The Importance of Seeing Everyday Problems and Designing Better Solutions

Introduction

• Context: Scene from "The Blues Brothers" movie illustrating habituation to problems.
• Essence: Humans quickly get used to everyday things, which can be problematic in product design.

Habituation Explained

• Definition: Habituation is the process by which human brains encode the everyday events and activities into habits to free up cognitive resources.
• Example: Learning to drive. Initially overwhelming but becomes easier over time.
• Positive Aspect: Prevents mental overload by filtering out unnecessary details.
• Negative Aspect: Stops us from noticing and addressing recurring problems.

Real-world Examples

• Fruit Stickers: Originally intended to ease checkout process but created new issue of removing the sticker before consuming the fruit.
• Shower Handles (Jerry Seinfeld's Comedy): Highlights unnoticed everyday frustrations.
• Thermostats: Early models were user-friendly. The energy crisis led to the addition of programming features, which failed to save energy due to user unpredictability. A machine-learning algorithm fixed this problem.

Case Studies in Product Design

• Steve Jobs' Philosophy at Apple: Encouraged seeing products through the eyes of a new user to ensure ease of use from the start. Example of ensuring iPods came pre-charged.
• Mary Anderson's Windshield Wiper: Invented to solve the problem of a streetcar driver needing to open a window to clean the windshield.
• Custom Screws for Thermostats: Created to simplify the installation process.

Core Strategies for Improvement

1. Look Broader

• Identify larger context: Understand broader processes and identify ways to simplify them.
• Example: Machine-learning algorithm in thermostats to avoid complex programming.

2. Look Closer

• Focus on tiny details: Small issues can have large impacts; correcting them can vastly improve user experience.
• Example: Custom screw for easier installation of home products.

3. Think Younger

• Embrace youthful curiosity: Children's questions often reveal overlooked problems and original solutions.
• Example: Kids asking why mailboxes don't notify you when they have mail.

Conclusion

• Challenge: To see and feel the world like beginners to identify and solve unseen problems.
• Goal: Improve product design or any other field by breaking out of habitual thinking.