I’ve had many opportunities to collaborate with Mauro Porcini, SVP & Chief Design Officer, PepsiCo. We developed a conference together in Milan, have been speakers at conferences in Seattle, Boston, London, Copenhagen and a small town in Norway, Advisers to DMI, and attended many other activities. I’ve deep admiration for what he has accomplished professionally, […]
Read MoreTen recruiting predictions for 2016 – and the role of design
General Electric, the nations largest industrial company, just announced it is moving it’s headquarters from Connecticut to Boston. Of their 360,000 G.E. employees globally, only 800 will go to the new HQ in Boston. What I find most interesting is that the New York Times reports that of the 800 going to headquarters only 200 will […]
Read MoreInterview tip by Thomas Edison
Interview tip – no salt! Here is a story I heard about how Thomas Edison conducted interviews. His technique goes like this: Back in his day, people often had soup for lunch. So when Edison met a potential hire, he would invite them to lunch, and order soup. The candidates most often ordered soup too. […]
Read MoreHow to critique product design portfolios
Here are seven tips to evaluate product design portfolios Lets be honest, critiquing design portfolios can be difficult. And for the untrained reviewer, even daunting. It’s easy to get swept away by beautiful renderings and snappy concept sketches. And its even more difficult if you are looking for design leaders. To evaluate a design candidates […]
Read MoreDesign Leadership: What’s Next?
I just wrote an interesting post for FastCo Design about the future of design leadership. Read the full article here – Design Leadership: What’s Next? It’s based on interviews I conducted with the heads of design from 3M, Intuit, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Pepsico, Philips and REI. There are seven areas of focus: Remain driven […]
Read MoreDesigning for culture – A process guideline: first, slow down.
By Peter Norlin. Because the focus of our attention—the design of processes (“structures”) that determine human behavior—is a complicated, tricky task, it’s important that we not rush that task. So as we approach the conscious, intentional design of workplace culture, I plan to pause occasionally to offer a guideline that should direct our planning. Based […]
Read MoreMcKinsey on Building a Design-Driven Culture
At last, the folks at McKinsey & Company are learning about and promoting the benefits of building a Design-Driven Culture. After acquiring Lunar Design it seems they are now among the converted, well, better late than never. And McKinsey just published a very basic article endorsing four elements of design-driven cultures, including:1. Really understanding the […]
Read MoreWhy are design firms stagnating?
Recently wrote a post for FastCo Design, Why are Design Firms Stagnating. It seems to have struck a cord, with 2,700 likes so far. It’s a pity really; we all have worked so hard – including design firms – to help see design become a more strategic tool, and now the design firms are challenged. […]
Read MoreTen tools to help managers think creatively.
By Jeanne Liedtka. I’m a huge proponent of design thinking as an approach to helping managers think creatively. However, the phrase “design thinking” often makes people’s eyes glaze over. Sure – we know we need help to find profitable growth and innovation opportunities in this disruptive world. And we’ve gotten the point that we know […]
Read MoreSeven Design Drivers for Business
I have a great deal of respect for Raymond Turner. He has held posts as the Design Director for Heathrow’s Terminal 5, the Heathrow Express high speed rail, the Principal Design Manager consultant to Eurotunnel, Managing Director of Wolff Olins in London and Design Director of London Transport. He’d been a pioneer in defining the […]
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