Today, we will look at all the fundamentals and fun-facts about idea-development and design-thinking, as assembled on this side. And then we will find out, if any of these ideas, concepts, learnings presented may be helpful to booster or even realize one of the own ideas, ambitions - dreams...
Before, we will collect and present all the statements about the videos, chosen and presented at the first session. For all those, who wanted to earn some extra credits in the framework of the Portfolio Exams, they were invited to reflect in writing on these two questions:
– Why did I choose this video?
– What is the hidden design-thinking message we have discovered this first day?
Most of these selected Videos were proposed and presented Saturday, December 10th, at bbw-Hochschule, R.527 [1]. Today, we added and discussed all the comments presented, before them being uploaded on the bbw-moodle-website.
by Anand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwYX52BP2Sk
1. The video I chose: Time – Pink Floyd -
The video is a classic video from the 70s rock band, Pink Floyd. The song is taken from their
best-selling album, The Dark Side of The Moon. The song has elements from life lessons learnt by an individual through the passage of time. It was composed by then band members David Gilmour and Roger Waters.2. Why I chose the video?
The lyrics to the song Time make light of how quickly time passes in a person’s life, from youth to old age. Times flies just like that. Then you have no idea how time has passed. And you already sensed that you missed something and failed to see the opportunity.Then in the whole guitar solo section, represents the realization of their own life of not living to the expectation of themselves. You didn’t do anything that you wished for. This is the time you realized that you are in midlife crisis. You realized that you missed to catch the train and now it’s too late. You are 30 but it seemed you were 20 last year.
After the guitar solo, the lyrics again represents, that you really want to change your life. but you are trapped. You just wish if you could just get that youth back again. Those 10 years. Now every year is getting shorter as you move forward. Years go by now you’re old and too late change anything. You have no energy or any way out. Life is gone. The Time is gone.
The passage of time is what we all go through, live through the same experiences yet we are
living different lives. Similarly design, on the surface might look monotonous or similar, the
depth to it is always unique and individual.3. Design Thinking Elements.
The entire music piece is a beautiful collaboration by all the band members, from the guitar to the keyboard. The design element which stands out is the absence of a music video but the presence of the album logo, which represents a single thought represented by a white light which is then split into a spectrum, through music. The band’s music has always been related to the emotional aspects of life, which in itself is the best designer there is. Design and its elements have always been reflections of thoughts and emotions of a creator or of people associated with it, which can be seen in the structure of the song.
by Alefiya
1. Why this video?
– I was moved when I first watched this advertisement since it was about coffee and the entire setup and message was so overwhelming.
– It made me think about how, even though we know a lot of people, there are just a select handful who actully care and love us.
– Watching how Nescafe blended this concept, setting, and background music all at once to promote a coffee product was quite inspirational.2. Design thinking?
– As an architect the set up and location really impressed me.
– It was a smart idea to use focus lights on people to add emotion to the video.
– The use of perfect location to convey feelings. (For instance, there are many people present in an arena, but only a few matters)
– Overall, a well-conceived advertisement with excellent design thought and execution.
by Amir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V13pbjVmvg
Why did I choose this video?
I found this video interesting because of several reasons. First, the minimal scene conveys the message with a simple setting. There is no complicated decoration to distract you, and the singer’s clothing is absolute, either. So, I can indulge myself in the rhythm and the lyrics. Then, I think the text is motivating because it focuses on hope and trying to overcome despair. It reminds me that although there are difficulties on the way and you may feel hopeless, if we get back to our soul and emotion, we will finally find what we want. The theme always helps me to pay attention to my emotion and prevent being controlled only by logic. In times of disappointment, the song comforts me to stand in my line and search bright horizons. Finally, its music is a relaxant and brings calm and peace. It makes my mind floats in a blue sky, lose routine burdens and only enjoy the moment.Why do I think that this video related to design thinking?
