Something well designed is compelling; we are drawn to its efficiency, effectiveness, elegance, beauty, and often it’s cleverness and humor. You’re a designer when you arrange your clothes in an order that gets you out the door faster in the morning, or when you plan a route to the office.

Then why is “design thinking” so hard for so many to understand?

In my view it’s because we have a tendency to think things more complicated than they are; the enigmatic isn’t routinely unpacked but rather labeled something else or believed to be something we understand easier or perhaps ignored completely. Maybe we find the easiest remedy for complexity is to go to the end result and call it design: an iPod, Ferrari, or the elegant kitchen utensil.

Great designers design great things from information architecture to artifacts for living, but the truly great designer finds the right problem to solve that makes a difference and connects emotionally to the end user. They advance humanity by forward thinking with the support of observation and research, empathy for the end user and serendipity in the process.

I put together this 13 minute video with the help of 5 great design thinkers; Matt Munoz, David Burney, John Loftin, Jonathan Opp and Todd Coats.  In it they help us to understand design thinking.

To paraphrase David Burney in this video: Design is a way of life. Designers find solutions to the right problems through the balance of science, analytics, and math + art, spirit and intuition.

[Via Wikipedia:]

Design thinking is a process for practical, creative resolution of problems or issues that looks for an improved future result.^[1] It is the essential ability to combine empathy, creativity and rationality to meet user needs and drive business success. Unlike analytical thinking, design thinking is a creative process based around the “building up” of ideas. There are no judgments early on in design thinking. This eliminates the fear of failure and encourages maximum input and participation in the ideation and prototype phases.

Originally Published on Nov. 2009 – try it

While interviewing Will McFarlane I was reminded how critically important it is to avoid getting caught up in the nuance of our creative fields.  “Music can be math without feel or tone” is one of my take away quotes in part II.  Extending that, any field can be dry when devoid of feel or tone”.

It’s way more about what we do with what we know, than what we know.  How extraordinarily remedial is that?  Yet, how much time do we all spend in the pursuit of technique at the sacrifice of feel and tone?  Some players get more feeling out of 3 major chords than others do with a full knowledge of music theory.  Some photographers have an intangible spirit to their work that leads others to a fruitless study of lighting technique.

Technique is great.  Lack of it is limiting.  Then again, tone and feel is worth a constant reminder of its importance to great work.

Biography:

It’s hard to imagine how many 12 year old young men watched the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1963 and were inspired to pick up the guitar saying, “I want to do that”. Many, I’m sure. Voice lessons at six years old and piano a year later, young Will was clearly better primed than most.

Motown’s R&B captured Will’s imagination in High School while

growing up on Long Island, which helped him develop as a fine rhythm guitarist.

Bonnie Raitt enlisted the 23 year old college escapee McFarlane as a member of her band one night when she heard him play at a Cambridge, MA night club. He toured with her band from 1974 – 1980 before leaving the road to move into the studio.

While with The Bonnie Raitt band, Will shared stages with living blues and folk legends. That’ll do wonders for your playing but more importantly, Will learned to listen for what guitar licks to leave out to best play up the band.

In 1980 Will McFarlane joined the famed “Swampers”; He moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to play and learn from Jimmy Johnson and the boys. Bobby Blue Bland, Little Milton, Etta James and Johnnie Taylor are a few that get off hand mention as clients of Muscle Shoals Sound.

Since 2001, Will McFarlane, his Wife Janet, their three children, and five grand kids all live in North Carolina’s Triangle Region. The Will McFarlane Band plays regionally but Will continues his studio work in Nashville and Muscle Shoals as well as live gigs both nationally and abroad.

Frank Stasio, WUNC Radio interview of Will McFarlane

I had a chance to talk with Creative Director and Copywriter Mike Allen about his career in Advertising and get some of his thoughts on branding and creativity.  Here are 10 minutes from that discussion.

As this embedded spot for American Airlines demonstrates, Mike gives voice to a brand’s essence.  This spot and two others in the campaign ran shortly after the 9/11 tragedy.  Worried that the country didn’t need a reminder of plane flight or the of who’s company mark was stenciled to the side of the terrorist weapon, American Airlines was on the verge of canceling all Advertising for 6 months.

The alternative was to show the emotion of what plane flight means to those who chose to travel; don’t show planes, show what planes can do besides fly into buildings. It’s easy to see how the “We know why you fly” campaign was born from these early spots written by Mike.

