#AU2012 Innovation Forum: The Collective Wisdom of Design Across Boundaries

Autodesk University is aptly named because it consists of "classes" that our customers can take to learn how to use our products. Classes are offered for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users of our design applications. But last year we also added Innovation Forums. Instead of focusing on how to use our applications, these sessions touch on the big ideas that are important to Autodesk and our customers.

Yesterday morning I attended The Collective Wisdom of Design Across Boundaries. This forum explored the blurring boundaries of design methodologies and examines how adjacent disciplines look at similar problems in different ways. Faced with tremendous challenges, we must look beyond single, heroic design solutions to solve global issues. Four leaders from disparate industries focused their talents and technologies and solicited crowd sourcing to consider and propose solutions for the pressing concern of delivering healthcare in underserved locations. The session was led by our own Phil Berstein, VP of Strategic Industry Relations. The panelists included:

1. Dr. Alasdair MacDonald, Director of Strategic Innovation, Balfour Beatty
2. Myshkin Ingawale, TED Fellow, co-founder Biosense Technologies
3. Liz Ogbu, Environments Designer
4. Marla K Schweppe, Rochester Institute of Technology

They each presented their interpretation of the problem along with the most viable solution, discussing the commonalities and differences in approach, process, and technology. The result was a proposed answer to the problem, based on collective input, ideas, and innovation.

Panelist	Discipline	Proposal Type	Proposed Idea
Myshkin Ingawale	Manufacturing	Business Model	Spur medical innovation by accepting suggestions from nurses and doctors via a Wikipedia-like web site; hire 5 designers in India to use a 3D printer to create prototypes that doctors and nurses can evaluate.
Liz Ogbu	Architecture	System Design	Set up a network of pop-up clinics at locations like Walmart; Set up a digital platform to manage patient care that is based on cell phone technology.
Dr. Alasdair MacDonald	Infrastructure	Knowledge Development System	Set up public-private partnerships to correct government regulations; promote education among health care infrastructure providers; construct and maintain expertise among infrastructure suppliers.
Marla K. Schweppe	Media & Entertainment	Portable Building	Limit staff needs for a mobile clinic to a technician who takes a drop of blood; use a device that conducts 20 tests on that drop; schedule appointments using a web interface; have doctors visit patients using video conferencing; have video games to encourage healthy habits; develop an electronic flowchart with yes/no questions that help determine if a doctor visit is required.

Near the end of the forum, we got to vote for our favorite:

Of course the first time I tried to text IFAA, my iPhone changed it to "Iguana." I was successful on my second try. Congratulations to Liz Ogbu who was awarded a $50,000 grant from Autodesk to continue her project.

The session was captured by an artist using SketchBook Pro.

Wisdom is alive in the lab.