Life by Design... And Databases, Too?

This year I had the opportunity to be introduced to the concept of design thinking.  Design thinking is what architects use to ‘bring into existence that which was once not there’.  Design thinking challenges us to know the problem we face (what ‘is’), know the purpose or telos where we are headed (what ‘ought’ to be), and then, by asking how to get there, to form alternative realities to what already exists (design options). 

illustration by Blanca Gomez

The beautiful thing about design thinking is its focus on the freedom to work without a script and to dream up imaginative new approaches to problems that have stymied others.  This, as opposed to analytical thinking, which has obviously been very helpful to society, but is based on a structured logic. 

Analytical thinking has been great for helping us to fix machines or solve mathematical problems. Aristotle said that this logical/analytical road is only one way of thinking, and was great for some problems. Although nowadays we seem to apply it to everything,  Aristotle believed there was a second domain of truth that can only be accessed by using human inventiveness, conversation, & persuasion to create what was not yet there.  For instance, the Apple iPad was not created using logic (it may have been built that way), but it was created through the imagination and conversation of a group of people.   The best example I have seen applying design thinking to business is from the Australian consulting firm Second Road.

This concept of design thinking is not only useful for business, but life.  As we go through life, we often feel if we are being pulled by forces that we cannot control.  However, the course of our lives are not a laid down blueprint, where we can use logic to avoid the disturbances that come up. 

Of course there are constraints to life, but life is full of design opportunities.  The world needs to be seen as a potential playground for us to design our lives in, and use the opportunities we are given to design beautiful things around us.  The future of your life is not set in stone, but you are able to design it to look a certain way: how will you use that Friday afternoon off? To drive to the mountains, build a deck, bike with a friend?

In helping people design databases that work the way they work,  I have seen many of these principles come up again and again.  So many people have resided themselves to the fact that it is okay that their software be mediocre, and that it is a necessary evil.  It is hard to explain sometimes that having an application that only ‘sort of’ fits your needs should not be the norm.  But with web-based databases designed on QuickBase, an application can actually be designed that works with the organization’s work process, has empathy for the end user, and will not cause pain in the process.  Do you want a database that actually works the way that you work?  There are options to design a better way.  

Take our tour to find out how we design really great databases that work the way people want to work, using Intuit's QuickBase. Better yet, sign up for a free demo for your organization and get started today!