Improving Decision Making Skill in Product Design and creative field

If you are in a creative field, how do you really make a decision which is going to become correct or which is really a best decision which can have a high impact in the future? Like lot of people have a big problem in choosing or designing when it comes to hundreds of concepts and choosing one idea. Particularly when a cross functional team comes in, the confusion becomes even more bigger. Particularly if you are in a product design, this is going to be a big hurdle for you. A lot of people have different challenges in taking this forward. Few people are stuck, few people do a random decision making. Right? So how do you really take care of this? This particular podcast is going to give you clarity on how you can really make decision making ability more improved in your career. Take a lot of notes. Let's jump into this podcast. The very first strategy, what I'm going to tell you is rational decision making. Okay, so for this people have like, let's say, let's assume a scenario where you can really understand it better. Okay? So when you are choosing a concept, you wanted to really make sure this is going to fit there or not. What happens is a lot of times there will be only few concepts available and you'll have to make a decision out of it. In that case, always look for data. Okay? This is the very first sub element which you have to really look at. Always look for any kind of a statistics which is there. Like let's say if any research done already or maybe any particular data which is pertaining to this is going to make a relevance out of this. Okay? And the third important thing is find some interesting journals and scientific referrals which is showing this particular pattern out of it. Because there are three elements. One is the data, the second one is statistics. The third one is any scientifically proven journal. So what is this? Why is this three important? Why is this three things important? Jagdish? Let me tell you guys, when a particular number is there, when a particular data is there, you will see much more clarity in visualizing the impact of this concept. Right? Rather than just choosing like let's say, hey, I'll go for this concept, which looks flashy, which looks more beautiful, which looks really clear. No, that's not the case. What happens is like let's say if your concept is orange in color, let's say if your other concept is blue in color, you want to choose blue. That's not the point. Particularly when you have a data with you now you can substantiate. So how many people really like the blue color, how many people really like the orange color, then you will have a much clarity in choosing that decision. Right. Because creative field is very abstract. You know that product designers really deal with that. And when we have a data in that, when we have a research done in that, then decision making ability goes much higher. Like let's say 60% of your user is really preferring the blue color and your competitor also has that. 90% of your competitors are really using this particular blue as their standard colors. Yes. Then you are more inclined towards choosing the concept which is blue. See, when you have the data, when you have a statistics, you have a more clear picture in it. And also scientifically it proves that blue color is more soothing to your eyes. And psychologically you feel more safe and secure. And you know what, a lot of hospitals and airlines and other big travel industries use the blue as their logo color. So see, this is what is really proven in scientific journals. And also when these three things are really matching data stat and scientific journals which is proven this, then you can choose that concept. This is the way in which rational decisions are made. Right. This is very common trait which decision makers use. Particularly people who are in a MBA field or in the management decisions. And then people who take a very big strategic decision which involves crores and crores of rupees and millions of dollars. Definitely they do it. They see graphs, they see stats, they see numbers, they see data and then they choose competitors data and also infer the final results out of it. Creative designers don't do it. That's the reason I'm recording this particular point. Okay, you need to choose this. So this is a rational point of it. Now let me give you another important point which is intuition, part of it. Most, most important. Right? So okay, Jagdish, so having said that, people are really rationalizing the data stat and finding the pattern, everything. Now if you are in a creative field, you need to definitely press this button in your brain. Okay? See the moment when you see a concept, there'll be some intuition inside you which comes in which will tell you whether the concept is good, bad, okay? Or maybe this can become a good concept in the future. Right? Some voice will come inside you. Definitely it will come. Jagdish, how do you find out that it's definitely possible? Guys, I'll tell you. If you're seeing like let's say 10 different concepts, think very slowly, okay? What impact does this concept is really going to make? Like let's say concept one, don't just see quickly like oh, this is not good. This is okay. This is Fine. That's not the way in which it is. At least give 60 seconds for a concept to really think. What is the real potential of this idea? What is the real problem? Is it solving in what way this will be perceived by our target audience and user Persona which we