The Design Constraint Triad
The process of design thinking is governed by the five stages of understanding, defining, ideating, testing and implementing. There is no linear approach to these process.
A willing acceptance of some governing constraints is the necessary foundation of great design thinking.
The three significant constraints of design thinking are
1. Desirability — what makes more sense to humans
2. Feasibility — what is possible in the upcoming future
3. Viability — what will fit into a sustainable business model
The Story of Nintendo Wii
A classic example of uniform importance given to all three constraints was of Nintendo Wii. Nintendo revolutionized the gaming world while winning the market against Sony’s Playstation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Wii by Nintendo introduced the casual gamers to an exciting simplified way of playing video games while PS3 and Xbox 360 only focused on the hardcore gamers and predominantly, young males.
The Consequence of Constraint Triad
In the technology-driven companies looking for a technical breakthrough, the team will discover a new way of doing something and only afterwards will they think about whether the technology fits in the business system and creates value.
The disadvantage: Relatively very few technical innovations bring an immediate economic benefit. They focus on near term business potential.
An organization that is driven only by human needs and desirability might build up the alluring but meaningless product.
The disadvantage: The products might not fit into a sustainable business model, which might compromise with the company’s profit-making goals in the market.
The Conclusion
The primary focus on any one factor of the constraints triad rather than creating a balance between the three will compromise with the sustainability of the project.
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