Just returned from the 3-day d.confestival under the theme of “Design thinking matters now” which celebrated the official opening of the Hasso Plattner d.school Afrika in its new green building specifically built with design thinking learning in mind.
To say that it was an inspiring event is an understatement. The energy was contagious, with the colorful and vibrant atmosphere that reflects the creative African spirit.
During the event, we have witnessed first-hand the wisdom of Prof. Hasso Plattner, the person who sponsored through his foundation the establishment of several d.schools around the world, and we were inspired by his never-ending passion for design thinking despite his lifelong accomplishments in academia and business.
We have also learned from pioneers in design thinking from Stanford and Postdam d.schools and other thought leaders from around the world, practitioners, and young students as well. It was also great to meet fellow healthcare professionals in Africa who are eager to introduce design thinking in the system.
As we celebrated, interrogated, and anticipated the value of design thinking, these are few takeaways from the d.confestivel:
- While not a scientific discipline per say, design thinking can be harder to internalize and practice than math and physics, and it goes against the grain for many people.
- Top-down decisions are hardly successful in making impact in complex systems. They might be outdated or distorted by the time they reach the implementation stage.
- Design thinking works best when adapted to the culture and local context.
- Although it may seem as counterintuitive at times, design thinking is the most natural way to move.
- While science brings many solutions to the table, it has its own biases that need to be filtered through a human-centered lens.
- Dealing with complex problems such as those in healthcare requires trying to visualize and articulate the influx of complex information to start with.
- In healthcare, if you are not designing for the patient as well as the care provider and the organization that delivers that care, you may not end up with a viable solution.
- At the end of the day, design thinking is all about making impact.
Congratulations to the d.school Afrika for an amazing event and an aspiring vision.
One day, inshalah, we will celebrate opening a d.school in our part of the world, speaking to our local context and leveraging our unique strengths.
