The SPIRAL: DT= Human-Centered

In my ever loving quest to find the design/image that visualizes DEEP design thinking, I continue to come back to the spiral. The ebb and flow of DEEP design thinking is messy, well its messy in the doing.  Yet, when I think of the doing of DEEPdt, I can't help but always put the User at the center (duh!).  And this is the main reason why the design of the spiral appeals to me... It's the center, the beginning of the creation and it is what always draws you back as you flare away and around.  From the center of the spiral, the lines revolve around with constant tease of intersection and parallel relations.  Just as in design thinking, there is a constant flare and focus in a spiral design the flare is never to far out of reach or disconnected from the focus (the center).  I understand there are huge mathematical concepts and applications to the "spiral" which I'll admit go over my head.  And to be honest, I am fine with this as the beauty and natural components of these designs override any intellectual need for understanding. The terminology related to the mathematical structures range from  Phyllotaxis, Ferment's Spiral, and well, tons more here.   There are geometric artists that use this structure to create such as Akio Hizume And architects such as Saleh Masoumi who utilize this pattern of design found in nature to influence his creations.  

The User can never be overlooked or disconnected from the problem or the solution when it comes to design thinking. As I have quoted in the past, its design thinking when you have a User + Empathy (Leonard Medlock) & design thinking is always about making for someone else (Kim Saxe).   

And just this evening, I came across yet another image that simply fuels my quest to design DEEPdt in this style, User at the center (intentionally & without any ambiguity).  It is this image that prompted me to write this post which hopefully lights a fire for me to get off the pot. This image is called Desert Breath : A Monumental Land Art Installation in the Sahara Desert, built in 1997.

Below are some other images of inspiration...