People often ask what I do. So I naturally tell them I am a dreamer, storyteller, creative, designer and innovator. The looks of puzzlement come over their face and I explain that my title is a "Graphic Designer." However, I do far more than that, as do the people I work with. We design, plain and simple. When I say design people assume that is limited to visual graphics, interiors and maybe clothing among other things.
Design however is much more. Design is a way of thinking. Design is coming up with many ideas, reworking them, putting them through critiques, bettering the ideas them redoing that again until you come up with a polished result. Then you take that result and you do it all over again. Even after its become a "finished product" you reinvent and better it through out its life.
I have designed user experiences. I have designed packaging, clothing, communication, visual instructions, verbal instructions, graphics, characters, recipes, toys, interaction, brands, purses, and logos and much more. I have designed ways to problem solve, inspire, innovate, and create. An idea is far more effective when design thinking is used. Do you have to have the title of designer to think like a designer? Absolutely not. I have a finance friend, and other business friends who "get it."
Roger Martin is dean of the Rotman School of Management. A Canadian from Wallenstein, Ontario, he received his AB from Harvard College, with a concentration in Economics, in 1979 and his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1981 In October of 2009, Roger was named as one of the world’s 50 most influential living management thinkers in the Thinkers 50 Ranking published in The Times (London, UK).
"In a knowledge-intensive world, design thinking is critical to overcoming the biggest block: overcoming analytical thinking and fear of intuitive thinking. The design thinker enables the organization to balance exploration and exploitation, invention of business and administration of business, originality and mastery." (Fast Company Article)
Now where am I going with this? I am going to touch on Volkswagen. I have always respected this company and now I respect them on levels that match my respect for Disney/Pixar, Apple, and Target...all of which are lead by design business thinking. Volkswagen started a contest/campaign, and get this it does't have to do with cars? That is a good thing! Here is the mission statement."
"This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better."
What they are doing here is what makes the world a better place, through fun and experience, and design. Sure someone who has the budget for them could have said..."and how does this make us money." The last think anyone should ask is how this will make us money. As Steve Jobs said.
If I had to some up what it is to be a designer in as few words as possible it would be this. "Designers are optimists who problem solve by thinking and by deeply caring.""I used to be the youngest guy in every meeting I was in, and now I'm usually the oldest. And the older I get, the more I'm convinced that motives make so much difference. HP's primary goal was to make great products. And our primary goal here is to make the world's best PCs -- not to be the biggest or the richest" (Businessweek)
Take peak below at these videos so that this idea can be better illustrated. After viewing all three, visit thefuntheory.com for more joy. Spread this post to inspire your fellow employees and friends to think with a design mind. Everyone is a designer, we just have to walk the talk then we can change the world one step at a time.
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2 comments:
Yeah but all design cost money and with out the money the design doesnt happen.
I think designers can be a bit lofty in their goals in some cases which ends in reckless spending. Thats a car company, how does this benifit them?
MisterBigs...It benefits them because Chris blogged about it then you read it, then I read it, we watched the video. That's an "impression". Advertising is based on impressions and since we (consumers) tend to ignore traditional advertising, these kinds of impressions are like gold to advertisers. The more we talk about it the more valuable it is to VW. A lofty goals attained through spending that was definitely not reckless.
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