In this Ted Talk, Paul Bennet showed some unusual and creative solutions to problems. The problems were often ones that are overlooked and require you to step into the shoes of the user.

One example that stood out to me was improving the patient’s experience in a hospital. This whiteboard wall was placed opposite the patient’s bed. It had a sticker encouraging the patient’s visitors to write messages and doodle pictures for their loved one.

Although this is a small gesture, I think the impact of this would be massive. It will lift the patient’s mood and remind them how much people care about them. It also adds a homely positive feeling into a room that would otherwise be plain and dull. This is important as this is where they spend the majority of their day.

The overall message of this talk is about looking at things from your users perspective. Often, this means we have to have a beginners mind and having a fresh outlook on things.

An example of when this mindset has been used is when someone was asked “Can you design a storage system for children?”. On the left you can see the regular storage system sold by IKEA and on the right is the adapted solution made with children in mind.

This is the designer that designed this solution. Children often climb over, under and around objects so to get into the mindset of a child, he climbed under a table. I assume this is where the idea sparked to have grips that can be attached to tables which hold toys.

This showed me that designing something for children, using an adult brain isn’t going to work. You need to be empathetic and think about how their mind works and the problems they face. In this case, children now have an easy and fun way to store toys. They are always visible to the child and within reaching distance for them.

My key takeaway from this is that this mindset can be applied to every problem and design decision we face. If we don’t get into the user’s shoes, we are making assumptions on their wants and needs. Good design will not come from this.