Thoughtless Acts: Design Your Breakfast

Thoughtless Acts: Design Your Breakfast. The intuitive ways we adapt and react to things in our environments

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March 14, 2018

Human-centered design requires us to observe human behavior with beginner's eyes, so that we can spot the innate ways people interact with the world around them. We call these intuitive and unconscious reactions Thoughtless Acts, and IDEO designers collect photos of them to inspire their work.

What could be more satisfying than a blueberry in every waffle hole? My son Tom took his time to arrange everything just perfectly before gobbling it down. Even if you are not meticulous enough to do it yourself, I'd be surprised if the same idea didn't cross your mind. It makes me think about all of the times that I've thoughtlessly (or thoughtfully) constructed my own bites—optimizing for flavor, making sure that there are goodies in every bite, until my plate is clean.

Words and art

Sally Madsen

IDEO ALUM

Sally Madsen focuses on solving social challenges and creating impact at scale. She has expertise in bringing innovation to education, the environment, and poverty alleviation. Sally is a proud mama, a sailor, a traveler, and a food-lover.

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Thoughtless Acts: Design Your Breakfast

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