The Spicerack > Our Philosophy
Our Philosophy
Written by Andrew Lebowitz and Marisha Thakker
In a world of wicked problems, where do we even begin?
We believe that process alone is not enough.
We need to embrace new mindsets and new ways of seeing the world before we embark on creating anything new.
Today, we face problems that are more complex, more fundamental, and more urgent than in any previous era. The world is full of “wicked” and “ambiguous” problems — climate change, social justice, education, pandemics, famine — challenges that don’t have a clear or single solution. These problems are systemic and interrelated, with stakeholders at every level.
The question becomes, in the face of these seemingly impossible challenges, how do we even begin to think about addressing them?
Just as there is no one solution to the many challenges we face, there is no one way to solve them. However, one way to think about solving these challenges is to take a lesson from creative fields. We can learn from those professionals who have long been tasked with solving abstract, immaterial, and conceptual challenges; architects, artists, and designers.
What we propose is a three-fold strategy that we believe can help people and organizations develop the type of skills needed for today’s challenges.
This strategy consists of first adopting a set of mindsets that form the foundation for how we behave in the world.
The second piece involves the application of what we have dubbed “The Prism,” a series of lenses that can be used to frame a challenge.
Finally, using a creative framework — that we have adapted from multiple design strategy and change management frameworks — in which you can focus and apply these lenses and mindsets.
Our Mindsets
These mindsets form the foundation for the type of problem-solving required in the 21st century. They are not applied sequentially or as distinct phases but rather they serve as the bedrock for everything that follows. If you learn to bring these mindsets to everything you do, we believe you are well on your way to being able to address “wicked” and “ambiguous” challenges.
Compassion
We like to define compassion as empathy, plus the desire to help.
As we become more and more entangled with diverse communities in our global world, we can’t afford to think that problems on one side of the world don’t affect us. We are deeply connected to each other and to the planet we call home. Political, ideological, and geographic divisions require compassion to bridge those gaps.
Courage
We’re not talking about the courage of running into a burning building or jumping in front of a moving car. What we’re talking about is the courage to think differently, to be vulnerable, to be wrong, and to fail. It takes courage to think in new ways. Remember, there can be no courage without fear. But we can’t be so afraid that we don’t act. Have the courage to be vulnerable, to be creative, to be curious, to be compassionate.
Curiosity
Designing is about solving problems in new and creative ways. This requires a sense of genuine curiosity. Curiosity is about understanding. About learning. About growth. It’s about seeking a deeper connection with the world around you. It can be uncomfortable, but it can also be immensely rewarding.
Collaboration
Despite the prevailing myth of the lone creative genius, creativity is a social activity. It requires collaboration with partners, stakeholders, users, and anyone who has a vested interest in solving a challenge. The more radical your collaboration the better. Bring in people with diverse skills, backgrounds, and perspectives and your work will only be richer for it. Just remember collaboration isn’t always easy, but it is valuable.
Creativity
This may seem obvious, but we feel it’s worth saying out loud. Innovation requires us to be creative. We’re not talking about creativity as artistic skill, it’s a way of thinking. We are creative in our daily lives in ways we may not even consider creative. If you were looking for permission to be more creative, this is it. Go, be creative!
Our Prism
We need new ways of looking at the world. Ones that allow us to look at problems as challenges, to reframe obstacles as opportunities. We propose adopting the idea of a mental prism through which we view challenges. When we think of a prism we think of one where each side of the prism provides a unique and constructive lens through which to view a challenge space. When you combine these lenses with the mindsets above you are about 80% there, in terms of being able to think creatively and constructively about the challenges we have.
The image above represents the Spicebox Prism. The top illustration shows a 5 sided pyramid with the challenge on one side and the solution on the other. The idea is that you can hold the prism in your hand, and depending on which side you look at the challenge through, will help determine the solution.
Why a prism?
A prism filters light into its most basic components revealing the vibrant rainbow at its core. This is much like the design process, uncovering the depth and richness within each challenge space. A prism is also multisided which is similar to how designers need to tackle problems, looking at them from various sides through various lenses.
