Force Yourself to Come up With a Few Ideas to Avoid Design Fixation
Your first idea is probably not the best . However, many of us suffer from a “design fixation” when we marry our first idea because we had it first. Avoid this problem by forcing yourself to come up with multiple solutions.
As the design blog Fast Co. explains. Design, money, time, or ego can make someone stick with their first idea, even if something better comes along. While creativity is an iterative process, you can get around the tunnel vision that comes from focusing on one idea by generating multiple ideas at once. It helps even more if you can involve other people in the process to help challenge your ideas or offer alternative input:
An isolated designer can only rely on his own point of view, and teamwork can bring more external experience. “We conduct peer reviews, technical peer reviews, when you invite someone outside the project to challenge you as a project manager,” explains the source. These outsiders may say, “Why did you do this?” Or: “Show me your explanation of how you did it.” They actually act like clients. … … … They hijack anything or they can stop [the project] before it reaches the client. “
The sunk cost misconception often leads us to think that working on a few ideas that we discard is a waste of time. However, creative problem solving and design often requires you to approach a problem from different angles before you know which one is right. Not everyone has the luxury of taking the time to come up with a few ideas before starting, but if you do, do yourself a favor and come up with a few alternatives before moving forward.
What is a design commit and how do I stop it? | Designed by Fast Co. through 99u