Designing is actually problem solving at its very core.
What exactly is the process for problem solving?
Take any situation and observe it keenly and identify the problem. That is step one. Step two is understanding the cause of the problem and then address the cause rather than the symptoms. Because addressing the symptoms is just like painting a ceiling that is leaking instead of fixing the leak.
This is what I have understood so far by all the recent projects that were discussed in our Tools &bTechnology in Art Education course.
Some examples that stood out are:
Amazon.go: Addressing the issue of long lines at the checkout counter by installing smart checkout system
E-ilaj: Providing online health services and live online consultations in remote areas of Pakistan without having the people to travel long distances to reach a doctor.
H2O wheel: Providing a rolling plastic drum to carry water so that women would have to travel 2-3 times a day just to get one tiny pot of water.
All these projects had one thing in common making life easier for humans. And making time abundant
Once the cause is identified the wheels are set in motion to eradicate it or try to solve it at the very least. Designing is not a one time solution. Creating a system to address the cause may be a one time activity but updating and improving on the initial system is an ongoing process.
With time new issues crop up that need to be addressed in a timely fashion.
Another thing to consider is that simply creating apps and websites is not the end all and be all of any solution. The user interface and experience of these tools is equally important. So is the added paraphernalia like brochures and pamphlets depending on the end user.
Which brings us to the audience or the end-user of any system. It is imperative to understand the audience before a solution is designed for them. Who they are? Where are they? What do they do? What language do they speak? Level of education. Level of digitization in the community. Etc etc. Rather than coming from top with solutions that designers or investors think best, it is necessary that the audience’s r realities are understood and incorporated in the very design. All stakeholders need to be taken into account. Otherwise, the design renders itself useless.
Video Credits: Amazon Go,
Credits:Tayyaba Organization & KPK Information and technology board
Tools & Technology in Art Education 
[…] I was already thinking along these lines for my final project for the Tools & Technology in Art Education Course. Simultaneously I was being inspired by all the technological and digital projects that we had reviewed in the duration of our course. These projects had one thing in common: they all looked at existing situations and pointed out a persistent issue, then identified the cause of that issue and addressed the cause rather than the symptoms. I had already discussed this in one of my prior blogs. […]
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