Queer Eye for Design Thinking
How the Netflix series “Queer Eye” is highlighting the Design Thinking Mindset
How the Netflix series “Queer Eye” is highlighting the Design Thinking Mindset
The guys on “Queer Eye” are the leading evangelists of the design thinking mindset, even if they don’t ever say it or even know it. In each episode they set out to help people become better versions of themselves. They go into each episode with an open mind and walk a mile in the hero’s shoes before they even begin to come up with solutions for the person.
All of the hosts have specialties, Antoni Porowski is the food and spirit guru, Tan France knows how to make everyone look well dressed, Karamo Brown provides cultural and lifestyle insights, Bobby Berk is the design expert, and finally Jonathan Van Ness ensures that everyone not only looks great, but takes care of their skin and hair as well.
Obviously the show is human centered, but that’s not what makes it such a near perfect representation of the design thinking mindset. The design thinking mindset really comes out in how the guys approach each episode’s hero. And the formula of the show mirrors the full design thinking process almost perfectly.
Each episode follows a formula. First the “Queer Eye” hosts enter the hero’s space observing how the person lives and then they meet with the hero themselves and start asking for details. Even how the guys ask for details follows the design thinking principles, Jonathan doesn’t just ask, “do you use conditioner?” He takes them to the bathroom and asks them to walk him through their daily routine. This is the first stage of design thinking: empathy.
Next the team sits down with the hero and asks them what they hope to get out of the interaction, what they want to work on, and most importantly how they see themselves. Bobby doesn’t ask, “how do you want the room decorated?” He asks how they use the space, and if that is how they want to use it. This is the second stage of design thinking: define. The team has not asked for a solution, simply found what the problems are to be solved.
The next part of the show is usually a nice montage of the “Queer Eye” hosts as they talk about what they think they can do for the hero. In this section we see Karamo discussing the difficulties in the hero’s life and how he might address them. This is the third stage of design thinking: ideate.
Then the action starts for the show. We see Antoni working with the hero to learn to cook a new dish that has meaning in their life. Tan will take them to a store to have them try on different outfits to see what works, what they like, and to just experiment. This is the fourth stage of design thinking: prototype.
The final act of the show is the big reveal, the big pay-off, the portion of the show we all wait for. The new living space designed and executed by Bobby is revealed, Tan dresses the hero in their new clothes and final advice is handed out by Karamo and Jonathan. Then the hosts leave as the hero reveals his (and sometimes her) new look and space to family and friends, along with the cooking skills taught by Antoni. This is the fifth stage of design thinking: test.
The hosts never end the show saying that the hero “lived happily ever after!” They watch how the hero did on their own, comment on what advice was followed or skipped, but they know this wasn’t the end, just the beginning for our episode’s hero.
“Queer Eye” is the perfect example of both design thinking in how the show follows the stages perfectly, but more importantly of the design thinking mindset in how the hosts approach each hero. Despite being the subject mater experts and having already completed four seasons, the guys enter each episode with an open mind and observe and understand their hero before ideate and refine a solution for the hero.
Each hero is unique and the hosts respect that uniqueness and put aside their own egos and embody the design thinking mindset through each episode and each season. If you want to understand the design thinking mindset and see it in action, then load up Netflix and watch “Queer Eye.”
What examples of the design thinking mindset have you seen in popular media?