Additional 30 sec. spots in the Campaign from American Airlines 2001:
“Friends”
“Family”

Summery of Mike Allen’s Advertising History:

His 24-year advertising career includes creating brand-building work for American Airlines, Bank of America, Nortel Networks, Subaru of America, the U.S. Air Force, Bell Helicopter, Terminix and Bennigan’s while at Temerlin McClain in Dallas, TX.

From 2003-2009, He was ACD, then VP/Managing Creative Director at Rockett, Burkhead & Winslow (RBW) in Raleigh, NC, overseeing work and writing for BB&T, Biscuitville, Wavecom, Queens University of Charlotte, CORT Furniture and Old Dominion Freight Line across all media channels.

Meet Adam. He’s determined to unite talent – his own. A first-class writer and a first-rate illustrator equals a great cartoonist. A great cartoonist makes an exceptional ad man, screen writer and film director.

Here’s an example when livelihood obligates creative talent to flow. Resembling a creative anthropologist, skills are exhumed with the unrelenting exploration, tweaking and deadlines. There is nothing like the demands of a professional creative career; this is no do it when you feel like it hobby.

The fortunate survive the first third, navigate the second third and finish a maturing prodigy with an inspiring future. Talent is a given – find it or go home – nevertheless wisdom keeps talent relevant.

Biography via Capstrat.com

Some of Americas best known brands gained advantage from Adam’s multipurpose communications talent. An art director, illustrator, writer and strategic thinker, Adam is an advertising quadruple threat.

With nearly 20 years in advertising and now a V.P. Creative Director at Capstrat in N.C., Adam has a national reputation that’s prized locally. Distill, his North Carolina creative ad boutique, boasted a roster of Clients including Kingsdown Mattresses, IntraHealth International, Dey Pharmaceuticals and Mother Earth Brewing.

Before launching Distill, Adam devoted valuable message shaping years to San Francisco agency Ketchum Advertising for Bank of America, Hunt-Wesson Foods (Orville Redenbacher, Knott’s Berry Farm, Peter Pan), Pacific Bell and Novartis Crop Protection.

Prior to relocating North Carolina’s Triangle, Adam freelanced with nearly all major Bay Area agencies: Goodby, Silverstein & Partners; Foote, Cone & Belding; TBWA\Chiat\Day; McCann-Erickson; Butler, Shine & Stern. His work included advertising and strategic planning for among many: Charles Schwab, Microsoft, Levi’s, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Apple and the San Francisco Giants.

So as not to be accused of creative slacking, Adam’s daily comic strip, “Herschel,” was chosen for syndication by Creators Syndicate. He co-created a Cartoon Network animated pilot called “Major Flake” and his short film, “Love Scene,” won Best Narrative Short at the Ohio Independent Film Festival.

Some awards needing persistent dusting came from The New York Art Directors Show, The Clios, Graphis, Creativity Magazine, The San Francisco Show, PRINT, The AIGA Boom! Awards and ADDYS.

Adam earned a Bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in art and speech communication from, and an MFA in illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

I met Scott in 1995 at an awards show. One of the many things I enjoy about being “a creative” in advertising is that you become a collector of interesting intelligent imaginative just plain nice folks who do cool stuff; Scott is one of those. – Bruce DeBoer

Scott Ballew Senior Vice President and Creative Director

Biography [via - Captrat.com ] :

Scott offers our clients a deep understanding of consumer advertising and national accounts from his experience with high-profile clients such as Kimberly-Clark, TGI Friday’s, Thorlo and Pier 1 Imports. He also brings special expertise in health care and technology, thanks to his work for Ciba-Geigy (now Novartis), the Texas Department of Health and SAS Software. Here at Capstrat, Scott contributes to creative strategy and supervision for a range of accounts and oversees our design staff.

While Scott believes his first priority is aligning creative concepts with strategic goals, his creative executions capture the heart and mind — and every conceivable prize. His award shelf includes honors from Communication Arts, New York Art Directors Annual, The One Show, London International Awards, Clios, national Addys. Archive and Graphis.

Previously Scott served as associate creative director at Howard, Merrell & Partners in Raleigh. He also served as senior art director at West & Vaughan in Durham and as art director for The Richards Group in Dallas. He started his career in the design department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A Texan by birth, Scott graduated with honors from the School of Visual Arts in New York where he earned his bachelor of fine arts degree in advertising.

