Have you ever wondered which problem is the most important to solve? Do you focus on the smaller problem at hand, or the bigger problem that lies beneath? The answer is yes, to both. That’s what design thinkers do. They solve the issues before them, while taking a bite out of the bigger issues too, […]
Read MoreHow a 185 year old insurance company re-framed innovation
Leadership psychologist Edgar Papke and I just dove deep into the intersection of innovation, design thinking and corporate culture, and published our analysis in a new book Innovation by Design. We found that one of the aspects of leveraging design thinking at scale is the idea of open spaces – physically and mentally. This includes […]
Read MoreThe Anatomy of a Great UX Design Leader
Fast Company recently asked me – What makes a great UX design leader? Here is my response – Seven key traits the best UX design leaders share. The job market for user experience designers is booming, and academic programs at companies like Google have sprung up to meet demand. Missing from most discussions about the […]
Read MoreThe importance of playing for building a culture of innovation.
By Joan Vinyets Rejon. ‘We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing’. George Bernard Shaw Reflections on play and innovation In human evolution there are many manifestations about the importance of play, because it’s what enables the individual to discover new approaches to deal with the world. In […]
Read MoreCan giving a manager too much money actually interfere with their ability to innovate?
By Jeanne Liedtka. Crazy as it sounds, there’s such a thing as having too much money to spend – or perhaps just the illusion of money to spend. Managers get tricked into doing things that they would never do if they were spending their own money. Things like starting small. Small is not beautiful in […]
Read MoreTime to create create.
A key objective for nearly every organization is to innovate. Business thrives on creating new products and services that add value for its stakeholders and customers. To that end, the successful organizations are those that make the most of the creativity of their employees and their partners. As Marty Neumeier observes in The Designful Company, […]
Read MoreSix imperatives of innovation culture, and why design is at the top.
In the ongoing quest for corporate profits, most companies have squeezed out their inefficiencies by now and are coming to grips with the fact that future profits must come from top line growth. But they are also recognizing that opening new territories, extending brands, and marketing campaigns aren’t working so hot anymore. Which means creating […]
Read MoreCreating an innovation Culture: Four keys to motivating creativity.
By Edgar Papke. Among business leaders and students of organizations, there is a great deal of attention being paid to the idea of creating and leading cultures of innovation. In exploring this idea, we soon realize that the concepts surrounding what an innovation culture is, and how to create and lead a culture of innovation, are, in […]
Read MoreGood Business is Good for Design
Interesting twist. Many of us have embraced the phrase “Good Design is Good for Business” for years. Thomas Watson Jr, former IBM Chairman, made this phrase popular after Paul Rand inspired him with “Good Design is Good Will” (Yale University, 1987). Good design is absolutely abundant today. Come to think about it, I really can’t […]
Read MoreWho leads design-led innovation?
I’m a big fan of design-led innovation, and who leads this amazing process is a fair question. I’d like to unpack this question with five reference points; Roberto Verganti in Milan who wrote Design-Driven Innovation, Park Advanced Design Management in Germany with research on design leadership roles, Yu-Jin Kim in Korea with research on the […]
Read More