however, human-centred design principles are very much in line with my years of studying sociology, communications and co-production.

Also, you can ditch a contents page for a mind map - love this!

Fave quotes:

• “At IDEO we have dedicated rooms for our brainstorming sessions, and the rules are literally written on the walls: Defer judgment. Encourage wild ideas. Stay focused on the topic. The most important of them, I would argue, is "Build on the ideas of others.”

• “inspiration, the problem or opportunity that motivates the search for solutions; ideation, the process of generating, developing, and testing ideas; and implementation, the path that leads from the project room to the market.”

• “Asked by a curious admirer whether the iconic Eames lounge chair came to him in a flash, Charles replied, “Yes, sort of a thirty-year flash.”

Scribble scale: Not only was I scribbling all over this (think more highlighter than blank page), I was scribbling on top of the reader before me’s notes as it was a second hand copy.

Why it's relevant right now: As they say on IDEO’s website: ‘Change by Design is not a book by designers for designers; it is a book for creative leaders seeking to infuse design thinking into every level of an organization, product, or service to drive new alternatives for business and society.’ Who is not looking for alternatives to business and society right now? (Change by Design website).

Dive in now: Ideo, the company which Tim Brown is the chair of, has an entire website dedicated to design thinking, resources and FAQs.

Have you read Change by Design? I’d love to hear what you think and what I should read next.