Category Archives: Design Thinking

I Chanced Upon “The Rules” Again Yesterday

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JohnCage.TheRulesI chanced upon “The Rules” again yesterday. They’re the ones attributed to John Cage, one of the most influential American composers and pedagogues of the 20th century. Many of his works disrupted the way we think about listening. To Cage, music was everywhere and could be made with anything. Chance plays a big role in many of his works.

Although his “Rules for Students and Teachers” were probably penned in the 1960s, I think they can apply to any of us today. Here are a few of my latest reflections on his “RULES.”

His RULE TWO and RULE THREE can just as easily apply to the workplace, as to the classroom. Each of us should pull everything out of our leaders and of our colleagues – and vice versa.

RULE FOUR, RULE SIX and RULE TEN come straight out of any course or book on Design Thinking today. I know it’s an understatement, but Cage was way ahead of his time.

RULE SEVEN is an excellent reminder. We still need to put in the hours, i.e., practice, to become accomplished at anything.

RULE EIGHT is another good reminder, as we probably all fall prey to editing our ideas before we’ve even given them a chance to develop.

RULE NINE is an important one. If we can enjoy ourselves, our work will be that much better.

His HINTS are pretty important, too. I think Cage is reminding us to practice empathy by getting out in the world. He’s urging us to stay curious and gather our dots for connecting later.

What do you think?

by Rebecca Cochran

Can Snow Days Boost Our Creative Capacity?

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SnowDayThanks to this year’s unusually disruptive winter weather, we’ve probably all experienced a few days in which our daily routines have been disrupted, as well. If you’re like me, your first reaction to these disruptions is probably negative. This year, however, I decided to rise above that negativity and turn each disruption into an opportunity.

When my first “snow day” of the year appeared, I decided to take the upper hand and proactively change my daily routine. Instead of heading out to my local Starbucks for coffee first thing, I decided to stay off the icy roads and enjoy a cup of tea at home. And, rather than quickly jumping online, I sat at my kitchen table and began mentally mapping out my workday. This led to my grabbing a sketch pad and marker and drawing a “mind map” to help me think through a new client project.

It had been awhile since I had begun a new project offline. With all of our digital tools so close at hand, it can be easy to forget the power of even a crude hand sketch to sort out a process. I ended up sharing my sketches with my client and I think that helped him better visualize our process, as well.

On another snow day, when all of my meetings were cancelled or rescheduled, I decided to flip my routine. Instead of saving my work-related reading for late in the evening, I began that morning with a reading session. Not only were my eyes fresher, but I was also able to apply several fresh, new ideas to my design work immediately that morning. This new routine made me wonder how many fresh, new ideas I “sleep on” and promptly forget following a late night reading session.

These little changes in the workday routine pointed out how valuable it can be to change things up more often. Rather than arbitrarily sticking to a set routine five days a week, we should allow disruption in more often. It just may boost our creative capacity and help us come at a problem from a new perspective.

What do you think?

by Rebecca Cochran

My Top 3 Creative Re-Reads of 2013

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By Rebecca Cochran

Blue pencil and red lineLike you, I did a lot of reading this year. Contrary to what I might have predicted, the internet has played a major role in keeping my bookshelf full of interesting books – physical books I actually read – and re-read. For me, one of the marks of a good book is that I want to re-read it, sometimes again and again. It was tough to whittle down the list, but here are my top 3 creative re-reads of 2013.

Creative Confidence by Tom and David Kelley

Just published in October, Creative Confidence sets out to “unleash the creative potential within us all.” This highly personal book does just that. The chapter entitled “Spark” particularly resonates with me. The Kelley brothers write about the importance of building a creative support network, since many of the best ideas are a result of collaborating with others. They also advocate cultivating creative serendipity, i.e., getting out into the world to gain empathy with our customers. In the chapter entitled “Leap,” the Kelleys describe the all-important phase of moving from planning to action. They include “action catalysts” and other useful tools, encouraging us to conduct small experiments to let an idea evolve. Some of the craziest ideas can lead to a valuable solution. This book is for all of us. I am reading it again already.

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be. by Paul Arden

I read this book at least once a year. Originally published in 2003, it has been reprinted many times since. The book is about making the most of yourself and making the impossible possible. A former ad man, Arden uses the creative processes of good advertising as a metaphor for business practice. The book is chock full of memorable quotes. One of my favorites is “You don’t have to be creative to be creative.”

Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson

A new friend handed me the 50th anniversary edition of this well-known children’s book last month. Originally published in 1955, I cannot fathom how many times I read and re-read this book as a kid. This classic is worth re-reading as adults, too. In his minimalist way, Harold has reminded me to stay curious. I plan to keep his little book handy and re-read it whenever I need a creative boost.

What are you re-reading?