DesignThinkers 2009 Notes {5}

Steven Heller

Iron fists
Branding the 20th Century: Totalitarian State

1. Cult of the Leader
2. Cult of Kids (capture kids hearts & minds)
3. Cult of signs (& logos)
4. Cult of uniformity
5. Cult of hate
6. Cult of souvenirs
7. Cult of stupidity

The darker side of design thinking


Marty Neumeier – Are you zagging or lagging?

Vision (what could be)
Critique magazine > Teach designers what they are doing…
Tool to be innovative – keep innovating, Steve Jobs
Herbert Simon says, “Changing existing situation > preface anyone change situations

Design NOT decide the future
Dragon’s Den KNOW – MAKE(design) – DO
We’ve gone from cheap, good & fast TO free, ? & now
Competition comes from clutter – 5 Kinds

(pauses for water)

Whose done this before?
Radical = Loser thus not equal Power

Barriers from physical > mental
Barriers from company > customer

Be REALLY different – radical differientation
Tool > Good Different Chart … see Zag
Sweet spot is b/w Good and Different – See the BIG picture

Soft focus
Empathy – Experience – Intuition – Judgement
Different scares companies > but Powerful
Good & Different is Gold!
Does poorly in tests but then people associate different with good – use examples like the Herman Miller chair to convince people not to play it safe
Warhol twist – companies will be famous for 15 minutes
Be REALLY different – no more me too

Prototype & Test… de-risk and make choices clear for customers
Have to put time in & help them make steps – speak their language and lead them to a bold solution by de-risking them

Make them ready to embrace design – look at Roger Martin’s books
Prototype bolder solutions!