Observation, whether conscious or not, is instinctive to humans. We start our first observatory expeditions as children, and this is how we learn to do almost all the basic activities required for our existence in the social spectrum that we are born into. Even as we grow into other forms of social adaptation, observation still plays a key role.

In research, observation is employed side by side with other research methods to gather more insightful data, and can be applied in a wide range of settings including scientific and ethnographic research.

The skilled observer

Observation is pretty much a skill. It goes beyond taking notice of things happening within or around us, it is about perceiving and probing, for better understanding of the perceived.

Let’s take for instance, when a child observes an adult walking, they do not just notice that the adult can move from a point to another, they also note how this mobility is made possible, and then try to mirror it. This is called observational learning and its benefits have been well documented by psychological scientists.

Like any other skill, it should be honed with continuous and intentional practice, which quite frankly, is really the only way to go about it. The more you observe, the better you get at it, the more you are able to see.

Designers should have great observation skills to succeed in the field because it is one of the main components of our work. Since design is creative problem solving; the greater part of our design work is rightfully spent on understanding and finding solutions to problems, and not the actual designs themselves. This requires us to see a lot, and as Yogi Berra said, “You can see a lot just by observing”.

There are many specific ways observation can help designers, but I will focus mostly on two that I consider essential to know.

The learning curve

As earlier illustrated in this article, observation is an interesting way of learning something new or expanding on already existing knowledge. It is subtle and indirect yet powerful.

One of the best ways a designer can use observation as a learning tool is by exposing themselves to a variety of designs. This does not have to be graphic design content, it could also be from nature, which, I must say is majestically crafted.

Not just good designs, more importantly. Designers should be exposed to the good, the bad and the ugly. By doing so, we train our eyes enough to identify patterns that make up good and bad designs and be able to tell each one apart.

Simply put, you have to recognize great designs in order to create great designs.

This is a career-long process that works especially well for design newbies. It worked for me.

However, it should also be moderated to avoid cognitive overload and burn out.

The creative genius

People often ask if creativity can be taught. While it may not be so, since everyone has the capacity to create, it is possible to empower someone to be creative by teaching them effective observation.

Why? Because observation has been proven to improve the creative capabilities of people.

A group of researchers from the University of Amsterdam led by psychological scientist, Matthijs Baas, conducted a test to understand the effect that observation could have on creative outcomes. They gave participants 2 minutes to type as many creative uses as possible for a tin can and rope. Results showed that strong observation skills were linked to greater creativity, originality, and flexible thinking.

It truly is, as Dave Wendland noted in his article, “observation is often the first step in creativity and innovation.”

Can we interpret it to mean that creative ingenuity begins with observation? I think, yes!

A bird’s view examination of Space-X will show just how effective, paying attention to problems and how they are currently being solved, can be in product innovation.

A more relatable scenario would be when new designers are asked to replicate existing designs. While this is how many learn to fly, some others stumble or fall into what can be called the “copycat syndrome”.

The reason for this can be seen in the way each designer approaches this task. The latter, more often than not, tries to replicate only what they see, while the former goes beyond what they see. They interrogate the design, and try to connect all of its elements with a thought process. They might even be able to find its faults and how to improve it. Thus building their creative thinking and problem solving skills.

Observation can also generally save your time as a designer. I have had cases where I quickly figured out solutions, because I had been perceptive of how that problem was solved by others.

Think about your work flow as a designer, and see if you are being intentional enough with your observation because when mixed perfectly with curiosity, people and analytical skills, can be a game changer!

I leave you for now,

Love and design.