The First Secret of Design Is Noticing

Founder of Nest and co-creator of the iPod, Tony Fadell knows just how important Noticing is in his work: “it’s my job to see those everyday things, to feel them, and try to improve upon them.” In his TED Talk, Fadell dives into the complacency of habituation and how it can stop us from Noticing important and sometimes invisible cues around us. Fadell offers a few tips for Noticing in all lines of work, not just design: LOOK farther by taking a few steps back; LOOK closer to identify the small things that matter; or think younger to expose yourself to new perspectives. When we take the time to Notice the big, the small, and the alternative viewpoints, we can design solutions in health care that go beyond the expectations of our team members, providers, patients, and guests.

It is easy to find ourselves falling into the habit of walking the same path at work. Take a different route! When you change course, what do you Notice? What do you hear? How can changing a habitualized practice affect the Experience of team members, providers, patients and guests?