In Edition 89 of the newsletter, I introduced you to the six senses that Dan Pink predicts will increasingly guide and shape our lives.
To refresh your memory, the six senses that he details in his book “A whole new mind: why right brainers will rule the future” are:
Design
Story
Symphony
Empathy
Play
Meaning
This edition of my newsletter is focused on design.
What is design? Is it about how an object looks? Or how it works? Is design about functionality and utility or is it about aesthetic value?
My favourite definition of design is that it is about creating solutions.
To design is to create a solution.
How simple and empowering is that?! Unpack each word and that opens up a whole new world about the meaning of design.
We are all designers.
But we don’t think so. Most of us believe design is about art. We stopped doing art after kindergarten. So we don’t believe we can design.
This must change because Dan Pink reminds us that “the wealth of nations and the well-being of individuals now depend on having artists in the room.”
A more nuanced definition of design by John Heskett, a scholar of the subject, gives design even more purpose:
“Design, stripped to its essence, can be defined as the human nature to shape and make our environment in ways without precedent in nature, to serve our needs and give meaning to our lives.”
There is an increasing understanding in the business world that design is the only thing that differentiates one product, service or experience from another in the marketplace.
In an era of abundance, design gives businesses the competitive edge. The only way for businesses to survive and thrive is by constantly innovating - scanning the world for opportunities to make it a better palace by understanding consumers, solving problems, inventing new categories, bringing forth new innovations.
So how can you be more of a designer no matter what your profession is?
Here are 10 super suggestions from Dan Pink to cultivate your design sensibility.
1. Keep a Design Notebook.
Keep a small notebook in your pocket/handbag at all times
When you see good design note it down, do the same for bad design - keep a track of products, services, experiences
You can also use your phone to grab photos of design that moves you if you don’t want to write.
2. Channel Your Annoyance.
Is there an object or an experience that is annoying the hell out of you?
Go to a coffee shop/find a quiet place and redesign it; think of what you would do to improve it?
Send your suggestions to the company/brand
3. Read Design Magazines.
Curate your reading stimulus (or your IG feeds!)
4. Be Like Karim.
Immerse in the world of Karim Rashid
Read the Karimanifesto, Karim’s 50 point guide to life and design
5. Become a Design Detective.
Snoop around when you visit someone’s home or office
How are others curating their physical environments to create beauty and meaning?
6. Participate in the “Third Industrial Revolution.”
7. Visit a Design Museum.
10 virtual museums every designer should check out.
8. CRAP-ify Your Graphic Design.
Check out the work of Robin Williams, one of the best design writers
Her basics of effective graphic design: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity.
9. Put It on a Table.
Pull out an object that has a special place in your heart
Put it on a table
Explore how the object affects all your senses
Think about how the cues from the object trigger certain feelings in you
10. Be Choosy.
Time to channel your inner Marie Kondo now
Choose things in your life that give you pleasure
Declutter - there is no place for the ugly in your life
Don’t prioritise things over experiences
So many ways to become a better designer!
Over to you now:
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself as a designer?
What aspects of your life can do with a design makeover?
What practices can you incorporate in your daily schedule to cultivate your design sensibility?