Contextual + Creative Thinking Flashcards
(62 cards)
What is your favorite bad product and how would you improve it?
Digital Product – Gmail
Problem: Managing email feels more like managing a system than having conversations. The experience hasn’t evolved much despite how our digital habits have changed.
Sol- Gmail – Holistic Redesign Idea:
Redesign Gmail around user intent by shifting from a cluttered inbox to a focus-driven dashboard. Combine email, chat, and calendar into one clean interface with smart summaries, priority flows, and task-based organization.
Physical Product – Umbrella
Problem: Most umbrellas flip inside out in strong wind, are hard to close quickly, and drip water everywhere after use.
Improvement: I’d design an inverted folding umbrella that closes upward to trap water inside, uses wind-resistant flexible ribs, and has a magnetic handle clip so it can attach to bags when not in use.
Pick a product you admire and tell us why it’s well-designed.
The Indian pressure cooker. It’s durable, fuel-efficient, gives audio feedback (whistles), and is found in nearly every household. It meets Indian cooking needs and can outlast a microwave.
This shows awareness of everyday design that’s rooted in Indian context.
Digital product - notion
Customisation, collaboration, clean ui, improved regularly, inter software connections, smart product, ai integration.
Choose a public space or system you’d redesign. What would you change?
Railway ticket counters at small stations. A simple token system with bilingual signage and a visual display of ticket status could bring clarity without needing a full tech overhaul.
This shows systemic thinking with low-cost, scalable ideas.
How do you define ‘contextual design’?
Contextual design is about listening to the setting before proposing a solution. Design isn’t universal—it’s intimate.
Studying the user and knowing how they are going to use a design rather than telling them this is the only way to use it.
Eg water purifier
- Cost-effective
- Easy part replacement
- No full-unit dependency
- Works without electricity
- self repair
- not wall mounted
This emphasizes local awareness and design empathy.
If we gave you a simple object like a spoon or a chair, what would you redesign about it?
Take the plastic chair. A small tilt in the backrest or textured seat for grip can improve comfort, and using recycled plastic could boost sustainability.
This shows an ability to redesign everyday objects practically.
Explain a design concept you love in the simplest way possible.
I love the idea of ‘affordance’—when an object suggests its use. Good design tells you what to do without needing instructions.
Physical Product – Door Handle:
A pull handle on a door naturally tells you to pull—it affords pulling. A flat metal plate suggests pushing. No label needed, the design itself communicates the action.
Digital Product – Swipe to Unlock (Old iPhones):
The arrow and sliding motion on the lock screen afford swiping. Even without instructions, users know what to do because the design visually suggests the action.
This shows clarity in explaining theory through real-life examples.
Can you critique one of your own past designs?
Critique – Travel Website (Freelance, College Days):
I focused too much on aesthetic—full-screen visuals and minimal UI—but ignored usability. Key buttons like “Book Now” or “Help” lacked visibility and weren’t placed intuitively. I’d fix it by improving layout hierarchy and making CTAs clear and accessible.
This shows self-awareness and maturity.
What is a product or service that works in the West but doesn’t suit India? Why?
Why it works in the West:
Western homes mostly use less oily, low-spice food, and standard-sized plates and cookware. People also rely more on machines due to labor costs.
Why it struggles in India:
Indian cooking uses heavy oils, masalas, and large or oddly shaped utensils like kadais and pressure cookers that don’t fit well. Also, many households have house help, so there’s less motivation to switch. Plus, water and electricity supply isn’t always reliable in every region.
Frozen food packaging. Local context demands smaller packs, clear prep steps, and ambient shelf stability.
Can you give an example where design ignored local culture and failed?
Amazon’s delivery lockers—great in the US, but didn’t click in Indian metros due to lack of space, safety concerns, and preference for doorstep delivery.
A (Failure – Ignoring Context):
Amazon’s early Diwali campaign (2015) failed in India because it used generic Western themes like “Black Friday” and Western-style gift wrapping. It lacked cultural relevance—no traditional visuals, languages, or spiritual cues—so users couldn’t emotionally connect.
