PinnedA comprehensive, well considered list of things designers simply can’t do.A weird question came across the Dear Design Student desk recently: “What are some things (if any) that designers are incapable of?” My immediate reaction was, “nothing?!” Why would anyone seek to define limitations to someone’s capabilities? I grew up in a community that assumed anyone from fifty miles out…Treat3 min readTreat3 min read
Published inSame Page·Nov 28Move and make.One of the design leaders I am currently coaching has a habit of continually pulling on threads when they are long past the point of needing to diverge and learn more. They have more than enough ideas and information — too much in fact — that they’re drowning in a…Inspiration2 min readInspiration2 min read
Published inSame Page·Nov 6Established 2012.Let me tell you about the time Happy Cog* almost tore itself apart about a year after I merged my studio, Airbag Industries, into the company, and how that event sparked the foundation of Same Team Partners. Many years ago, Brett and I worked together at a studio where I…People Management4 min readPeople Management4 min read
Published inSame Page·Oct 10I’m slightly embarrassed to write this but I need to—Hello, world.A friend of mine recently posted, “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” His thought is illustrated with visuals of the first version of the “Metaverse” next to the most recent. The contrast between the two is stark, an extraordinary improvement from…2 min read2 min read
Aug 11Season 2, Episode 6 — The MeetingHave you ever done something nice for someone and been sued for it? It’s not a common occurrence. So when it happens, you start to question how you’re making decisions or how things went so wrong, not just legally. But, how can your goodwill, which is at your core…Life Lessons2 min readLife Lessons2 min read
Published inSprints & Milestones·May 5Member-onlySeason 2, Episode 0 — The ComebackAfter five long years, Sprints & Milestones is back with a new focus: failure. Spoiler alert: each episode in the new season focuses on stories of failure told by our fearless guests. We break those stories down to find common, universal lessons learned, as well as general themes about…3 min read3 min read
Jan 4Member-onlyThe machines will destroy us with personalized generated content to amplify distrust.I’m not a fan of artificial intelligence. It’s not that I don’t see the positive impact of these technologies. I’ve worked on AI based projects at IBM that were designed to perform tedious bureaucratic work quickly. My concern is that we’re making very powerful yet easy-to-use tools to generate deceptive…3 min read3 min read
Oct 1, 2021Member-onlyScience proves that if you want to succeed in your work or art, you need to always be evolving.For anyone looking for success, a new scientific study may have unlocked the secret or, at the very least, validated what some folks already know. Researchers have found a pattern in how people achieve their full potential. Using AI, they studied painters, film directors, and scientists to analyze their body…Careers3 min readCareers3 min read
Apr 21, 2021Member-onlyDesigner vs. GoliathI’m currently taking Seth Godin’s class on podcasts. As part of the class, I have come up with a few ideas for a program called Designer vs Goliath, a podcast for designers who are seriously outnumbered by developers and engineers. In the last five years, I have discovered lone designers…Design1 min readDesign1 min read
Apr 7, 2021Member-onlyMedium brings back the blog roll.File this under: Well it’s about damn time. The upcoming redesign for the next version Airbag features a blog roll. And I’ve added a blog roll to the next new product offering for LexBlog. Why? Because blogs and blogging was better when authors helped promote the discovery of other publications…1 min read1 min read
