Introduction
Through this activity we gained our learning through inquiry and then proceeded to apply the concept of the Six Thinking hats, introduced by Edward De Bono. Each hat focuses on a single function/step involved in the process of creating a design.
Warm up Activity
For the inquiry, we were assigned the blue hat to gather and represent it's characteristics and uses. Later, we had a short presentation to introduce each hat.
White Hat - This hat involves the process of collecting all the data of the product. Since it does not categorize or analyze information, it works in a very impartial manner.
Red Hat - This hat follows intuition, thus it often communicates feelings devoid of any logic.
Black Hat - This hat considers all the risks and negative possibilities, therefore keeping in check that the decisions are rational.
Yellow Hat - This hat looks for the positive aspects of the design, and focuses on it's benefits.
Green Hat - This hat runs on imagination, creating new ideas and explorations.
Blue Hat - This acts as a manager, to supervise and ensure a clear and effective process.
Main Activity
This time we practiced the application of these Six Thinking hats through a product. We conducted a comparison on the same product, from different brands.
Reflection
Applying the concept on an existing product, helped me understand how these hats ensure and guide through every necessary aspect to come up with a more efficient idea and design.
The concept of blue hat seems very effective to me since every hat has a specific subject it focuses on, which can sometimes drive the process in a different direction. This is where the blue hat comes to play and ensures a balanced outcome.
The green hat can act more effectively once it has a fair idea of the risk and benefits of the possibilities. Thus, it is always beneficial to use it after working with the other hats.
Learning Mantra of the Day