Have you ever wondered how one comes up with a genius idea? What does it take to find a lasting solution to a problem? Many aspects are involved in making a successful problem-solving product: the right audience, materials, techniques, longevity, cost, marketing and much more. Designers go through an intense education to master most of these skills. Some come with experience and learning, but a lot comes with observation. 

Observation is education, yet it is often an overlooked quality in today’s outspoken world. Most of us want to feel heard, seen, and understood today, and this self-absorbed society has found novel ways to express itself on social media. There is no limit to how much or what you can express there. Expressing oneself has become essential, mainly because it doesn’t matter if the opinion is educated or well-researched. So many of us fail to observe; forming opinions is primary now.

We fail to understand that observation is a great tool for problem-solving. Whether it’s designing an immersive experience at a boutique hotel or your mundane day-to-day tasks, making a simple change through observation can make or break the whole deal. 

So tomorrow, pause your inner critique and start your day by making mental notes. For example, what is your morning coffee like? How does it smell? How does the texture feel on your tongue? Would you feel the same about your coffee if it were a red-coloured drink? What if it’s not a drink? What if coffee is an arm patch you can wear throughout the day? Will a coffee perfume give you the same energy boost?

Instead of forming opinions of what is good or bad, tomorrow, observe.

Read the interview about Nadia B, a painter who defines beauty and meaning in the empty spaces of a canvas—empty spaces that she brings to us through her power of observation.