Image: Economy of Innovation by Smart Design. Click here for a larger size.
When I first saw this interesting illustration created by Smart Design, it did not resonate with me. Thus I only forwarded the image via my usual
I have been watching ”Design Thinking” very closely for a long time now, often amused on how it is unfolding in both the design and non-design industries. At this time I’m curious it is evolving, and having strong suspicions on how it can be...
Image by: tamachanhaazarashi.
Designers these days face a lot of pressure to not only do good design, but also to do the right thing. Indeed the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly products cannot and should not be underestimated. However,...
Designers often wonder or whine about how their work is not recognized, accepted or even respected in their organization. What many designers don't realize is how they or their designs are treated has to do with how the discipline of design is viewed within...
Guy Kawasaki, in his usual 10 point interview format, talks with Hartmut Esslinger founder of frog design and someone BusinessWeek calls "the most influential American industrial designer since the 1930s".
In the interview, Hartmut shares his thoughts...
Designers are in the business of doing business; their clients rely on them to make smart, market-savvy decisions and yet there is no resource to provide the necessary knowledge to make these decisions wisely. DBR is simple, pragmatic advice on the business of creativity. Our...
This article was originally published on Yanko Design. As I know some Design Sojourn readers don't really frequent YD, I thought it might be a good idea to republish it here as well. I have also re-edited some of the text to...
I'm sure many of us "poo-pooed" Apple's first generation iPhone as sorely lacking in the technology department. However, no one can doubt the buzz the impending launch of the iPhone OS version 3.0 has created. On the flip side, if we can look...
In a blink of an eye, a potential buyer would have entered a store, quickly scan the different products on the shelf and then make a decision to engage with a particular product. All this happens in just 3-5 seconds! A product’s external housing is one of...
The background of this article stems from my interest in how Strategic Industrial Design forms the backbone of thinking in the very best designers in our field. Therefore I have been quietly spending some time studying and observing strategic designers and their “modus operandi”....
Recently Raph, from the very excellent Design Droplets blog, wanted to know how I define Strategic Design. I never had to consciously apply strategic design and thinking methodologies as it was something that I just did through my daily design activities. It was, in...
A fictional discussion in a studio near you. Friend: Designers need to loosen up. Me: Yeah? How so? Friend: Sometimes, designers are taking their design work too seriously. The rest of the world just takes design at face value. Me (In a philosophical voice): This organic...
Edit 1: Originally published 08 June, 2006. Edited and updated. Can you actually quantify something so subjective and intangible as a design or an Idea? Can it then be used as a foundation to tell you if its a good design/idea or not? As someone who...
Post originally published on May 27, 2006. Edit 1: Updated with new written copy, updated links, and images. Squiggle by Damien Newman Years ago...
In short Industrial Design has evolved into a holistic expression of "everything" that is required to create the product. Expanding on this, the Industrial Design of these products were inspired by the product's manufacturing processes or materials and specifically designed to express it as...
Edit 1: Tim is from Frog! Sorry Tim! Edit 2: Completely forgot to highlight, original seed concept "Just Plain Old Thinking" is from csven of rebang. Edit 3: Lesson: Blog when awake! Duh! Tim Leberecht, Frog Design's VP of Marketing, has written about Design Thinking and how...
The title of this quick post came up in a recent discussion I had with a business partner. After further reflection, I find this very true. It is applicable to all forms of strategy including design. So let me reword this: A good...
I finally got the time today to sit down and really think about the impact of these troubled times. It has been a very hectic month since I officially started my new role, as a result, I really only hovered around the global impact from...
It's about time, the (M)Ad Men figured that out. Well they sort of did before and there always been Industrial Designers in advertising and branding. But much of the focus then was on packaging design, and Industrial Design was often seen as nothing...