A simple framework for better design decisions — The design community has a huge information problem and I fear it is getting worse. Our lives are full of noise. A cacophony of headlines, comments, data points, and alternative facts. I bet the only reason you are here is the click-bait title. That’s okay, I would have too. With…

Throughout the design community, I found a pattern so harmful that it is crippling most of us. It is the notion we must come up with useful ideas all the time. I’ve seen firsthand, the pressure to generate nuggets of inspiration in the name of a product or service only…

A case for more Post-It notes, napkin sketches, and process sharing. — In Austin Kleon’s book Show Your Work!, he makes a case for letting others into your creative process. The idea being your generosity will outweigh genius, and you become discoverable in a social media-rich environment. …

How to spot signs your design project will perish before having started. — On the very first page of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s A Chronicle of a Death Foretold, it is revealed Santiago Nasar will die. Carved like a pig, he will bleed out on his kitchen floor by the conclusion of the book. In the poetically brutal and speedy 71-page novella, Marquez shows…

A call for free inquiry in the age of calamity and uncertainty. — Desperate to flee the chaos at Ground Zero on September 11, something trapped thousands in lower Manhattan. Many streets and bridges were open only to foot traffic. The best way off the island was by water. Ferries, tugs, private vessels, and coast guard boats emerged as saviors. …

Apply hostage negotiation tactics toward excellent design. — “We’ve got your daughter. Give us one million dollars, or she dies.” Pause for a moment and imagine hearing those words. Maybe it is not your daughter — it is your brother, a partner, or a loved one. You gasp, trying to catch your breath, beating back your heart rate…

How transparency breeds confidence and trust during hard times. — In the design world, we emphasize the importance of empathy to achieve meaningful results. When done well, empathy leads to products and services that transcend. The iPhone, Peloton, Tesla, they transcend beyond products becoming lifestyle choices. Today, design leaders will need to aim their empathetic muscle memory at reorganizing their…

How storytelling can reconnect you to users. — Last summer, at the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, an employee named Jennifer was dragging a bit. Jennifer was a relatively new employee and clearly didn’t buy into the whole hospitality thing. She was sneaking peeks at her phone while pretending to appear busy about the outdoor dining area…

A way to change your relationship with design for the better. — How has your connection with Design changed during the pandemic? For me, Design has always been more like a friendship than a job. Before long, it evolved into a friend-love relationship. In the beginning, it was crafting typefaces in pencil and ink. Then we moved our relationship into working together…