This video, the first of a three part series that was first aired in 1999, ABC News spent some time with Palo Alto, California based IDEO, whose innovative approach to design and creativity lead them to be one of the top international product designers in all the world. In a five day challenge, ABC asks the company to redesign the shopping cart, unveiling an amazing collaborative process among the design team.
What I love about this video is its sense of community and interdependence. At IDEO, importance is not placed on hierarchy, or seniority, or other such limitations to the free flow of hunches and ideas. No, the focus is on play, exchange, diversity, and openness. Furthermore, the so-called experts in the realm of shopping carts aren’t ivory tower pundits but regular people, those working in grocery stores and those customers who shop there. Just by going out and taking the time to interact with others, the design team gets some amazing insights into how to move forward with their design.
This is truly a remarkable piece on creativity and the design process.