Reading Response | Tom Kelley’s
Art of Innovation: Chapter 10
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Mental Note: I think I’ll apply to IDEO just so I can experience what Tom described as a colorful let down. Honestly, who knew that could be done.

I like that from the get go Kelley asked us to think of the artifact less like a noun and more like a verb. Throughout the chapter Kelley talked a lot about physical places and asked us to apply how they functioned to our projects/businesses. His examples I think will be helpful for me to use as a tool to help clients understand novel design thinking.

What I was questioning the entire time though was just that. For example the Amtrak story. How does IDEO get their client to go from saying “We want the interior of this train to be designed” to “LET’S REDO THE ENTIRE EXPIERENCE”.

I guess this is somewhat of a design problem they’ve worked out themselves. I just think it would be a hard one to solve because the bigger the project, the more it’s going to cost. How am I supposed to get my client onboard? Of course I want to do these things, I’m all into it. I am sure that IDEO has enough “street cred” that enables them to have it their way. I guess I’ll have to work to develop my own.

I think I recall this discussion on one of Chris Gee’s pod casts when talking about people outsourcing design. He was saying that as designer’s to ensure that we can keep our clients we have to let them know that we are going to do what’s best for them. We should tell our clients who ask for a brochure that this information should really be available as a website, etc. This kind of openness, honesty, and helpfulness can only help further establish us as designers.