Brene Brown is a qualitative researcher with her Ph.d in social work and has spent the last decade studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity and shame. In her twenty-minute Ted Talk, Brown tells about a discovery she made that has changed both her professional and personal life. Through the research process, Brown discovered the link between keeping and breaking the one thing that human beings desire the most; connection. Humans fear being disconnected. To keep connection, people hide the parts of themselves that they think will cause connection to break – the unlovable, scary, painful parts. Once this happens, shame enters. Shame and fear lead to disconnection.
Brown found half of her research subjects to be different. She called them the whole-hearted. These people knew that they had some painful, scary and unlovable parts to them, yet they accepted themselves and were vulnerable with others. Whole-hearted people had the courage to be imperfect. The amazing thing that Brown found was the vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy, creativity, belonging and love.
After watching this Ted Talk, I started thinking about how this related to design. But first, let me define vulnerability (dictionary.com).
1) Capable or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon
2) Open to moral attack, criticism and temptation
3) Open to assault; difficult to defend
Design is best done in a collaborative process. In order to enter the design process with a team, there needs to be a certain level of vulnerability and trust in order to develop something truly great. Team members must be open to receiving criticism and having their ideas “attacked” in order to produce something better. It is a hard process, but when embraced, the results are much better than the original idea. Being vulnerable brings connection; not only between people but also between ideas.