Design Thinking is often hailed as a magical process that spits out innovative solutions. But the real magic lies in the very beginning: asking the right question.
Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, famously used a method of inquiry known as the Socratic method. This involved asking a series of probing questions to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas. This approach is surprisingly relevant to design thinking.
Why is asking the right question so important?
I remember one time when I was organizing a major event at our institute. It was my responsibility to coordinate everything—from the guest speakers to the smallest details like seating arrangements and refreshments.
Everything was going smoothly until we hit a roadblock. We had an unexpected change in the schedule due to a last-minute cancellation by one of our keynote speakers. Panic began to set in among the team, and we were scrambling to find a replacement. In the midst of the chaos, my mind was flooded with questions: “Who can replace him? How do we fill this time slot? Should we cancel the session?”
Then, it struck me—I was asking the wrong questions.
Instead of focusing on who could replace the speaker, I asked myself, “What value was this speaker going to bring to our audience?” This shift in perspective led me to rethink the session’s purpose. Rather than finding a direct replacement, I realized we could turn the situation into an opportunity to engage the audience differently. We decided to have a panel discussion with industry experts who were already attending the event, allowing for a broader range of insights on the same topic.
This simple shift in questioning not only saved the day but elevated the quality of the event. The panel discussion turned out to be one of the highlights, with attendees praising the diversity of opinions and the interactive format.
From this experience, I learned that asking the right question is crucial because it focuses your thinking on the root of the problem, rather than getting lost in surface-level issues.
Here is one sample to explore getting cold audiences Hooked-
SO… What do you notice.. And wonder based on the img shared?
What do you see?
I notice:
- A series of numbers and letters arranged in an irregular pattern.
- The numbers 121 and 12 appear multiple times.
- The days of the week “Monday” and “MON” are present.
- There are some seemingly random numbers and letters scattered throughout.
I wonder:
- What is the purpose of this arrangement of numbers and letters?
- Is there a specific code or pattern to be deciphered?
- Could this be a puzzle, a game, or a random assortment?
- What is the significance of the repeated numbers 121 and 12?
- Is there a connection between the numbers and the days of the week?