Me in South Park (Courtesy of http://www.sp-studio.de/)
The book Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design describes the attributes of a sketch as:
- Quick
- Timely
- Inexpensive
- Disposable
- Plentiful
- Clear Style – It suggests it’s a sketch
- Distinct - Not tight and precise, open and free
- Only Includes Detail Needed to Convey Information
- Appropriate Degree of Refinement
- Suggest and Explore Direction – Initiate conversations
- Ambiguity
It dawned on me the other day that in some way, shape or form, the animated show, South Park , meets all the above criteria for being a “sketch”.
Why is this important?
Because as a sketch, it is saying, “Here’s a problem and a possible solution; what do you think? Don’t like that answer? What about this one?”
Because these sketches are actually animated stories, they also contain a “formula” for bringing about resolution of problems contained therein.
So, what I’ve done is look at the South Park ’sketch’ formula and find 9 lessons we can apply to our own quests to creatively solve problems, generate ideas, and innovate.
- Frame your problems/solutions in the context of a sketch. Remember, a sketch can take multiple forms.
- Don’t pre-judge what you put into the sketch. Let it be fodder for discussion.
- Always ask “What if?” What if we killed a character every episode and brought him back (i.e. What if we made some aspect of our device reusable?)? What if a mechanical larynx could be programmed with an Irish accent? What if ground up cash was anti-viral? What if human excrement could talk? Again, DON’T judge the ideas - play them through to their logical conclusion!
- Look at problems through childrens’ eyes and minds; children usually provide common sense answers.
- Don’t let political correctness be the automatic solution to a problem.
- Culturally diverse personalities/perspectives are a good thing.
- Ask questions. (See #4)
- Make the most of the resources you have on hand
- Always learn something from a process/problem/solution/situation.
What else could you add to this list?
How do you use sketches to solve problems?
