Design Sojourn | Strategic Industrial Design Blog

Image: Poop Hat from Jbox

So where was I? Ah yes.

On two separate occasions, I had a similar discussion with two designer friends. One of which was a very senior designer almost two decades older than I. We were discussing how designers have “Use by Dates” and how we all will eventually get there. This is because the older designers would eventually get surpassed by new blood that has access to new training, technologies, skills and thinking.

So I pondered: “How can designers remain relevant in today’s fast pace design world?”

For one, designers, especially in the senior levels, should not forget how to do actual designing. A few years ago, I spoke to a design educator friend that researched on how a number of design managers and above don’t actually do much design work these days. It seems the higher up you go, the further you get from the day to day design work.

This is true to a certain extent, but from my view, staying hands-on and relevant is something that I have always been very vehement about. Even if I don’t have the time to design at work as I’m spending time on strategy or management, I would spend my free time producing my own design projects instead. Designers on all levels should never forget about their core assets in design.

More importantly, what about that new Thinking bit?

My answer came from a friend who is currently doing his MBA at INSEAD. He shared with me a Toyota case study he worked on in his innovation management class. Apparently Toyota’s manufacturing line is an open book. They frequently invite engineers from their competitors to visit, stay and learn how they are able to be the world’s number 1 car company in quality and reliability. They believe in sharing their advanced techniques, thinking and management philosophy with others, even competitors, as they feel that by sharing they will make the world a better place to live in.

As the story goes, a group of engineers from a competing car company went to Toyota to learn their techniques so that they could apply it on their own production line. When they returned, not only could they not repeat or emulate Toyota’s quality and efficacy controls, they could not even improve their own production process!

Unperturbed, the management from the competing car company did the reverse. They invited Toyota engineers to come and see what they could do to improve their own line. The result was a tremendous success, the Toyota engineers manage to hit double digit percentage improvements on a manufacturing line that was believed impossible to improve.

So what is the moral of this story?

I believe Toyota really understands that even if they share and teach the world their thinking, at the end of the day, it is the Toyota’s culture of excellence and their engineer’s mindset that can never be copied, recreated or reproduced.

Eventually, Toyota will get surpassed as someone will figure out how to do it better. However, Toyota’s culture of sharing actually forces them not to rest on their laurels. This means they will always be ahead of the competitive curve, as they will always be re-inventing themselves with the aim to do their very best!

This is the secret right here.

As time goes on and we get older, the 60-80 hour week is just not going to cut it anymore. However to survive, we will need to continue to stay relevant by constantly reinventing ourselves. We need to identify our strengths, cover our weaknesses and be open to learning new skills. Furthermore do not be afraid to share your experiences, so that you would be always on your toes and out of your comfort zone. This will keep you moving on to the next level and ahead of your competition.

And that was also how my senior designer friend remains extremely relevant in today’s fast pace Internet driven environment.

It has been awhile since I wrote a post that adequately fits into my “Designer Musings” category. In the start-up days of this blog, more than 2 years ago, I had defined this category as “My personal reflection and opinion on Design and the Design Industry”. So as I have not posted in a while I thought that this would be a good time to do some “Designer Musings.”

I often try to keep things here at Design Sojourn less personal, and more factual or educational. But as I don’t really have a personal blog, there is not much of an opportunity for a personal outlet, “blurbage”, or perhaps occasional verbal diarrhea!

Therefore, I have found it very therapeutic micro-blogging (read: ranting or raving) about my personal experiences with design on Twitter.

Often I find it more powerful to make a 2 sentence statement about Design that gets to a more succinct point instead of penning out a long blog post. Twitter is perfect for this sort of expression.

However there are a few things that I’ve noticed on Twitter that is a problem. When you post something on Twitter, what you are doing is creating a “Tweet” that disappears into a river of news as quick as the time it took you to type the 140 character limit on Twitter. Unless you use some 3rd party Twitter tools to archive your “Tweets” on your blog, there is no real permanence to the things you say.

