I started reading the book "Never Leave Well Enough Alone" by Raymond Loewy. He is the first self-proclaimed industrial designer. Raymond moved to the US from France in the early 1900s to pursue his dreams and aspirations.
What I love about Raymond and his accounts moving through life is that he always thought something could be better. Granted everyone did not always see eye-to-eye with him and he even got fired once because of it. His style is simple, clean, elegant, and by today's standards would be considered minimal.
I'm only about a third of the way through the book but the people he becomes friends with is amazing. People who are extremely successful in their careers in New York. Through these friendships he gains work experience designing cars, clothes, some printing device among others.
Asking the question why is a great start. Raymond, on the other hand, does something about it. He asks why a car looks a certain way or why is it so ugly? Then he does something about it. I think that is a problem for many of us moving through life. We see a problem and we do ask the question, why?, but then we don't do anything about it. We continually sit back and wait for someone else to do it.
This next week I am going to vow to both ask the question why and then immediately after I'm going to try to do something about it. I'll report back.
The why is important but the follow through is even more.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Friday, December 2, 2016
Obligatory First Post
As a hobbiest blogger, full-time designer, marketer, and dad with an opinion, I strongly believe that every blog should have it's obligatory first post. This first post can have content and depth or it can just say, "What's up world. I'm awesome because I now blog.". I want this to have a little depth but not so much that it'll keep you up at night.
I want to know what's wrong with asking, why? I don't want to say that people don't ask why but I definitely do not think it's asked often enough. Why does the company do x, y, or z? What are the steps to change it. If you don't want to change it, why?
It's simple really. The question should always be asked in times of success and times of famine. Both could prove to be beneficial. Why is only the first step and possibly the most important. Then once you ask that question, what happens next.
As a designer, I have been told and believe that I think a little differently. I've read many articles and books regarding design thinking mostly stemming from IDEO. See, designers solve problems because they do not just look for the solution, but also at the root cause. They can usually find an elegant solution with the use of aesthetic and style if they are tasked to do so.
My biggest beef with being a designer is that in a corporate setting, designers are often looked at as just a production artist. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but they are capable of so much more. I firmly believe that if given the right opportunity, a designer can solve many business problems both internally and externally.
If you're like me, I think a lot about what could be different. How something could be done different. Why we're doing something a certain way. Why we're not doing something. Why that cup looks as it does. Why are those doors there. You get what I'm saying.
Now that I've given you some insight to my thinking, this blog will hopefully fulfill some of the questions that I've asked and maybe even spark some new ones. I have questions all of the time and through more research and practice I'd like to answer them. You know what to expect. Stick around and let's see where this crazy train takes us.
Friday's are a great day to start.
I want to know what's wrong with asking, why? I don't want to say that people don't ask why but I definitely do not think it's asked often enough. Why does the company do x, y, or z? What are the steps to change it. If you don't want to change it, why?
It's simple really. The question should always be asked in times of success and times of famine. Both could prove to be beneficial. Why is only the first step and possibly the most important. Then once you ask that question, what happens next.
As a designer, I have been told and believe that I think a little differently. I've read many articles and books regarding design thinking mostly stemming from IDEO. See, designers solve problems because they do not just look for the solution, but also at the root cause. They can usually find an elegant solution with the use of aesthetic and style if they are tasked to do so.
My biggest beef with being a designer is that in a corporate setting, designers are often looked at as just a production artist. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but they are capable of so much more. I firmly believe that if given the right opportunity, a designer can solve many business problems both internally and externally.
If you're like me, I think a lot about what could be different. How something could be done different. Why we're doing something a certain way. Why we're not doing something. Why that cup looks as it does. Why are those doors there. You get what I'm saying.
Now that I've given you some insight to my thinking, this blog will hopefully fulfill some of the questions that I've asked and maybe even spark some new ones. I have questions all of the time and through more research and practice I'd like to answer them. You know what to expect. Stick around and let's see where this crazy train takes us.
Friday's are a great day to start.
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