Conference Report
Understanding the problem, discussing and proposing a solution: Facing/Changing Realities.
Eloisa Paola Fontana, Communication and information designer
Understanding the problem.
Nowadays we are facing emerging problems that make us rethink what is going on. Doubts arise, especially when we ask why is this crisis happening if we have been doing everything in the most adequate and common way? Perhaps the problem is exactly there: in the “common” way of solving problems. And why is this way of approaching problems not adequate anymore? And why do we keep on trying to create new ideas to solve old problems?
I had a teacher in my university who used to say that a wrong solution for a right problem is a naturally human mistake. The right solution for a wrong problem instead could be a catastrophe.
In my opinion, one of the most important insights of the Facing/Changing Realities conference was to reason about what are we really doing. The key learning takeaway for finding different solutions was using design thinking, rather than technological implementation.
The presentations that worked best for me were those in which we got a glimpse at how corporations are handling and analyzing problems rather than just showing and reviewing portfolios. Innovative solutions can result from simply observing and analyzing user experiences and figuring out new questions to answer.
Special attention was also given to the relevance of design research. The cases presented showed that R&D activities can take companies to further innovative results. Darrel Rhea, CEO of Cheskin, gave a great speech about the importance of design research as a key value-adding element and how investments in this sector are extremely significant to guide the entire process of design and development of product solutions. Usually sales and promotion have the highest portion of the budget, neglecting R&D, but if guided in the wrong direction, these can be disastrous.
Although I found most of the lectures useful, I found two of them to be highly inspiring: the design-driven innovation by professor Roberto Verganti and the visual thinking by Ole Qvist-Sørensen. I think these lectures gave great contributions for new approaches to design and provided grounds for further discussion.
Design-driven innovation was in a certain way provocative for some of the attendees. I think some of those who didn’t react positively to his speech didn’t understand that Verganti’s message was not about ignoring the user-centered point of view, but thinking beyond users and providing solutions that they are not expecting yet. It is then that innovation is born.
In my opinion, the work of Ole Qvist-Sørensen is highly relevant in current times. The emerging complex problems and chaos of information require a better understanding of what is going on. Organizing ideas, visualizing them in a schematic process and creating dialog are strong tools provided by a visual thinking. Personally, I really agree and have a special interest in this design approach, in which understanding the problem comes before trying to solve it.
Discussing
Discussions were always sparked after each lecture, during the workshops, breaks, and especially during the panels performed by Guido Stompff and Lucia Chrometzka.
I had the great honor and opportunity to participate on the “Milan Magic” panel. Lucia Chrometzka, who was one of the co-chairs of the conference and the moderator of the discussion, invited me and another young professional woman in order to know what young designers have to say about the Milanese scenario. I really appreciated the initiative of confronting realities between those who made (and still make) part of the “dolce vita” of Milan, those who are criticizing the actual system, and those who are trying to find a space in the new scenario. It was interesting to notice how everybody agreed that Milan is losing its magic, and also to find out diverse opinions on the reasons why this is happening.
For me this was an amazing opportunity in which I could share a problem and discuss different points of view with highly skilled and experienced people hoping to change this reality. I think the outcome of the discussion was satisfactory and provocative, calling the attention of people who have gotten to the actual situation and couldn’t see the need for a change.
Proposing a solution.
I think the conference provided good insights for companies to solve their problems not only because of the content, but also because of opportunities to create contacts. The solutions can be found through connecting this group of talented people with same interests and yet different skills.
I truly admired the event’s structure and organization and how it encouraged attendees to make contacts and exchange experiences. The schedule, the breaks, the breakout activities and the discussions were certainty important moments to meet people and exchange knowledge and interests. I had the opportunity to meet people in Italy, Netherlands, France, Finland, Estonia, Switzerland, Denmark and the US.
My participation in the panel gave me positive feedback from attendees and helped me to create concrete and cherished contacts. Working in this conference was really an important and reliable experience for me. It certainty opened the doors to future professional opportunities.
Eloisa Paola Fontana
Eloisa Paola Fontana was born to an Italian father and Brazilian-Italian mother in Brasilia, Brazil, holding both Brazilian and Italian citizenships. She has a bachelor’s degree in Graphic and Industrial Design at Universidade de Brasilia (Brasilia University, Brazil) and is currently working on a Master of Science Course in Communication Design at Politecnico di Milano (Milan Polytechnic).
Together with the MSc, she was chosen to join the Research in Innovation program of Alta Scuola Politecnica, a school that selects a few polytechnic students to develop multidisciplinary research projects in different fields. Her team, in collaboration with Zucchi Group, a relevant Italian textile society, developed a project about innovation in strategy and products for the textile field. She will obtain both MSc degrees on July 2009.
At the moment, she is becoming specialized in knowledge systems, communication and visual information design and has a special interest in design R&D. She is currently living in Milan but is also considering new opportunities in different countries.
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