So just like my Design Sojourn blog content policy or commenting policy, I’ve decided to create a Twitter policy. So do follow me on twitter if you are interested in small nuggets of Design gold, random entertainment blurbs and links to porn. (Kidding on that last bit!)

What will happen here is still the same old Design Sojourn goodness, but I will start to share more of my personal design opinions, experiences and an occasional rant or rave. All in more than 140 characters (but less than 500 words) and all for the betterment of the Industrial Design Industry!

Plus I think it is a lot more permanent doing it here on Design Sojourn, rather than Twitter, and best of all I can get and respond to comments, something again Twitter is not good at allowing you to do.

Well that is all I’ve got for you today, so do stay tuned for the next part when we will talk a little more about how “Life’s like that”, at least from my point of view! :)

This little video excerpt by Allan Chochinov (of Core77 fame), during his presentation at the PSFK Conference New York 08, talks about his observations he made of his students after he asks them to design the perfect pooper-scooper.

Quote from transcription:

You have to make a lot of shit if you want to create something of significance. The attempt is to “clever” your way to a solution without cranking out a lot of work. You need to give a shit about what you do. Need to make your work personal. In this time of focus groups and user testing, with the tyranny of the user going on, I think we’re starting to commoditize creativity and turning ourselves into problem solving machines and innovation specialists. Forgetting there’s a reason they called us in the first place. The students able to find a place that was personal not only were more successful but they had a lot more fun. Don’t work on shit jobs, only create artifacts and services of value…

Honestly I was a little disappointed, I had expected something different. Perhaps something more insightful? Nothing particularly new here, but at least his delivery is different. Regardless, how many of us have the privilege to decide on the design projects we can take on? I certainly cannot.

Many years ago, I took the steps to work in an industry where we focused on low volumes, long product life cycles, and hopefully better product value offerings. But that is as far as I can go. At least csven can walk away. I certainly can’t.

The reality is many of us designers are stuck in this massive cycle of consumerism. Getting on a soap box and telling the world how designers can make a difference is one part of the story. The reality is the consumer and businesses must change first, as most designers (including myself) are either doing something about it or are waiting for a chance to make a difference.

Via: PSFK, with a pointer from rebang’s twitter updates.

PSFK posted an article on their blog about Starck feeling that “Design is Dead” and is also shamed for all the excess he has created in his designs. Well it was sometime ago when he spoke about his distaste for design, and a year ago we covered this Icon article, where he indicated similarly. This time around he continues his tirade by telling a German news weekly Die Zeit that:

I was a producer of materiality and I am ashamed of this fact.Everything I designed was unnecessary. I will definitely give up in two years’ time. I want to do something else, but I don’t know what yet. I want to find a new way of expressing myself …design is a dreadful form of expression…. In future there will be no more designers. The designers of the future will be the personal coach, the gym trainer, the diet consultant.”

I’m sorry but can something die twice? Third time lucky? Well, at first the cynic that I am believes that Starck is up to his usual shock tactics. Ironically going against a type of design that he had a hand in popularizing.

He has expressed before that he favors any publicity (good/bad) that gets people talking (i.e. Juicy Salif), and as with this blog and every other blog that reproduces this article will have taken the bait and continue to spin his own fame to the next level. Problem is that, it is too good a discussion point to pass up.

But then I decided to take a step back and not look at things out of context as I feel many of the other blogs have. Check out the Die Zeit German language article here and the English translation here, for the full context of this discussion, so that you can decide for yourself if “design is dead”.

I can see where he is going with this discussion, and I think he knows what has to be done. But fickle as he is, the question is, is he doing anything about it? Probably not, as he has been ranting and raving about it since 2002, and is still talking about it today.

