Christian Madsbjerg on Why “Design Thinking” Is Bogus
Time Sensitive
2019/11/20
Christian Madsbjerg on Why “Design Thinking” Is Bogus
Christian Madsbjerg on Why “Design Thinking” Is Bogus

Time Sensitive
2019/11/20
Christian Madsbjerg challenges the dominance of big data and algorithmic thinking, advocating for a return to human-centered observation, philosophy, and slowness. He critiques Silicon Valley's hubris and the erosion of human judgment, offering a methodical approach to understanding behavior and solving complex problems.
Madsbjerg argues that tech innovations don't change everything, and that AI cannot replicate human care and empathy. He criticizes 'design thinking' as arrogant and warns against devaluing liberal arts education. Through observational work for Lego, he found that kids enjoy complexity, leading to product portfolio reduction. He outlines four rules: scrutinize assumptions, slow down, explore counter examples, and protect time for deep thinking. He explores Heidegger's philosophy, contrasting scientific time with experiential time, and warns against viewing the world as 'standing reserve' to be optimized, which erodes humanity. Madsbjerg advocates for hiring people comfortable with doubt, and emphasizes that human sciences are necessary to understand subjective experiences like money's value.
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Big data overvalued, human judgment undervalued
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Tech innovations don't change everything.
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Comfort with doubt is a key hiring trait.
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Human intelligence is unique because humans care
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Design thinking is an arrogant process.
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Standing reserve erodes humanity and soul.