The Lenses
Each side of the design prism represents a different lens through which to view and filter a challenge. Don’t think of these as phases but rather as a mode of being and thinking that allows you to reframe challenges as you go.
Explore
When you apply the Explore lens to a challenge you take the approach of an adventurer.
Someone who is looking at the challenge through fresh eyes with a sense of wonder and curiosity.
It’s about discovering and uncovering new facets and perspectives of the challenge.
Understand
When you apply the Understand lens you are now seeking to make sense of and synthesize everything you have gathered so far.
You are not looking to judge or evaluate what you have uncovered.
Rather, you are looking for the hidden connections, lessons, insights, and actionable starting points.
Imagine
The Imagine lens is about seeing through what is to what could be. It’s about envisioning a world where the challenge you are facing is no longer a challenge.
Experiment
Put pen to paper, brick to mortar, code to software. It’s about looking at what’s possible, what’s desirable, what’s functional, and what’s cost-effective, and seeing how well it works.
Implement
This is a phase that is deeply complex and can take days, weeks, months, or even years, depending on the scope and scale of the project.
If you are going through the creative process, it should be your goal to bring your solution into the world, and not just a mental exercise.
Storytelling
Storytelling is part of human nature, it’s how we make sense of the world. It’s how we share our experiences. It’s how we connect.
There will come a time when you need to sell your idea or your prototype to others. Whether you’re a start-up looking for investors, or you’re an individual contributor who needs to sell your idea to upper management, you need to tell your story.
Creative Problem Solving Framework
Building off of our mindsets and lenses we are working on developing a framework through which to apply them.
Discover: Immerse and explore
The discovery phase is all about research and depending on the project your research might look different. Research generally consists of some sort of combination of primary (talking directly to your users and stakeholders) and secondary (reading studies and research done by others) research that includes both qualitative (focusing on emotions, feelings, and perceptions) and quantitative (focused on hard numbers and metrics). The lenses that are particularly important in this phase are Exploration and Understanding. Feel free to let your imagination run wild during this stage as well, but don’t get too attached to any ideas you might have at this point
Connect: Make sense of the data
Once you’ve done your research — or at least enough research to where you feel comfortable — it’s time to start making sense of it all. Synthesis is about combing through all of the research you’ve done to look for patterns, insights, gaps, and opportunities. This is an incredibly important phase and it’s worth taking your time and having questions. It can be overwhelming to look back on all of the data you’ve collected, but have patience and faith in the process. There are a number of tools, methods, and strategies to help you synthesize your research. Find one that works best for your timeline and project. The key lens to take during this stage is understanding
Conceptualize: Generating and Forming Ideas
For many people, Ideation is one of the most fun, but also one of the most frustrating aspects of design thinking. We have all been in a brainstorming session where we had fun and came up with some great ideas that never went anywhere. During Ideation, it’s important to make sure that you stay grounded in the research and synthesis work you’ve done so far. Ideation can look like sketching, concept mapping, or good old brainstorming done individually or in teams.
Build: Learn by doing
Prototyping is the practice of bringing ideas to life in an iterative way. You can think of it as a combination of the Imagine, Experiment, and Implement lenses. The goal of prototyping is to get as close as you can to your solution while minimizing risk and maximizing opportunity. It is still geared towards learning, but with a bias toward action. It’s one thing to have a great idea, it’s another thing to bring it to life. Prototyping can take many forms from experiential to physical.
Learn: Grow, adapt, and thrive
Testing goes hand in hand with prototyping. But it’s useful to think of them distinctively as they encompass different lenses. Testing is about learning. You’re not selling your prototype, you want to learn how other people view your prototype.
At Spicebox we thrive in ambiguous complex situations with multiple — sometimes adverse — stakeholders.
We believe that in order to make the world a better place we need to approach challenges from a place of compassion, curiosity, courage, collaboration, and creativity.
Life should be more than a job, and a job should be more than a paycheck.