have chosen. Think for a moment. Think for 60 seconds. At least. You will have some kind of a red or green or yellow. Like, let's say you have a scale of 1 to 10. You can rate it down. Like, let's say 8. I would say colors is better because when I talk to my design director, he is one of the jury panel in if Design Awards. If Design Awards is one of the globally most reputed design awards in the world. Okay? Only 83 judges are there in that if design awards, and he's one of that. So he choose. He told that method. When they're choosing hundreds of different products, which is like best or not? You know what they decide upon? Color. Let's say if some concept is good, like they'll put green. It's not good, they'll put red. So something like that, it makes you go on a other scale, right? Think clearly and then you can vote on that. Now you can go for the second concept, third concept, fourth, fifth, and then now you average it out. Which score is really bringing you lot of insightful information. You will see some, like let's say fourth and fifth concept is having a green. Green color. Other concepts are red, red. So go now, find out which is really making a big decision out of it. Why did I really choose this? Write it down. See, guys, if you're not able to write it down, then the decision what you made is not really making any meaning out of it. Then what are the difference between designers and us? Other people and designers, right? So you need to get this understanding. People, what they do is they make some decision and they wanted to justify it. No, that's not the case. You really are driven by some decision. That is the reason you choose that concept, right? That is a reality. Of course, that is a real fact. Only thing is your ability to really decode that, decipher that, understand why you choose that particular element. Is it because of color? Is it because of composition? Is it because of you like that personally? Is it because your competitor has it? It could be anything, right? That's totally fine. Write it down. See, if you are not able to Write at least 3 points why you have choose that concept? Leave that. That's the impulsive decision you made. See, it's very, very careful caution, which I'M giving. When people are choosing intuition decision, they make an impulsive decision as well. That's not the point. You have to think for a second and rationalize it properly. Think. See it is not relating to data stat or any kind of a scientific journal information. It is about your own heart thinking for it. And if you are giving that clarity. Yes guys, you have really found out that particular voice to capture Jagdish. How to really practice this? It comes only by practice. It comes only by taking action every day. If you are involved in a brainstorming session, ideation session, take that in charge in your team and do it. Line up all the concepts, think clearly and metricate it. Line up all the information which is relevant to you and then find out which is going to have a 1, 2, 3 and 4. And ask your teammates to also infer that information. Understand what perspective they are also pouring in. This is very important guys. If you wanted to really trust your intuition, you should also understand what the majority of the audience is also taking upon in your brainstorming room, in your ideation room and then understand the data and statistics and then choose the decision. See a lot of people don't do the second part. They choose the intuition and they take. Okay, concept four is fine, we'll do it. You will have to justify and understand how the data is also relevant with that. How the statistics is also getting relevant in that. Then what happens is you will have more more clarity in choosing which concept is going to become most important. Okay. Because lot of times you are tend to miss out a good concept. Also you will be tending to miss out a beautiful potential idea which can have a impact in the future. Right now it won't have the practicality in making it. That is why it is very important to trust your intuition and read it and understand it. For the 60 second activity and metricated 1 out of 10 scale or use red or green numbers to understand. Okay, I hope you have got the clarity in this. The third important thing is finding the hidden pattern. See this is not about choosing concept one, two or maybe understanding data stat. No, it's not the point. Okay. See for this particular thing to happen, finding the hidden pattern, you need to arrive some understanding before that. Then and only you will be qualified to do this decision making ability. Ok this is a third important and final important strategy which I'm giving you. So to find hidden pattern, first you need to gather a lot of statistics. If your team has not done it, do it. If you are the project owner doing it, do it. Collect More primary information, second information. Okay, try to find out more justifying data and stat and information and relevant journals, which is proving this. Second is find out more intuition, what people are really guessing about it. Choose your impulsive decisions. Also write it down. Choose your audience, ask them feedback. Choose your own design team and ask them feedback. Your cost functional team. Collect every information and try to make a big mind map out of it. This is most most important thing guys. Put all the things in form of numbers or maybe data or maybe graphs or maybe stat, that's okay. Or maybe put some references, put some images, put some hyperlinks, Google image. Every single