Designing a Thesis on Design

Thesis [ˈTHēsis] -
A statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.

The past month of exploration, reflection, and introspection on who I am as a human being and designer has been to culminate my thoughts into a cohesive thesis statement. An argument that grounds my decisions and directions within the world around me. Here is a recap on a few words that describe my design ethos:

Empathy

Curiosity

Interaction

Communication/ expression

Specifically, I discovered that my interests lie within areas that are overly stagnant when all evidence points to change yet there is no movement because of fear due to “risk”.

Currently this has manifested itself with my drive and passion towards revolutionizing education and healthcare. Both very large fields that effect almost everyone in the modern world and are highly regulated and slow to change.

As I begin to formulate a clear thesis statement to define a complex problem space, I have attempted to write out a few statements:

• Corporations, companies, and people in the social sector have adopted the mentality that, if it works than there is no reason for change, even if there exists strong evidence and support for an alternate method.
• Peoples’ fear of risk and complacency results in lost communication and adoption of well supported solutions and products that outweigh any risk to begin with.
• Considering a multidimensional approach to design is the most effective way to solve complex social challenges because it utilizes many empathetic perspectives between the system and the user.
• Complex social challenges are being neglected even with the support of proven evidence and research because the fear of risk stifles decision making.
• Adopting a holistic empathetic approach to designing is the only way to break through the barriers of stagnant social systems. The consideration of all variables and parts ensures the scale does not tip heavily towards the capitalist perspective.

My role as a designer would be to establish a natural balance feedback loop that considers all sides and influencers of a problem. Creating a system where each part harmoniously relies on the other to grow.

Wonder Lab_10.23.16