5 ways doctors can learn from designers When we talk about people in creative professions– typically people involved in art and design, we often think that they are unbound by rules and protocols. Designers may be seen as completely opposite to doctors, who generally have to abide by a set of rigid criteria and protocols in their clinical practice. However, regardless of the difference in their nature of work, there are certain traits and qualities that are important to the design profession that doctors can learn and benefit from: 1. Openness to criticism Designers frequently receive raw and honest feedback on their artistic work. Sometimes, it means re-doing the work completely from scratch. This often requires them to always be open to criticism. They would internally process criticism and show improvements through their design. As a doctor, you may be criticised on your medical knowledge or the way you handle patients, but the key is to handle the criticism well and have an open mind. Do not dwell on negative feedback but instead, use it to generate a positive outcome. As the saying goes, when life throws you lemons, make sweet lemonade out of them. 2. Effective communication Art work is frequently used to convey a certain message to an audience. In their line of work, designers are expected to know the best method and style to use (for instance, the right selection of font, colour and layout) so that the message can be communicated successfully. Similarly, effective communication should be given great emphasis in the medical profession. As a doctor, making the patient comprehend certain situations and their health condition requires you to deliver the information well. When communicating with patients, knowing the right choice of words and appropriate expression can go a long way. 3. Agility The digital revolution has offered a plethora of technology solutions that would make work not only easier, but give better outcomes. With better tools and software emerging, the design world is perhaps one of the fields where this is most apparent since the results are visual. Just as the ability to adapt quickly to the latest technology and innovation is important to designers, doctors should also have the agility in adapting to continuous changes. For example, you might be required to do tasks such as handling data or performing clinical procedures differently. Therefore, you need to be able to always prepare to adapt to these changes. 4. Genuine passion Designers are usually people who have real passion in what they are doing. For them, it is this genuine passion that becomes the main drive to their creativity. This is not to say that doctors lack passion, but being a doctor, you are prone to focus so much on treating patients as your duty and sacrifice per se that you may overlook the importance of being genuinely passionate in the process. Yes, you treat patients because it is your duty as a doctor, but always remind yourself that it is also something that you love to do. Just as passion drives a designer’s creativity, your genuine passion in medicine and providing the best care for your patients has the power to motivate you to bring about innovation and reform in the field. 5. Understanding needs and preferences When designing a system or product, designers are typically expected to come up with solutions to solve problems. Part of the design process is user requirements gathering and analysis. This is essential because a practical solution is not necessarily a user-centric one. How is this relevant to the medical profession? James Rickert M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine says that rather than defining effective care by physician-dependent tools or standards, a patient-centred care should be defined by or in consultation with patients. [1] What is meaningful to the patient? How does he/she feel about the prescribed medication or treatment? Cutting-edge medical solutions should not obscure the significance of patient satisfaction or reduce the quality of patient experience. Source
