“Design Thinking” – career stories and life change opportunities

I would like to introduce myself, my real name is Tran Anh Tuan, 31 years old, currently working at Dongguk University, Seoul, Korea. I also run a consumer product business and in addition, I also participate in managing MES Lab.

With 7 years of experience in managing and operating MES, I have the opportunity and responsibility to read almost all posts submitted by members. Many of them are very sincere confidences about life, work, salary, … This is certainly a real problem and most of us have encountered it at times. Many MES members share that they often dance, are no longer interested in their current job, do not work like school, do not feel comfortable doing what they want and … inadequate remuneration .

Myself, about 8 years ago, when I graduated from school, I was confident that I graduated from the top university, solid knowledge and could achieve anything I wanted. But the fact that I stumbled, just like most of the fresh graduates, was both a disappointment and a disappointment, with the things I said above: boring work, not doing what I wanted, salary of 1 million and a half, … and the future is clearly obscure.

I wondered how to make a more comfortable “work” life, a more interesting and rewarding job, and I spent more than a year looking for the answer to that question. Finding the answer is not simple, I have to go, observe, read, experience, mistake, … even go bankrupt and then come to a conclusion: to have my own product, have your own business. The reason is very simple:

  • No one understands me better than me and no one pays me more than myself.
  • When the work, the product is mine, the sense of responsibility and self-determination ability are also high more.

Later, after I had overcome the initial difficulties, when I looked back, I felt I had done the right thing. Look around, all companies, big or small, whatever they do, they have their products. The product is what makes the company grow and profit. So is the individual. Every day, we come in contact with hundreds and thousands of products, but we don’t pay attention, think, explore, create, … so that we can have our products. Our neglect is such a huge waste of time, opportunity and our creativity and potential.

Design thinking I mentioned here is no big deal, it is the approach to everything everyday with the thinking of the designer, the creator. When you look at anything, think about why it is so, how people make it, can it improve for it better …? This mindset will motivate you to think, create, edit constantly to give better and more feasible ideas. And when the idea is good enough, success and money will only be a matter of time.

Design thinking is about looking at things with the eyes of a designer! Believe me, in all of us hidden these qualities, you just need to add a little practice so it becomes a habit.

For myself, after many years of practice, I have gained a lot from design thinking from work, career, organization of life, … For you, it may not need to do business level but design thinking, combined with your existing technical background, will make a huge advantage in work is another way for you to enhance your position, value and gain freedom at work.

Think, be creative as a real engineer. You are really good and more capable than you still think. Don’t limit your potential.