Context: Bruce Mau’s philosophy. People tend to design their lives and careers so that they are usually on firm, familiar turf, intellectually speaking; they go with what they know. To the extent that they learn …

Context: Cameron Sinclair‘s point is that designers are in a position to not just point out areas of need, but to envision and sketch possible solutions, which then increases the likelihood of attracting funding. 

Context: Dean Kamen told me he believes that as a society, we have become averse to and afraid of real change—the kind that is often messy. “Think about the kind of big public efforts we …

Context: Bruce Mau’s point is that instead of looking for more escapism in their lives, people should be seeking more opportunities for engagement with others and for authentic experiences.
 
 

Context: Recent studies cited in the 2008 neurology book Progress in Brain Research found that as people age, their focus of attention widens and it means they can actually take in more information, not less. …

This design manifesto was first written by Bruce Mau in 1998, articulating his beliefs, strategies, and motivations. It has since had an amazing journey around the internet, even inspiring young designers to create posters and/or …

Context: This is an idea that Brian Collins (head of the New York design firm that bears his name) quoted to me, but quite a few designers made a similar point when asked to articulate …

Context: According to business/design guru Patrick Whitney, who heads the IIT Institute for Design in Chicago, the expanding tech capabilities of companies enables them to easily produce more “stuff”—yet this exacerbates a problem Whitney refers …

Context: Bruce Mau believes that to be able to see a problem with a fresh eye, and to be open to all possibilities, it actually helps to be a naive outsider. It allows you to …

Context: Marty Cooke, a creative director at the design/marketing firm SS&K, points out that during lean times, there is a natural tendency among businesses to limit risk by pulling back on creative experimentation—but actually, a …

In a recent issue of the incredibly-shrinking-but-always-interesting New York Times magazine, Rob Walker’s Consumed column "Favor Enhancement" explores if it’s possible to cold-bloodedly design customer loyalty by random acts of kindness and generosity. The Hyatt …