single element, whatever is possible, you can do it. Then try to form a puzzle out of it. Okay, try to solve the puzzle out of it. Already it looked like a puzzle. But understand you wanted to solve the problem. That's the end of the right whatever problem, whatever design project you're working, end of it. That's going to be the objective. So what is the real problem, what you're solving? Write it down and how this particular concept is going to help you in that. Okay, like let's say if a particular idea is coming with some colors or particular idea is coming with some kind of a functionality. Or maybe let's say if you're choosing a shopping cart, if your customer is really getting benefit out of the concept one, but your concept two solves it in a very shorter way. Your concept three solves this in a shorter way. But. But this has more graphical element in it. Your Concept 4 solves it with the graphical element very shorter way as well as giving you more sensual feedback in that. So now fit all your data and statistics in each of these concepts. Choose your mind wise and intuition out of these four concepts. Now you ask your feedback of your team also on your customer also and write it down and then you form a big matrix out of this. Okay, this is a very beautiful method, guys. It's a. It's a metrication what you can make. And then now look closely on this big map, data what you have. Okay? I told you. You can form it in a mind map and try to find the missing link. Okay, concept four and concept two can be mixed together. Or maybe concept five and six can be mixed together. What happens is when you add that particular element, then it really solves a big problem. Your concept should also solve the problem. It should also be more optimal for the user. It should have a minimum steps, it should be deployable, it should be productionable, it should be scalable in your all applications, websites, or mass production, anything. And then it becomes a most robust solution. See, we have not choose one concept, we have not choose two concepts. We have made a mixed blending pattern out of it by finding the hidden pattern which is available in your ideas. Let's say if you have hundreds of ideas, this is the best, best approach to solve this guys. And you know what, trust me, I've used it one of my, I've used this technique in one of my big medical products where I had a lot of concepts. Where already the competitor is having huge number of products in the market. In our company also we had a lot of concepts and we wanted to really understand how this concept, what I mean is going to make a big difference. And you know what, it really worked when you are metricating it with a scale and finding out the hidden pattern. And many times it helps you innovate even more differently in your product portfolio which is hidden. Lot of new products will also come, lot of new ideas will also come. That is why your openness is required to read this pattern. A lot of people ignore this. A lot of people, hey, today before end of the day, client needs the project. We need to complete and take one idea and implement it. No, do not think like a normal strategic decision makers, right? We are creative designer. That's why we need to press this button of intuition and think what else this controller concept can solve. What else? New ideas can also come. And you know what? Surprise, surprise, you will be bringing out a lot of creative elements out of it. And this is a big difference guys, between a creative designer and a strategic decision maker. And when you are embracing this quality, you will become a great, great decision maker in your career. Okay, I hope this particular podcast has given you a clarity on how you can really touch upon your decision making ability. The first important thing is looking closely on data, statistics and pattern out of it. This is a rational decision making ability. The second pattern is intuition. So how do you trust your intuition? How do you rate your concepts? How do you really find out that mind wise and think clearly and slowly and taking time to decide upon and justifying with three reasons out of it. When you're able to justify your intuition, that becomes a reality. And the third is finding the HIDD pattern out of it. Okay, so choosing the concepts, retrocating it and finding the hidden puzzles in your mind map and asking your feedback with your customer, clients and your stakeholders to mix to puzzle it out and bring the two, three ideas, mix it and finally getting the best out of it. Okay, when you are able to use this approach in a collective way in your design thinking process you will have a wonderful decision making ability to solve your problem. And you know what if 2030, 100 designers are going to solve this problem, same ability you will be able to solve using this approaches in a very powerful and impactful way in choosing the final concept. And when you are bored with hundreds of ideas you will not get confused, you will solve it very clearly. Okay so share it out one more time if you wanted to get more clarity and if you want lot more things like this you can also write me about in this podcast. If you want to address any particular pain point in your design field I'll be more than happy to help you out. Okay so thank you so much guys. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Subscribe me in the Spotify and Apple and if you find this useful please give Me Best Star Rating 5 Star in Apple and Spotify. Thank you so much. We'll see in another episode. Bye bye.