From the translation:

I have designed so many things without ever really being interested in them. Maybe all these years were necessary for me to ultimatively recognize that we, after all, don’t need anything. We always have too much (stuff)…Everything I have created is absolutely unnecessary. Design, structurally seen, is absolutely voide of use. A useful profession would be to be an astronomer, a biologist or something of that kind. Design really is nothing. I have tried to install my designs with a sense of meaning and energy, and even when I tried to give my best it was still in vain…Society is pursuing a strategy of dematerialization: it is more and more about intelligence and less about material. Take a computer, for example. In the beginning, computers were big as a house. Now there are computers in the size of only a credit card. In ten years from now they are going to be in our bodies - bionics. In fifty years from now, the concept of computers will have dematerialized itself.

If you can ignore his haughty language, he might have something here. It is easy to misunderstand him, as most blogs (yes even the top tier ones) have, quoted him out of context and it is obvious his English is not the best. Personally I tend to agree with csven’s, (from reBang) take on this situation. Design is not dead, per say, but design as we know it is evolving.

From the recent SPARKCon, a creative conference for the Southern states in the US. One of the community discussions were the top 10 recommendations of how to build a creative scene in your area or, I dare say, in your country.

1. Foster a vibrant urban core featuring a diverse mix of interests, ethnicity, and ages

2. Increase focus on green spaces that allows people to enjoy the environment

3. Develop safer pedestrian and bicycle activity to encourage people to explore

4. Create dynamic public spaces where arts and technology can intermingle

5. Support collectives as incubators of creativity

6. Develop an information hub to publicly promote all creative activities from new patents to gallery shows

7. Encourage programs to foster emerging talent of all types—from small shops and restaurants to artists and inventors

8. Regularly exhibit and celebrate home grown talent of all kinds in public projects

9. Improve public transit infrastructure to bring people to public squares, urban cores, and green spaces

10. Promote tolerance and gain insight from our many different backgrounds

Very relevant, particularly in Asia, where there is a huge push for city centres such as Singapore and Shanghai to adopt a creative culture or be a creative centre.

Via: Gamil

Image Source: The Innovation Diaries

I wanted to write this much sooner but it kinda got lost in the back burner. Sadly, half of the population, depending on your age, may or may not know of this piece of news.

On March 4th, I received an email from a old friend, someone who I have not seen and heard for a very long time. It was a link to a news page that reported that Gary Gygax had passed away. I was shock to say the least.

Generally seen as the grandfather of Role Playing Games, more specifically the Dungeons and Dragons game, his work was an immense influence to many people in my generation. Incidentally the last time I caught up with my old friend was over a game of Dungeon and Dragons.

Blake from The Innovation Diaries could not have described Gary Gygax’s body of work any better:

Gygax himself was an innovation master – exhibiting many of the key behaviors that are the cornerstones of impactful creativity. He used the writings of Tolkien, world mythology, and medieval history as stimulus to propel his thinking. He exhibited bravery and curiosity in the breaking of the rules of what a ‘board game’ could look like (namely, boardless). And he and his partners designed the rules of the game as loose guidelines, encouraging building and improvisation by the players themselves. And the impact of this innovation? A billion dollar empire of role playing games. Not to mention a lasting influence on the literature, television, movies, and video gaming content of today.

I played D&D throughout much of my teenage life. It was through this game that I learn of my love of drawing maps, creating the most wondrous environments and inhabitants (and traps!) for my friends to travel in. The game thought me spatial awareness, the ability to visualize objects and environments in my head, and most important of all the fantastic ability of storytelling. I think all vital skills for a then budding designer.

Bye Gary, and thank you very much for all the memories and for being such a big influence in my formative years.

I recently stumbled on a post by David Pogue, a technology columnist for The New York Times, who wrote a scathing post on how manufacturers today are not “Designing What’s Right for Consumers“.

While I agree with some of his points, I can’t help coming away feeling that this post just gives the wrong impression. It is pretty obvious that Pogue spends a lot of time playing with products (check out the list of Apple How-to books!), but the news flash is (no pun intended), playing with products is a lot different from making them.

