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Articles by Warren Berger

Warren Berger, aka GlimmerGuy, is the author of GLIMMER: How Design Can Transform Your Life and Maybe Even the World and the editor of this blogsite.

Are designers nuts?
03/07/2010 – 6:27 pm | Add Comment
Are designers nuts?

What makes designers try to do the seemingly impossible? Top designers have certain common characteristics, one being their rock-solid belief that reality is subject to change.

When everything just “clicks”
03/05/2010 – 12:38 pm | Add Comment
When everything just “clicks”

We're big fans of LEGO here at GlimmerSite (see this previous post) and this short film produced by the company is really inspirational. It's called "LEGO CLICK" and it celebrates the moment in our minds …

The Cove: Design thinking in action?
03/05/2010 – 9:20 am | Add Comment
The Cove: Design thinking in action?

On the eve of Oscar weekend, GlimmerSite reader Sarah MacLennan shares the following:

"I saw a special screening of 'The Cove' last night which is a documentary up for an Oscar on Sunday and it made …

Can’t we design better prisons?
03/03/2010 – 6:46 pm | Add Comment
Can’t we design better prisons?

We’ve been running a poll on GlimmerSite asking what people would most like to see redesigned, and one of the leading vote-getters has been “prisons.” Here are some ideas….

Is “doing good” the future of advertising?
03/01/2010 – 8:10 am | Add Comment
Is “doing good” the future of advertising?

Pepsi’s Refresh Project, where people propose various “do good” initiatives and the public votes on which ones Pepsi should fund, is not just another form of advertising. It might be a blueprint for a whole new way brands can connect with the public.

Lost in Space, the sequel
02/26/2010 – 2:28 pm | Add Comment
Lost in Space, the sequel

Current conventional wisdom is that open floor plans = more creativity. But is it possible that without the help of old-fashioned walls and doors, we’ll have a harder time corralling and capturing ideas?

Why are they chopping off their toes? Only the design thinker knows.
02/23/2010 – 12:45 pm | Add Comment
Why are they chopping off their toes? Only the design thinker knows.

Jane Fulton Suri, a trained psychologist now working at IDEO, ended up in the design world by accident, though more precisely it was due to a series of accidents.

The fundamentals of “thinking like a designer”
02/19/2010 – 12:32 pm | Add Comment
The fundamentals of “thinking like a designer”

Twelve brief videos about the impact of design thinking on business and personal life, addressing the following topics: 

What exactly is design anyway?
What does a designer actually do?
Why design matters more than ever
"Ask stupid questions"
How designers …

A “fearless” discussion with Alex Bogusky
02/10/2010 – 6:54 pm | Add Comment
A “fearless” discussion with Alex Bogusky

On Tuesday I appeared on Alex Bogusky's "FearLess" live-streamed talk show for a wide ranging discussion on advertising, design, creative thinking, and even a little politics.

How design thinking got teenagers to stop smoking
02/07/2010 – 7:52 pm | Add Comment
How design thinking got teenagers to stop smoking

I’m heading out to Colorado this week to speak at UC Boulder and also to visit Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the remarkable ad agency that started out in Miami and now has a thriving business …

A logo with national impact for the arts
02/03/2010 – 5:10 pm | 2 Comments
A logo with national impact for the arts

The new chairman of the NEA, Rocco Landesman, is serious about the arts. Now he’s launched a contest for a new “Art Works” logo.

Why small actions are more important than big plans
02/01/2010 – 3:36 pm | 5 Comments
Why small actions are more important than big plans

The ability of designers to just begin, and begin anywhere, is critical—and it’s something we can all learn from. What helps designers move forward in the face of uncertainty is a step-by-step methodology….

Designing a character
01/31/2010 – 1:04 pm | Add Comment
Designing a character

Versatile actor Brian d’Arcy James (now starring in “Time Stands Still” with Laura Linney) shares his secrets on how he goes about designing his characters.

Why design principles are “cool”
01/26/2010 – 6:04 pm | Add Comment
Why design principles are “cool”

The times we’re living in are causing us to look around for better ways of doing things. But we need some basic tools to help us do all of that. Design principles can serve as the Swiss Army knife of the “let’s-make-a-smarter-world” movement.

Designing social circles: A way to help people live well as they age
01/24/2010 – 11:43 am | Add Comment
Designing social circles: A way to help people live well as they age

By asking “What do they REALLY need?” British designer Hilary Cottam is creating new solutions for senior citizens, including helping them design communities and support networks so they can age in place.

Glimmer makes the cover of Wired
01/22/2010 – 5:09 pm | One Comment
Glimmer makes the cover of Wired

I opened a parcel from England the other day to see that the shiny, metallic January ‘10 issue of Wired UK features Glimmer as one of the cover stories. I’ve always been a huge fan of …

Why we think more like designers as we age
01/15/2010 – 12:58 pm | One Comment
Why we think more like designers as we age

So here’s one good thing about getting older: We get better at “jumping fences” and connecting separate ideas.