An eye for design
Are you a doodler or a scribe? Do you prefer pen and paper, or keyboard and mouse? Do you outline your thoughts, or let them flow freely? Maria Yang, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, believes the ways in which people formulate ideas — particularly when designing new products — can significantly influence those products’ success. “People’s strategies are so fascinating,” says Yang, who studies the creative strategies of designers in the very early stages of product development. “We observe them, and try to understand what their thought process is. Do different approaches work better than others? Because we want people to design better products and systems — that’s the bottom line.” As founder and director of MIT’s Ideation Lab, Yang helps designers — including architects, planners, designers, and engineers — improve their creative process by measuring the activities they engage in. She’s helped designers work toward a wide range of...