Design thinking

Many companies approach product development as if it were manufacturing, trying to control costs and improve quality by applying zero-defect, efficiency-focused...

Nowhere in a company is the need for coordination more acute than between the people who are responsible for product design and those responsible for manufacturing. As Daniel E. Whitney argued in these pages recently (“Manufacturing by Design,” July–August 1988), most companies have operated for years in an environment where design and manufacturing communicate infrequently, […]

How to use design thinking to make great things actually happen

Graphics aren’t just an alternative to representation in words.

The approach, once used primarily in product design, is now infusing corporate culture.

The skills taught in engineering courses don’t always lead to new ideas.

The electronics manufacturer now emphasizes design over efficiency.

Use caricature to gain a competitive perspective on UX challenges.

There are still open questions, but the research can provide some answers about what works.

Plus strategies for driving transformative growth in 2023.

My highlight so far at this year’s TED conference in Long Beach, California, has been meeting the extraordinary composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, after his moving and highly inspiring talk. Over 12 years, I have seen my share of TED presentations, and this was one of the most special. Whitacre is a contemporary composer known […]

In the past, design has most often occurred fairly far downstream in the development process and has focused on making new products aesthetically attractive...

An argument for abolishing these pernicious diagrams.

User experience is increasingly important, but there’s not enough design talent to go around. Here’s how to thrive anyway.

Consensus is often the enemy of innovation.

Games and simulations can help.

“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been” – Wayne Gretzky The Great One’s well-known words are often repeated in corporate corridors during discussions about understanding market trends. That is typically where the conversation comes to an abrupt end, because few can elaborate on how to anticipate […]

When people from several different countries share the same workplace, misunderstandings can generate friction. Sure, there are language issues and not everyone likes the way other people manage their time, but the most insidious and intractable problems between coworkers from different parts of the world often arise from variations in how colleagues perceive (literally) and […]

Tug-of-war management, for one.

The most dubious business plan can look solid—even smart—if it’s cast as a virtuous circle. “See, we invest our profits in innovation to create delightful products that customers buy—which generate profits that we invest in innovation!” Who could argue with that? Indeed, the merit of self-reinforcing systems seems so obvious that businesspeople instinctively describe their […]