Do you look at an object or device and wonder, "how might this work better?" or, "Is there a better way?"
Do you go to the post office, spend 15 minutes trying to figure out what priority mail is and the difference between it and other services and then stand in line for another 20 minutes only to find out you filled out the wrong forms? On a side note, I just visited the USPS home page and there isn't one mention of priority mail.
While ordering at a fast food restaurant you notice a sign that says, "order it your way." So you make three changes to a standard order. The order taker tells you to wait over there. After 10 minutes the restaurant receives the phone call that you've been dreading. Your change in the order caused the corporate computers to crash. And now everyone is looking at you.
Bernadette Jiwa calls all of the above opportunities - "...problems begging for a solution - ideas that give consideration to the context in which they will become meaningful."
Bob says, "Hey that post office is a mind-numbing disaster, if they were to do this and that..." The post office debacle is an opportunity and Bob's suggestion to do this and that is a hunch. According to Bernadette a hunch is
A combination of insight and foresight, brought about by understanding what is and questioning what could be. It can feel like a snap judgement or a sudden spark of inspiration, but it's informed by our expertise, past experiences and the practice of noticing patterns and anomalies in the world around us.
In Hunch Bernadette teaches us to be observant for opportunities, define the problem and take it through a creative process to "invent, create and serve."
In Part Three of the book Bernadette, using case studies and guided exercises, breaks down three of the major forces coursing through Hunch. Curiosity, Empathy and Imagination. We learn how people like Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, go from hunch to successful product or service (in Sara's case insane success!). Bernadette begins the guided exercises with a prompt - what's the problem you observe? Then comes action - placing physicality to research, questions and notes. Finally there's insight - guided questions and exercises to gain the most from the prompts and action.
While Hunch is laced with design thinking, Ms. Jiwa never specifically mentions it. It's one of the things I most appreciate about the book.
Grab your camera, notebook and Hunch and venture out into a world of possibility that's waiting just for you!