In his post, Pogue quotes an interview with Andrew Caffey. Which Pogue finds it absurd that Andrew laments that “Consumer electronics is a very difficult business. It’s difficult to get it right.” After that Pogue runs through a 10 point rant about how you can design better digital picture frames and concludes with this point:

The only question, then, is why manufacturers don’t actually bother doing what’s right. I’m sure they have all kinds of excuses for compromise: “That would cost money,” “That would set us back a month,” “That would limit sales in Eastern Europe,” whatever.

But you don’t have to have an M.B.A. to understand that refusing to compromise on design, for any reason, can lead to fantastic commercial success. Look at Apple, Google, Sonos, R.I.M. (makers of the BlackBerry), or (in its glory days) Palm.

I’m not making any excuses here, but I am sorry to say that yes, it is damn difficult to get consumer electronics right. It is not only just about locations of buttons, usability or ergonomics. There is a lot more factors involved in product development here, and is misleading to imply that by just focusing on a 10 point list of usability issues is all it takes to make a good product.

There is a whole host of other more strategic issues such as defining the right target markets, consumer behavior research, product strategy, branding, and marketing etc. that has to be considered as well. As such the problem here is words working out what is the right thing to make in the first place? Getting all these elements in place correctly is what I believe, Caffery is speaking about.

You see, product development is a huge-ass jigsaw puzzle that needs all the pieces to fall into place correctly for this so-called perfect product to appear. All it takes is just one piece to fall out of place and it all comes unraveled. Believe you me that even Apple/Google/Palm get it wrong, but the difference between Apple and the rest of the world is they get it right most of the time.

I think you can see now, that the amount of resources it takes to get a product done right. Unfortunately rightly or wrongly many companies do not, or are not willing to spend the money, time, talent, space, capacity etc. to get it right.

Let’s say, for arguments sake, what if everything is in place? Well not even that is enough as most companies still may lack the right leadership and vision. Do you think the large Industrial Design team at Creative can’t get anything right? Or do you think their radical ideas don’t get to see the light of day?

While it is correct to say that companies who don’t compromise on Design and Innovation will get ahead, asking why can’t anyone else follow their footsteps based on a few elements is absurd.

Via: Diana Kimball

Breaking news!

Just 5 mins ago from The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft announced that they have made a bid to buy Yahoo for USD$ 44.6 Billion, $0.4 Billion less than their 50 Billion bid in early 2007.

Microsoft Corp. Friday offered to buy Yahoo Inc. for $44.6 billion, a move designed to pick up a struggling rival as both companies are fighting in the online-advertising world with Google Inc.

The offer, $31 a share in cash and stock, is a 62% premium to Thursday’s closing price. Yahoo shares jumped to $29.45 in premarket trading. Microsoft closed at $32.60 and dipped to $32 premarket.

Is this a sign of a consolidation in the software and internet industry? Has Google frightened Microsoft by its potential global dominance on its Online OS and Office applications? Can the new Microsoft + Yahoo behemoth continue to innovate or get dragged down by its combined mass? Can a company ever be worth THAT much money? What ever it is 2008 will be a damn interesting year!

Edit: Bruce Nussbaum calls it “A Merger of the Weak“. But could two weaklings make a strong? Yahoo is still No. 1 on Alexia rankings and is still a site that offers many services, much of which Google has follow suit abet better. Perhaps its all about ageing Net Mafia Godfathers protecting their turf?

What a Mess!

About 5 or 6 months ago, I decided that I needed to simplify my life.

Due to a lot of diverse interests and that little bit of an overachiever in me, I have a bad habit of taking on and doing more than I can actually handle. Furthermore, the fact that I tend to lose interests in things very quickly or jump around on different projects does not help me one bit at all. Coupled with the stresses of my job, I was just flat out overloaded!