Contact Scott Ballew through Capstrat.com

It’s “challenging to figure out how to be as creative as possible while wearing both hats” … one as creative director and another as agency owner.

In this video interview listen to Domenick Rella, partner at advertising agency RellaCowan,  talk about his background, the business of advertising and his agency’s approach.

Through years of working in marketing and advertising, Domenick has honed a creative philosophy that has led to innumerable successful projects for clients and, not incidentally, won many awards. Prior to founding Rella:Cowan, he was art director for several agencies in the Southeast, and more recently, serving as associate creative director and creative director. His wide-ranging background includes print (direct and publication), broadcast and interactive advertising for clients in technology, research, finance, manufacturing and retail. Domenick also worked for Qualex, Kodak’s photo finishing division, where he was creative team leader in charge of national branding for Target Film Developing. (via RellaCowan.com) Oddity: Derives life lessons from “The Big Lebowski” Contact Domenick Rella

Undeniable. We live in interesting times.  Perhaps it takes more courage – albeit a different kind (a New Kind if you will) – to live now than during the original Renaissance.  Creativity is spilling into the streets creating an awareness that we haven’t seen before these last few years.

According to David Burney, we are living through a “Democratized Renaissance“, one in which creativity is available to more people.  New tool sets allow everyone to compete, whether you choose to be an artist or find your niche in business or both.

In part II of the interview with David Burney, he frames his ideas about what we should be thinking in the next decade and what our value is currently as creative professionals.

Biography (via NEW KIND website)

David has nearly 30 years experience building and leading creative services organizations. Most recently, David served for 4 1/2 years as Vice President of Brand Communications and Design at Red Hat—one of the most disruptive technology brands in the world. David led the company’s overall brand communications strategy, including all creative communications functions.

Prior to Red Hat, David was the owner of Burney Design, partner and Chief Creative Officer at Capstrat, and Chief Designer at the NC Museum of Art.

In addition to serving as Red Hat’s brand executive, David also created an internal innovation program to drive the power of design thinking throughout the company. The program fast became an integral part of quarterly executive meetings. It was subsequently leveraged across the company worldwide to create departmental and individual goals that align with annual corporate business objectives.

David is an active and long-time member of AIGA, the professional association for design. He was a founding member of the Raleigh chapter where he has served as President. He has also served as the Chair of the National President’s Council.

Many of us are heartbroken.  We love artifacts of design: the photo, the logo, the brochure, the packaging.  As uncomfortable as change feels, our economy has moved away from industry or information and into ideas.  Design thinking will replace designing artifacts as the focus of our creative institutions.

Designers are moving upstream or risk being mistaken for floating fish.  It may be time to stop promoting objet d’art and rediscover our value to both emerging and evolving companies.

Fast competition makes you question who you’re going to be next.  Disruptive ideas with smart clear design thinking helps us with answers and understanding; it goes beyond the artifact but nonetheless tells a compelling story with real value to courageous forward leaning companies bent on survival.   - Bruce DeBoer

In part I of the interview for PermissionToSuck.com, David Burney begins to explain how he thinks design is changing.

Biography (via NEW KIND website)

David has nearly 30 years experience building and leading creative services organizations. Most recently, David served for 4 1/2 years as Vice President of Brand Communications and Design at Red Hat—one of the most disruptive technology brands in the world. David led the company’s overall brand communications strategy, including all creative communications functions.

Prior to Red Hat, David was the owner of Burney Design, partner and Chief Creative Officer at Capstrat, and Chief Designer at the NC Museum of Art.

In addition to serving as Red Hat’s brand executive, David also created an internal innovation program to drive the power of design thinking throughout the company. The program fast became an integral part of quarterly executive meetings. It was subsequently leveraged across the company worldwide to create departmental and individual goals that align with annual corporate business objectives.

David is an active and long-time member of AIGA, the professional association for design. He was a founding member of the Raleigh chapter where he has served as President. He has also served as the Chair of the National President’s Council.

If you think about it, whether you’re a visual or auditory artist, or author, it’s about the conversation with your audience. Oddly, you may not be immediately included in the conversation but without recognizing it you’re forgotten quickly.  We continually hear advice to listen twice as much as we speak and the reason is simple: it’s the only way to stay open.  If you’re curious your work is vibrant; you’re vibrant. In clip 1 of this 2 part interview, you can feel Will’s passion for listening.

