Design Buzz

“Design” is a term that has crossed boundaries, from the creative to the practical. You can thank Apple for bringing public awareness to good design and that awareness has now spread to the common consumer. Tim Brown, CEO of branding giant, IDEO has written Change by Design which examines how the creative process and design methods are helpful in all areas of business.

At its core, design isn’t just about being pretty but about a great customer experience, a concern that any type of business has. How do designers answer those questions? First and foremost, from talking to customers, finding out what their current pain points are, what would encourage them to use a product or to try a different brand. The book gives a great example about new bicycle design at Trek, Raleigh and Giant and how actually designing the bikes was one of the last step, after figuring out why novice bikers are intimidated at bike retailers, building a new brand identity and creating campaigns with local government and business. The people involved moved from designers to design thinkers. See more of Tim’s ideas here:

Pump Up Your Creativity!

Creativity isn’t important just for artists, musicians, graphic designers and writers. These days everyone in business is tasked with being more innovative. So how do you get those juices flowing when you don’t feel like you are a creative person?

Let’s dispel this myth: Only certain people are creative. Not true! Whether it is writing a business proposal, developing a new product, solving a human resources problem-they are all examples of creativity. To help keep your brain flexible and to generate new ideas, try some of these things:

1. Do things differently. Take a different route to work, try new restaurants, buy a piece of jewelry you wouldn’t normally wear. Anything you do that is outside your normal routine or style stimulates new areas in your brain. Even sleeping on the other side of the bed than you usually do causes your brain to say “hey! what’s this about?” and starts the neurons firing.

2. Read new material. If you usually read the paper and Inc. magazine, head over to the music, art or lifestyle section and grab a new magazine. Wired is a great magazine that blends business, technology, entertainment and is loaded with innovative design. Absorb information from a whole different world than yours.

3. Learn something. Always had a hidden hankering to learn to play the drums or to write a screenplay or bake bread? Take a class or two and get engaged in something you’ve always dreamed of doing.

4. Check out some creativity blogs: Creativity-Online, Creativity-Portal, and Fuel Your Creativity are all great choices with prompts and ideas to help you see things in new and different ways.

5. Finally, don’t take it all so seriously. Lighten up. Watch a comedy. Play with your kids. Get out in the snow or for a walk in the park. Roll on the ground with your dog. Unplug your computer, cell phone and tv for awhile and just listen to some music-or be quiet.