The Sorcerer's Apprentice

by X | @rali2100 - Linkedin|R Ali

Created 2023-05-07

With great power comes great responsibility

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a segment from the 1940 Disney animated film Fantasia, based on the poem of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the musical piece by Paul Dukas. It stars Mickey Mouse as the titular apprentice.

Mickey Mouse was an apprentice to a great sorcerer named Yen Sid. One day, Mickey was tasked with emptying a large cauldron of water. Tired of doing the chore by himself, Mickey used his magic to bring a broom to life and have it do the work for him.

The broom worked quickly and efficiently, and Mickey was soon able to sit back and relax. However, he soon realized that he had lost control of the broom. The broom began to fill the cauldron faster and faster, and Mickey frantically tried to stop it. But it was too late. The cauldron overflowed, flooding the room.

When Yen Sid returned, he was not happy. He scolded Mickey for his carelessness and taught him a valuable lesson about the dangers of magic. Mickey learned his lesson and vowed to be more responsible with his powers in the future.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a classic Disney animated short that is both entertaining and educational. It is a cautionary tale about the dangers of magic, but it is also a celebration of the power of imagination.

Key ideas and problems:

• The dangers of automation without proper control: The Sorcerer's Apprentice's desire to automate his task led to a loss of control and negative consequences.

• The importance of understanding the capabilities and limitations of tools: Mickey did not fully understand the broom's capabilities, leading to an overflow of water.

• The need for responsible use of power: Mickey's misuse of magic caused damage and disruption.

Design thinking and the Sorcerer's Apprentice:

• Empathy: Understanding Mickey's desire to avoid work and his lack of understanding of the broom's capabilities.

• Define: Clearly defining the problem of automating tasks without proper control and the need for responsible use of power.

• Ideate: Brainstorming solutions to prevent automation from leading to negative consequences, such as developing better safeguards and providing adequate training.

Design thinking methods and tools:

• User interviews: Interviewing Mickey and other characters to understand their motivations, needs, and experiences.

• Observation: Observing how Mickey interacts with the broom and the consequences of his actions.

• Brainstorming: Generating a wide range of ideas to address the identified problems.

• Sketching and prototyping: Creating quick sketches and low-fidelity prototypes to visualize and test potential solutions.

• Usability testing: Observing how users interact with the prototypes and gathering feedback.

Examples of design thinking in action:

• Designing a smart broom that can be controlled with voice commands or gestures.

• Developing a training program for apprentices that includes instruction on responsible use of magic.

• Creating a system of safeguards that automatically shuts down automated tasks if they detect potential problems.

Design thinking involves learning about complex issues. Stories are useful shared learning experiences.