Ep 159| Power of Observation for Creative Designers - 10 Steps to develop and be 100X Productive

Being a designer, I have learnt the more attention you pay for observing something, the better you will be able to solve that problem. Compared to people who are normally looking. It is a very important skill, but a lot of designers don't have. A lot of designers don't even think that it's very important. Let me give you a clear understanding, guys. The more you see very closely and observe people's behavior, observe people's activities and observe the product behavior and how the thing works, you will be able to see the hidden links, you will be able to see the problems which people don't tell. The problem which the society don't tell, they don't see. So that is the power of observation for a designer. In this podcast, I'm going to tell you why it is very important and how the designers can develop it in 10 steps. Take a lot of notes. Let's jump into this podcast. So it is very evident for a designer to really understand this power of observation. It is not meant to be taken very easily, guys. It is very vital. I will tell you why. The moment when a problem statement comes moment when what you call a challenge appears in front of you. Everybody is tending to give an answer, everybody is tending to give a solution or work on the obvious things, right? But that's where the big differentiation happens. Designers don't take it just like that. In my observation, in my experience, which I worked with hundreds and hundreds of designers and I worked with around lot of different country designers, I understood their culture, I understood how they work. I worked with German designers, Japanese designers, uk, US designers. So the thought process and everything is really different for each and every individual. And let me tell you, the people who are really observing a lot, they give a lot of insights and they drive the project into a whole new different level. People who are seeing it in a surface level, they don't give big difference in it. They don't give a lot of impact in that. So seeing the unseen, thinking very differently, how does it really matter? How does it really see the big potential light? See Apple, Steve Jobs has really made a big difference by releasing ipod, by releasing iPhone, right? The way in which he saw the things nobody has seen that people would have thought, okay, technology is not there. How do you bring Internet into your telephone, how do you bring music, musical device into your telephone? So in 2004 or five, for people, this will be a big fantasy. But he has seen that pattern, he has seen that common, uncommon thinking, what people are not thinking. So he brought that into reality and that's why this product is really gone viral and still we are talking about it and it's going to be talked for next century as well. So the power of observation, the way in which you see the patterns matters. People don't get this point because as a designer, many times what you just get driven by this is a timeline. Your pressure, your office, your client does that in your routines. But. But what? People don't really go into this. They really don't go into the real Nicky Catties of it. Like let's say if there is a wall in front of you, you don't know what is behind the wall, right? But can you see, can you understand, hey Jagdish. How it's possible? I'm not a magic man. Let me tell you guys, the way in which you listen to this very carefully. What is the sound coming? What is the smell coming? What is the, what you call the vibe which is happening there? You tend to sense this information and then you find okay, there is somebody who is cooking biryani there. Okay, see, you understood right? Because you observed it very closely. You smelled it and then you seen sound and then you heard sound. Tick, tick, tick, tick. Something like utensils going here and there, somebody is cooking and by the smell you found it's a biryani. So the moment, if you slow down, the moment if you think through and the moment, if you observe it by the senses and by the different abilities what we have, you will try to see what is happening beyond the wall. So I'm just giving example as a wall, as a metaphor. But this is what people's behavior is. This is what people's thinking and thought process and habit is. They are like a wall. You have to see through that wall in order to find out the real need of it. Observation is a foundation of design thinking designer needs to understand this market trends the world around them to create an impactful solution going beyond that surface level thinking, guys being truly observant, finding out the interactions and pain point. Let me tell you as a UI UX designer observes the user, how they are struggling with the complex menu, they get inspired to create more intuitive interfaces. How they can bring that entire complex payment system into a simple understanding how a particular problem is being solved using that. This is the power of observation. Now let me tell you the 10 strategies how you can improve this. See, always have a proper understanding in your mind. Approach it with a framework. Don't just start with something like randomly have your assumption but approach it with a fresh eyes. Because the moment when you approach it with your fresh eyes, with a framework, you will see a lot of clarity. It may be assumption initially, but you will have that solid principles built around it. It was inspired by Zen philosophy. Approach it the world with a fresh eyes, free of assumptions. Don't get biased. Second is become a people watcher. Observe how people interact. See, this is my understanding is because when I go to Bastan, when I go to railway station, when I go to. When I travel everywhere, I just observe people. How they sit, how they talk, how they think, how they even see the other people, right? A way in which a boy, girl, boy, girl looks is different. The way in which a old person looks to a different person is different. The way in which a beggar looks to a normal people is different. The way