Design Perspective

First, let me pull up an old joke:

A large corporation brings in a soap packaging line and encounters a bug: boxes often come out without soap inside. They hire a postdoctoral researcher at great expense, which costs millions, but he finally solves it. When there’s an empty soap box, a robotic arm detects it and removes it. A local township enterprise buys the same production line and hits the same problem. The boss buys a high-power fan for 90 bucks, turns it on full blast, and all the empty boxes get blown away.

Right now, I’m facing the same problem in a project. According to the “usual design thinking,” it all seems “reasonable and foolproof,” but it’s complicated for the system and for the users. I need something simple, direct, and effective.

Trying to take a different path.

Design methodology is important; a unique design perspective is even more valuable.