Mentally I was stretched and constantly tired. This was because I often had anywhere from 15 to 20 projects to attend too at any one time. My fitness went down hill as it became a vicious cycle of my mental tiredness preventing me from getting out of the house for exercise.

As a result I got nothing much done and learnt a painful lesson that I, like many other humans, do not multi-task very well.

I decided at that time, that I needed to simplify my life by closing up as many different projects as possible and, quite literally, focus on a preferred handful. The net result was that, instead of less, I was getting more things done at a reasonably good rate. Why it worked was loose ends and open issues have a tendency to take fuel away from your mental engine, and this means a reduction in the all important focus and concentration in getting things done.

The Creativity Cycle

I have currently juggle about 5 to 6 different projects (both design and non-design related) running, essentially cutting back to about a third of what I used to do. I find I can handle and work with this number of projects and my productivity has sky rocketed. This balance in the current number of projects keeps what I like to call the “Creativity Cycle” turning. This means that I am busy enough to keep my creativity flowing, but it also allows me time to breath or reflect on the creative work, which keeps the “Creativity Cycle” going even more.

Brian Clark, from Copyblogger, wrote about a similar concept in his article called “The Content Crossroads: Supernatural Success at the Intersection of Ideas“. In that article, Brian uses the example of how the Medicis, rich merchant families in Italy in the 17th century, created a creative explosion by allowing the ideas of different people and projects to feed off each other.

By attracting talented souls from so many different fields and cultures, the Medicis caused these varied artists and scientists to come in contact with one another, trade ideas, and discover the intersections that allowed for giant leaps in creativity and innovation.

The trick here is to ensure you are sufficiently loaded for this “Creative Cycle” to happen, but not to be loaded until you are burnt out.

Keep it Simple

I often find to start this “Creativity Cycle” moving, I need to be in a good frame of mind. To do this, each of my 5 projects needs to be distilled down to its bare essence so that I instinctively know what to do at any one time. My rule of thumb to keeping things simple is to describe what you need to do in 1 clear sentence.

Work is Never Ending

We need to understand that the concept of “work” and doing it, basically means that it will never end. There will always be something new that crops up that needs your attention. It is how you manage it that matters.

Really this 5 or 6 projects are the only ones I can efficiently handle at anyone time. Just like you would managing a design project, if your capacity is full, you would either not take on any more work or it will be put it on a waiting list. Why should this not be the same for your personal life? So do ensure that one project is completed or closed before you take one another.

How did I get this magical number 5?

At this time you are probably wondering, how did I get this magical number of juggling 5 projects at any time? It first started out as trial and error, but later I discovered that Giorgio Armani, before me, has also drawn very similar conclusions. Yes that Giorgio Armani.

It was a surprise to find out that Giorgio Armani had built his multi-million dollar fashion empire on this same principal. He believes that he can only work on 5 projects at any time. No more no less. It is also no coincidence that there are 5 working days a week, and that he spends each day just focusing on 1 of his projects, and doing nothing else. As a result of staying focused and keeping his work load simplified, he claims he was able to achieve success without ever having work late or on weekends. Now, you can take that to the bank!

Join the simple life!

I like to close this post with a tip of my hat to Zen Habits and Think Simple Now. My decision to simplify my life was due to in not small part the influence these two blogs had on me. Thanks Leo and Tina, you have been a great inspiration and a big help in making me a much more efficient designer.

I’m always a sucker for cool graphical representations of data such as the Website Graph Generator. Thus one of my favourite reads is “Information Aesthetics“, a website focusing on such data visualizations.

Therefore I recently had a pleasant surprise when I discovered the Friend Wheel application on Facebook. How it works is that, firstly it gathers all your Facebook friends and how they are connected to each other. Next it then generates a cool graphical wheel that visually shows how we are all linked. Furthermore if you are a little more itchy, the application has the ability to switch data parameters and create a visual wheel for your Networks, and a selection of random or mutual friends. Do check it out for you Facebook addicts!