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CTS B | Week 6: Critical Self-Reflectivity

As late September signaled the approach of formative feedback, an internal reckoning began: how well did our theoretical knowledge translate into practice? Week 6 utilized the Double Diamond design process (Figs. 1-4) to test this consolidation, using a confusing sign redesign to map internal critical thinking onto external design structure.

The difficult part of collaboration is managing one’s emotional input, particularly transitioning from Discover to Define (Figs. 1 & 2). I felt the powerful impulse to seize control - the tyrant’s hand ready to impose a singular solution - yet I practiced self-regulation. This conscious restraint to validate group perspectives was crucial, ensuring Define was framed by empathy, not ego. This aligns directly with Daniel Goleman’s assertion that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a key predictor of collaborative success (Emotional Intelligence, 35), underscoring that effective collaboration hinges on mutual commitment (Katzenbach & Smith, 45).

However, the outcome revealed a profound failure of convergence. We delivered three distinct signs, succeeding in initial diagnosis but failing the crucial social fusion required to move cohesively through Develop and Deliver (Figs. 3 & 4). This inability to commit to one path is a critical warning for my Design Interactions team project, Temasek Playground (Figs. 5-7), which demands a seamless, cohesive narrative built from a unified vision.

For future practice, the best feedback loop won't be internal reflection alone, but the shock of external critique. As Tasha Eurich argues, true self-awareness requires both perspectives (Insight, 48). I wish to be a convergent designer, whose skills serve collective intelligence. Design maturity begins with this unflinching self-critique: the price of the unmanaged ego is always a fractured effort during the Deliver stage, the ultimate test of maturity.

Total Word Count: 274 Words

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Works Cited

Eurich, Tasha. Insight: Why We’re Not as Self-Aware as We Think, and How Seeing Ourselves Clearly Helps Us Succeed and Thrive. Currency, 2017. (Page 48)

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books, 1995. (Page 35)

Katzenbach, Jon R., and Douglas K. Smith. The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization. Harvard Business Review Press, 1993. (Page 45)

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