I believe this music video is created based on design thinking because I can vividly see some elements of design thinking in it. The first one is the teamwork and collaboration between the poet, the composer, the players, and the singer to create the music and the video production team to make the video. Every contributor in this team had a role and worked together to create something special and unique. It was not an individual task.
The next thing that emphasizes design thinking is that it is human-centered. Back in the 70s, many nations were inspired by events all around the globe. People became aware of new concepts like equality and women’s rights, besides new philosophical interpretations like Postmodernism. In this condition, people were craving inspirational and motivational contexts to follow. Therefore, talking about hope and vision was an empathy with people looking for significant changes. Producers of this video have paid attention to what happened under different layers of society and found a theme that fulfills the prevailing thirst.
Undoubtedly, when musicians try to compose a song or when singers try to sing a song, they have to repeat and repeat. They cannot make or sing a song in one shot. They talk about the rhythm, the melody, and the tone. They continually find what they are looking for in the end. During these iterations, they brainstorm and devise new ideas to enrich their artwork. That is another component of design thinking that is evident in this video.
Finally, the producers of this video were inspired by social occurrences and developed some ideas based on what they observed or felt. Then, they refined their ideas, started creating basic melodies, implemented what each of them was skilled yet, and recorded the final piece. During this process, they made multiple attempts, assessed their song, and tried to make it better each time. So based on design thinking, they made a music video that was very successful and trendy in its time.
by Farrukh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_ieShoi4Ow&list=PLUsibwt9seAaFkSYmdrsspAeNA7j3oKr5&index=11
Why did I choose this video?
I chose a video of music by avant-garde composer and poet Harold Budd, and a background static image. So, it was quite a “minimalist” choice. I chose this video because the video has a personal connection with me. It captures my attention, hearing, and visual senses. I have an inquisitive approach to life in general. The picture in the video encompasses a combination of feelings that come from my memories. First and foremost, it represents peace of mind, soul, and body – something that I perish in today’s world. Secondly, it lets one float as though they are in a meditative state – a play with consciousness. Thirdly, the music itself does not fit in a specific genre making it complex but at the same, it touches deeper parts of human senses in a soft and welcoming way.
The relation of this video with design thinking is that sometimes simplicity and synergy of different elements (sound and visual) can make a perfect end-product. In this case an image and the music could reach the audience at the level of “naivety”.
What is the hidden design-thinking message we have discovered this first day?
Dialog. At the core of design thinking lies the dialog with real people. Through dialog we get to know people. They can be our customers, coworkers, or personal connections. Design thinking lets one to connect with people on a more inviting and non-judgmental way. It lets one to open up and speak of their (unmet) needs, their mistakes and others’ mistakes, followed by learning from these mistakes. A dialog goes along with human factor, which is unlike machines prone to faults and complexities. Hence, this is a method to effectively approach this human factor. Dialog requires flexibility. We sometimes set rigid rules on how to do things or how to approach a problem. But sometimes it does not work the way the rules dictated it to. In such situation the human factor comes into play. Design thinking lets us use this human factor to further develop ideas and solutions to problems that appear along the way. So, Dinking is not done simply by sitting in front of a computer and coming up with different ideas, but through a dialog with people. Moreover, an effective dialog involves empathy. By being empathetic with people we can find out about their needs and problems. As analogy, a psychotherapy is a long-lasting process where such empathetic dialog happens on a constant basis.
by Lisa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSbZidsgMfw
Tyler, The Creator’s Yonkers
Why did I chose this video?