in which a normal people look at the beggar is different, right? So observe people. It will be really interesting. That's your laboratory. That's where you have to research. There is no one way, there is no methodology to do it. The more you watch people, the better you will be able to comprehend with their needs and you will find the hidden patterns. The third is engage with all of your senses. See. Pay close attention not just to your visuals. Sound, smell, texture, emotion, touch, non touch, everything guys. Okay, the fourth important thing is practice active learning. See truly listen to user feedbacks. Always, always delve deeper into their needs. That's why listening is a very important skill. I have recorded a separate podcast on this. So practice that listening habit. Ask a question, wait for few minutes. The best way to do a listening is give 5 seconds gap after somebody has stopped talking. If they interrupt, they've still not completed. Allow them. If you waited for five seconds, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and then they're not talking, then they are over. Then you can able to pitch. What happens typically is people just rush, rush, rush with their perspective. So stop that. Fifth is embrace curiosity. Always ask why? How you know what? I've got lot of bad name because of this point guys. I used to ask lot of questions to my fellow mates, to my classmates, to my designers, to my office colleagues. Lot of people get annoyed. But let me tell you guys, I made a significant difference in many of the projects because of asking this question. Lot of top senior people have appreciated me this ability. Lot of people has directly told me and appreciated me in front of my face and told others as well. So people will pull, people will bully you guys. But the reality is the more you ask questions, the more you question the social norms, the respect what the people have at that time will Be different. But when you show that impact of this project, how it made a significant difference because of you questioned that entire norms that makes a big difference and they will feel a lot later. So embrace that curiosity. The sixth important thing is collect inspirations everywhere. When you take, when you take vacation, when you go take a pictures, when you go to a blog, when you go to online, when you watch to people, when you talk to people, always carry handbook. I would suggest ask a designer needs to have a very good sketchbook, a good color pens and sketch pens so that you can able to sketch some ideas. I used to take notes when I'm traveling about my podcast, what I have to talk to my audience, what pain points do I address, how do I really take care of them and how do I give this value in just 10 to 15 minutes. So anywhere you can just catch, write, capture this inspiration. Guys, challenge your perceptions. Don't think, don't take things just like that. Don't take things just because of the face value. Look at alternative perspectives. Come and think in a different way because the more you observe you will see this kind of things happening. The more perspective you shift, the observation will be different for you. 8th important thing is experiment with different observation technique. Don't just observe just by watching. Don't do competitor analysis, do pestle analysis, do trend forecasting, do market analysis, do SWOT analysis. So the way in which you see the data different, different angle your perception observation will be different. Ninth very important thing is practice mindfulness guys. See, train your mind to focus on certain things. Be in present. This is a very, very vital thing. Nobody really teaches you this. 10th is turn observation into action. See, whatever you did so far, if you're not able to convert it into an action, that becomes a hell a lot of pain guys, because listening to this podcast is not the point. Taking action on what is one or two important things which you really wanted to do matters a lot. If you're able to observe this and take it into an action. I'm telling you guys, you're going to master this skill like anything. I hope you would have understood the importance of why designer needs to have an observation and how to importantly improve this in 10 steps. The first is embrace your beginner's mindset. Second is become a people watcher. Third is engage all your senses. Fourth is practice active listening. Fifth is embrace your curiosity. Sixth is collect inspiration everywhere. Seventh is challenge your perceptions. Eighth is experiment with different observation method and techniques like pestle analysis, SWOT analysis and different methods and trend forecasting and market analysis and 9th is doing mindfulness practice and 10th is taking action and moving forward. If you are able to do this, guys, I am telling you, you will definitely go out of box. Your foundational thoughts will become a great, great habit for you. And take this inspiration, any one or two ideas in this podcast and implement this for the next 21 day. Guys, let me know in this podcast consistently how you observed in 21 days, what are the changes you made and if you're not able to do it, I would highly, highly recommend you you write in this podcast. Jagdish, I've tried this for several days. It's not working. Let me come and help you guys because I know 100% it will work if you take it forward. Okay? Maybe you will not be able to implement it in the right way. Come back to my mentorship program. I'll help you exactly to do it with a proper accountability because I help students build this as a habit, how they can observe, how they can read book, how they can observe certain concepts very fastly. Because when you hold accountability, you will do faster, you will do much better rather than just listening, listening, listening to any materials. Okay? So thank you so much guys. Take take care. All the best. And if you need my mentorship support, you can write to this email DFSA Design for Change with this in the description of this podcast. Thank you so much. Take care. All the best. Bye bye.