Paul Bennett: Design is in the details

I think the major take home message from Paul Bennett’s talk is how to bring together what the consumer wants and what the organization/ system wants. He suggests the best way to do this is by bringing the consumer into the process of creating things, involving them from the beginning.
I know its so true that good ideas are often so close to you that you often miss them, sometimes reflection and looking at things in perhaps a different shade of light is the best way to unearth these ideas. I have also noticed that the best ideas are usually the simplest.
I thought the of filming the hospital ceiling was a very simple yet effective way of immersing yourself in the your subjects environment to better understand to problem. It wasn’t until the hospital reps saw the video that they realised how boring and unamusing it would be to be a patient. Bennett calls this “a revelation”, which to the hospital reps it surely would have been. Imagine realising that the biggest change/improvement you can make is also very simple.
I like that he mentioned ‘Its not about massive changes it is about tiny things that can make huge differences’ because as a young designer, you want to make a difference, but consequently you normally think to broadly with you head in the clouds, hoping for a grand idea. It is encouraging to know the design process for an experienced designer such as Bennett starts with the basics, the little things.
I thought it was interesting how much positive difference could be made by changing the flooring material from the hallway to the patients room, signifying that this was there ‘personal’ space. From my own experience I know that this actually works, the change of something simple (and relatively cheap) like flooring from room to room creates boundaries and personal sanctuarys.
In the example of the nurses mini-computer, its interesting that, a tiny human gesture (the holding of the patients hand) dictated the design. It wasn’t about how is it going to look and what colours to use. They focused on what was most important (in this case the ability of the nurse to hold the patients hand during the procedure) which in turn, resulted in a successful design of the product.
To me what I take away from this is the importance to put yourself in the position of the consumer to better understand the situation, and then using that insight you have gained to fuel the solution.