Tyler, the Creator is the only artist whose art I have actively followed since 2011. The video and song"Yonkers" was the first song I heard from him and the question I asked myself after that was: Who is this guy and why have I never heard of him? In 2011 I was 12 years old, in a new school, with strange and new people and in the process of developing myself. Before that I only knew rappers like 50Cent, The Notorious B.I.G and Eminem. This alternative rap, its appearance and character were different from what was known at that time. I was fascinated by his way of expressing himself, even if it was in a very unconventional way. But
what marked me was that he talked about his problems, got upset and tried to evolve. Exactly what I could not do at that time. His albums usually relate to a specific persona or embodied emotion that tells his story within the project and you follow it throughout the process. The album Goblin, which also includes "Yonkers", refers strongly to the inner pressure you feel when you always want to be better than you were yesterday and the conflict you have with yourself. The album is structured like a therapy session with yourself, which makes it extremely exciting. The music video for Yonkers is controversial and it polarized. It confused me at first, but I could relate to the inner conflict and also the pressure from the outside and the inside - even though I don’t know him personally, but I understand that emotional state.Analysis
The song "Yonkers" was released in 2011 and was the breakthrough for the then 19-year-old Tyler Okonma. The song contains classic Rap and Hip hop elements that were used especially by rappers from Yonkers, New York. The song deals with the alter ego of the self, the inner voice that tells you how you want to be.
This is clearly shown within the lyrics, as many verses contradict each other. The accompanying controversial and polarizing video embodies the inner conflict through a simple setting: the video is shot in black and white and taken in one shot. The center is Tyler himself, sitting on a stool. During the video, his alter ego takes over more and more, causing him to eat a cockroach, which makes him throw up afterwards. After he takes his shirt off, you can clearly see golden chains hanging around his neck and his eyes are turning black. Within the lyrics, especially at the end, other rappers are insulted and the deeper voice of his alter ego gets more voice parts. At the end his nose starts to bleed and a rope falls down next to him, afterwards he commits suicide. The ending shows only his feet hanging down, now only his alter ego speaks. It seems as if Tyler is inferior to his alter ego and loses the inner fight, because his voice falls silent and his ego takes over.Why is the video linked to design thinking?
Design thinking is a method for finding solutions to problems and developing ideas. In creative fields, it is important to develop products and services that embody one’s creativity but also bring value to the customer.
To do this, you have to ask yourself questions from design thinking and go through the process. Musicians embody their emotions through lyrics and melody, through the different genres this happens in different ways. Music tries to satisfy the emotional needs of customers. With the song and video confused feelings of young people were embodied, and is the result of unrestricted artistic freedom. It embodies feelings that especially young people can relate to, but polarizes with the older generation. It is a "product" that young people want because it is different and polarizes. Within the design thinking process all points are met. The artist puts himself in the position of the listeners because he has gone through the same feelings himself. A concrete problem is defined, the inner conflict with the ego. Ideas for implementation were generated, especially with regard to the music video: one take, black and white shot, simple setting, strong and easy storyline, unexpected surprises and a climax at the end of the video. It can also be assumed that prototypes were created especially with the production of the video and the fact that it was made in one shot. With the release the world could react to it. Due to reactions, there was both positive and negative feedback. At this point the circle closes with the beginning, one puts oneself in the position of the listener, understands and develops further. This is seen heavily in subsequent albums, constant evolution and improvement.
by Mandar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PL00SCVBZE [2]
1. Why did you choose this video?
– I choose this video because first of all it’s a great track and I really like the arrangement of the instruments in this track. The way they are arranged, they blend together very well. It starts with sitar and then percussion instruments starts and electric guitar then orchestral elements. For me it’s the prefect fusion of Indian instruments and western instruments. The name of the track says it all Mausam (means climate) and Escape. For me it is felling of escaping from the chaos. When someone is in the mess and trying to move out from that. It’s very uplifting but at the same time it’s very calmful.
2. Why do you think it may have a relation with design thinking?
– I think how in design thinking more importance is given to the problem solving by thinking outside the box in which people attempt to develop new ways of thinking. I think it’s the same here in this track. Not many people try to mix Indian classical and western music together but here in this track the composer has thought out of the box and made an attempt to blend these two music styles together and the result is amazing. By doing this I think the general process of design thinking which is empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test completes.
by Wolf
Look how the design-thinking process helped to make the idea of this video real: [3].
OK GO - Gravity is just a habit - Documentary from Carlo Alberto Orecchia on Vimeo.