THINKS THIS IS A GOOD PROBLEM-SOLVING STORY
POSTED BY DAN YOUNG
At DXY, two things run deep among our team, one of which is a passion for aviation. Recently, I was browsing a number of blogs and newsletters, specifically Aza Raskin's blog, when I came across a great story. Remember when, in the 1980s, Paul MacCready designed the "Gossamer Condor," the first human-powered aircraft? Unless you are an aviation geek, probably not. Regardless, this story is a good one.
MacCready was a smart engineer. He knew that the challenge behind human-powered flight was not in solving the obvious problem--how to design a human-powered plane--but it was in the process of building the prototypes. Other designers would spend months, nay years, designing and assembling complex prototypes prior to their first flight. After almost every attempt, the prototypes would crash sending the design teams "back to the drawing board" figuratively and literally. They could only iterate an idea once every few months, an expensive and time consuming problem. It was the problem MacCready solved.
Rather than design a complex prototype, he took a different course. He chose to construct a prototype using a simple design that used basic materials--tubes, Mylar and cables--that could be quickly modified and repaired after crashes. This strategy allowed him to iterate rapidly. His designs evolved quickly and led to the successful flight of the Gossamer Condor and later the
The take away from this story is clear. When you are thinking about using mobile technology to solve a problem, make sure that you correctly identify the problem before you design a solution. When you do, keep it simple to allow for rapid iterative development. This way, your concept can naturally evolve into a solid solution to a real challenge.