A (Success – Embracing Context):
Blinkit nailed contextual design during events like Valentine’s Day by creating separate sections for couples and singles, with curated products for each. During festivals like Diwali and Eid, they updated both product listings (e.g., sweets, diyas, gift boxes) and app UI to match the festive theme, making it both functional and emotionally engaging.
Identify a public system in India that’s poorly designed. What would you fix?
Problem – Waste Disposal System:
• Poor bin labeling
• No waste segregation
• Missed/irregular collection
• Low public awareness
Fix:
• Color-coded, labeled bins
• Visual guides (icons + local language)
• App to track garbage trucks
• Rewards for proper segregation
A pen doesn’t work in zero gravity. Design an alternative.
A pressurized ink pen, like the Fisher Space Pen, or switch to digital stylus input on tablets designed for space gloved interaction.
Design a voting system for rural areas with low literacy.
Design Solution:
• Symbol-based ballots (party symbols, candidate photos)
• Touchscreen voting with voice instructions in local languages
• Color-coded confirmation screen (e.g., green = vote registered)
• Voter token system to reduce fraud (QR or fingerprint linked)
• Portable voting kiosks for remote villages
• Community demonstrations before elections to build trust
You’re asked to redesign a classroom for blind children. Where do you start?
signs and braille labels for identification of rooms, exits, and other important spaces.
3. Furniture Design: Opt for low-profile, rounded furniture to avoid injury. Make desks and seating easily adjustable for comfort.
4. Sound Cues: Implement sound cues to indicate key areas (e.g., doorways, or changes in space). Use a consistent sound for orientation.
Eg a bell alert whenever someone enters a classroom
Involve special educators.
Redesign a user experience for senior citizens paying bills online.
Simplify interface: large fonts, voice assistants in local languages, fewer steps, clear confirmation sounds/texts.
Instant downloadable recites
ATM queues are long. What low-tech solution can fix this?
A token or SMS queue system, or time-slot based access. Also, nudging through posters: ‘Avoid peak hours—your fast lane is 2–4 pm.’
How would you improve the experience of getting vaccinated in a village?
Mobile vaccination units with visual/audio instructions in local language, token systems to reduce crowding.
Add shaded sitting areas with hydration options.
A building’s design causes overheating. What would you suggest?
Passive cooling—jaali walls, cross-ventilation, light-colored roofing, and courtyard planning. Use local materials and orientation logic.
You’re designing an app for farmers to check crop prices. Most users don’t speak English and have low digital literacy. What design decisions would you prioritize?
Prioritize voice interfaces in local languages, pictorial navigation, minimal text, offline accessibility, and large touch zones.
Your team disagrees on the direction of a project due to different user personas. You’re the lead. How do you resolve this?
Facilitate a workshop—map out each persona’s needs, align goals to project objectives, and prototype both directions quickly.
You’re asked to design a handwashing station for a school in a water-scarce village. How do you make it sustainable and engaging for children?
Press tap - runs for a specific time- off and reuse only after 2mins
Intead of on tap rub soap all the while tap is open can be neglected.
The used water gets collected instantly and goes through a transparent filtration and collect which the next kind can use to water the plants near by
You’re working on a metro map redesign, but the project deadline is one week and you’ve just joined. What do you do in the first 48 hours?
Audit the current map’s usability. Interview 3–5 commuters. Start with a rapid low-fidelity sketch to share with the team.
Learn hands on, the good things and what doesn’t work and user interpretation
A startup hires you to improve their app. Their only brief: ‘Users drop off after sign-up.’ What’s your approach?
Audit onboarding flow, check analytics, conduct 3 quick user interviews. Hypothesize friction points and prototype alternatives.
You’re designing for a disaster relief camp. What system do you design first? Why?
Information signage and wayfinding—because panic causes chaos. Clear visuals about medical help, food, sanitation, and shelter locations reduce anxiety.
You’re assigned to design a menstrual hygiene campaign for rural adolescent girls. Where do you begin?
Start with empathy—interviews with girls, mothers, health workers. Understand taboos and co-create visuals they’re comfortable with.
