By Guest Blogger Dennis Chan
Hybrid thinking is the thought process behind strategic innovation and design thinking. Dev Patnaik defines ‘hybrid thinking’ in his article, Forget Design Thinking and Try Hybrid Thinking, as the conscious blending of different fields of thought to discover and develop opportunities that were previously unseen by the status quo.
In an era of innovation, we are forced to strategize on ideas to provoke new products, new processes and profit drivers. However, the biggest challenge a company faces is bridging the gap between problem solving and the viability or validity of an idea. Companies continue to strive for innovation and newness, but how does a company recognize innovation and react on the initiative?
Today’s companies are forced into situations where practical and historical data may not be good enough to propel them into the future. This is where hybrid thinking comes into play; people’s multidisciplinary backgrounds affect their choices and decisions for the future. I think the most beneficial aspect of hybrid thinking is the concept of merging and blurring the line between design and the other disciplines. Design thinking can be applied to all aspects of a business. But the collective thought processes of different schools of thought and how they affect an issue is not the traditional route, nor is it one that is typically considered the way of the future. The new design thinking, coined hybrid thinking, consists of choosing where to retrieve information, and combining it with the process of problem solving as well as utilization of talent.
Dennis Chan is an Industrial Designer based out of Toronto, Canada. He is currently a product developer for furniture, appliances and BBQs for a major Canadian national brand. Dennis received his undergraduate degree in Industrial Design from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver and he is currently in the Pratt Design Management Program. He spends most of his time scouring streets and markets for inspiration and innovation. Travel, food, and shoes are some of the finer things in life that Dennis enjoys.
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