What is the collective noun for a group of design thinkers?
Here are my initial proposals to get the ball rolling...
Symphony of design thinkers
Or...
Orchestra of design thinkers
The reason for the question? For the work of IDEO.org and design thinking generally to have the impact that is so needed in the world, we are going to need a swarm / siege / rabble / pack of design thinkers… (see the problem?)
Once we have a name for the objective, the more important question is how do we create and encourage this group of active design thinkers throughout the world?
Answers: 29
here's one -- "Designers"
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-- opportunists
Still think "movement" nails it for me ;)
How about a design thinkers collective?
We need a movement of design thinkers embracing the principles of human-centered design. Start the revolution!
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Nice one Matt. At the heart of what this community is about.
Nice thought.... Connecting self Dream with your this thought.....
visionaries
synergistic designers
design coalition
creative community
guild of creators
(or mix and match any of the above)
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Hey John. When you say "design thinkers", do you mean human-centered designers? Users of the HCD Toolkit? Or something more general?
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is "team" too simple? "Cohort"? If you're looking for something more unique, I generally head to the animal world: a "crash" of designers, etc.
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A crash of designers. I'd use that.
Fugue
Have you studied music? In a fugue,
1) the different lines start (or spark) at different times.
2) Each line is quite creative as it improvises on a theme
3) The lines chase each other
4) Eventually the different musical lines begin to coalesce from quite beautiful harmonic polyphony (some might even see it as cacaphony in the beginning depending on the composer) to homophony as then draw nearer the end of the peace in a some/slightly slower (depends on the fugue), consolidated harmonic structure leading to the final harmonic chord.
A fugue of design thinkers.
DiSolvers
Design solvers who dissolve signs of dilemma.....oh my!
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Seeing as how I am a student at the place where Alex Osborne researched group creativity and brainstorming I would have to add:
a "storm" of design thinkers.
I'm also a fan of of W.J.J. Gordon and the Synectics notion of making the familiar strange and the strange familiar by group process maybe:
a "synergy" of design thinkers
or better still, in keeping with the human centered concept of the HDC process how about:
an "empathy" of designers?
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Problem Solvers?
Community of Committed Citizens?
Design Activists?
Designers for Social Good/Impact/Innovation?
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John, we like the way you think! We founded Innovation Orchestra in 2010, as a design thinking company.
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Tribe? Yes, nature scientists have also coined good names, like murder of crows, pack of wolves, pride of lions, gaggle of geese ....
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What about:
Design Thinking Squad
Design Gang
Design Agents
Designers for the World
WeDesign...
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Evolutionaries.
M & S (Movers and Shakers, not the reverse of S & M)
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design strategist - they are using design to develop human-centered strategic solutions to problems.
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How about:
- Transformers
- Operatives
- Agents
Thought I like Collective and Movement for more NPO-friendly jargon.
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Fugue
Have you studied music? In a fugue,
1) the different lines start (or spark) at different times.
2) Each line is quite creative as it improvises on a theme
3) The lines chase each other
4) Eventually the different musical lines begin to coalesce from quite beautiful harmonic polyphony (some might even see it as cacaphony in the beginning depending on the composer) to homophony as then draw nearer the end of the peace in a some/slightly slower (depends on the fugue), consolidated harmonic structure leading to the final harmonic chord.
A fugue of design thinkers.
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cacophony?
conundrum?
revolution?
A whole revolution of design thinkers, that is unfortunately exactly what we are going to need to make any real change.
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still looking? Just in case...
A flock of design thinkers - to follow the proverb: if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together -
Or if you want reactions, bonds and catalysis - A valence of design thinkers?
But I agree with Eric - run with the animals on this one! - a kaleidoscope of giraffes/ design thinkers....
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If you are still looking... continuing on the fauna theme
A SWARM (as in bees)
- collective effort with defined tasks
- excellent communication
synthesized to design and build something useful
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For humor I'd say 'a gaggle of design thinkers'
In seriousness I'd say 'a collaboration of design thinkers'
I do agree that a shared language is needed to communicate the valuable impact there is to be gain by engaging in design thinking to our general society. But first the role of design thinker needs to be better defined for those audiences that have no experience with design thinking.
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Lets just call ourselves nicePEOPLE ;)
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I like the people bit :) It's very true after all.
HUMANs
I like symphony of design thinkers..
I did wonder if its a bit passive, but then maybe a locomotive of design thinkers is a bit too extreme in the other direction!
;-)
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I have read an article about design thinker's personality profile by Tim Brown.
Briefly, there are Empathy. integrative Thinking. Optimism. Experimentalism. Collaboration.
I would say,
"Design thinker Collaborative"
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