It was a sweltering day in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. An overcast sky suggested rain, but my team and I were already drenched from the humidity. As part of a design challenge, we were asked to explore the city. Yes, the entire city, or whatever we could manage in three hours. The challenge: experience Phnom Penh using one of our five senses.These are the kind of challenges that came up in the 9-day intensive Human Centered Design course expertly facilitated by DSIL Global. Perhaps the biggest part of this challenge for me was not knowing what I was using my senses for. Was I trying to design a product or service? Was I trying to take in the experiences of Cambodian life? It wasn’t clear. That’s exactly why this exercise was so important.Often, when we want to create something new, we try and figure out every detail in our workspaces. We start thinking about the solution before we know the problem. We start creating prototypes before we’ve experienced what’s going on in our environment. Most importantly, we don’t slow down long enough to see multiple truths and multiple perspectives.Back on the streets of Phnom Penh, I was responsible for using the sense of touch. I chose to lean into the exercise and put my hands on everything. I noticed the heat coming off the glass of a cake shop. I felt the uneven terrain on my feet, and the narrow pathways of the market stalls with my shoulders. I picked up objects from the street vendors and was inspired to ask questions about what I felt as I touched them. Incredible stories were starting to emerge.It seemed as if I had tapped into an endless stream of curiosity. I no longer wondered if I was supposed to be solving a problem; I was now looking at everything from a different perspective. One of curiosity for the sake of learning, not for the sake of fixing.I learned far more in three hours using my...Read More
