John Thackara is a former London bus driver who is now focused on driving social change by way of design. A self-described “symposiarch” (someone who designs and produces collaborative events, projects, and organizations), he served as director of the Netherlands Design Institute and also founded the international design conference Doors of Perception.

In Glimmer: Thackara’s phrase “smart recombinations,” which first appeared in his book In the Bubble, is referenced repeatedly in Glimmer to describe the way designers connect existing ideas to form new ones.   

Quote: “Designers are needlessly constrained by the myth that everything they do must be a unique and creative act.”

Website: www.johnthackara.com

Back to Glimmerati list