Biography:

It’s hard to imagine how many 12 year old young men watched the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1963 and were inspired to pick up the guitar saying, “I want to do that”. Many, I’m sure. Voice lessons at six years old and piano a year later, young Will was clearly better primed than most.

Motown’s R&B captured Will’s imagination in High School while growing up on Long Island, which helped him develop as a fine rhythm guitarist.

Bonnie Raitt enlisted the 23 year old college escapee McFarlane as a member of her band one night when she heard him play at a Cambridge, MA night club. He toured with her band from 1974 – 1980 before leaving the road to move into the studio.

While with The Bonnie Raitt band, Will shared stages with living blues and folk legends. That’ll do wonders for your playing but more importantly, Will learned to listen for what guitar licks to leave out to best play up the band.

In 1980 Will McFarlane joined the famed “Swampers”; He moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to play and learn from Jimmy Johnson and the boys. Bobby Blue Bland, Little Milton, Etta James and Johnnie Taylor are a few that get off hand mention as clients of Muscle Shoals Sound.

Since 2001, Will McFarlane, his Wife Janet, their three children, and five grand kids all live in North Carolina’s Triangle Region. The Will McFarlane Band plays regionally but Will continues his studio work in Nashville and Muscle Shoals as well as live gigs both nationally and abroad.

Frank Stasio, WUNC Radio interview of Will McFarlane

In 1970, a 12 year old boy enthusiastically picked up the family Kodak Instamatic and started pointing it at anything. Or was it everything – hard to tell – but after only one twelve exposure cassette, he was running to the corner Drug for processing. Every photographer knows the ecstasy of repeated shutter clicks whether you’re 12 or 50. It’s an addiction.

Meandering through cities and stretches in related professions, Bruce DeBoer, now fully grown, moved – the first of five times – from his college town Rochester, NY to Boston. Eight product shooting years later, Hallmark Cards successfully recruited Bruce to manage their behemoth studio with a 2.5 million dollar budget and 23 photographers. Dry? Perhaps. But ask Bruce about his most transitory career experience and, on any given day, you’d hear, “I supervised 23 talented photographers who taught me the influence of beauty, and that there are at least 23 ways to find it. As remedial as that sounds, my skills where honed in Rochester and Boston but my discovery began there in Kansas City.”

A call from his second year college roommate, Jim Erickson, jumped his shooting career to Raleigh, NC. “That’s where my career really started. I shot in the studio while Jim traveled. We finally collaborated on a Harley Davidson catalog just prior to Jim’s move to San Francisco, which lead to Bruce opening Stone Soup Productions with young men on Erickson’s staff who didn’t want to head west”.

Maybe it was a ten year itch or Y2K, either way, Bruce sold his shares of Stone Soup Productions for a Chicago U-Stor-It garage full of studio gear. For a few years at least, that’s where it stayed as Bruce morphed into a Sr. Account Executive. “If Hallmark was my big transition, a small Chicago Ad Agency was my big education. I learned market strategy from the agency side”.

After the small Chicago agency got even smaller, Bruce moved back to Raleigh where he Joined Synthesis Creative – an internet design partnership – as their Director of Marketing. However, within another couple years, Bruce temporarily reconnected with Jim Erickson on trips through Europe and Asia where Bruce was overheard saying: “This digital stuff is really, f’ing cool, I’ve got to get back to this shooting thing.” That was the fall of ’05.

Twenty five years after that first move, enter DeBoer Works Photographic Productions. The award cabinet is full. Bruce’s name appears on countless national and regional Addy Awards, One Show Awards, a NY Festivals Gold, a B&W Spider Award, and as a National Kelly Award Finalist. He’s been published in Communication Arts, Graphis Design Annuals, Print Regional Design Annuals, AIGA Design Annuals, Creativity, Ad Age, Graphis Magazine, and Ad Week. In 2002 Bruce was selected to work on the America 24/7 project and has been a guest lecturer at the famed College of Journalism and Mass Communications at UNC Chapel Hill.

Over the years Bruce has shot with some of the most talented art directors for clients such as: Certified Angus Beef, Harley Davidson, Healthy Choice, Anheuser-Busch, Conde Naste, Duke Medicine, Cliffs Communities, Mandarin Oriental Resorts, Shell Motor Club, Amoco, Couples Resorts – Jamaica, MGM Studio 54 – Las Vegas, and Giro Sport Designs.