Before finding solutions, there's identifying the problems. But how do you know what the problem is unless you ask the right questions? Why thoughtful inquiry is good for any business endeavor.
Category: Business of Design
Friday Design Quote
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“Perfection is achieved,
not when there is nothing more to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away”
—ANTOINE DE SAINT EXUPÉRY
Friday Design Quote
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“Defamiliarize the ordinary.”
—P A U L R A N D
Stones on a black and white grid give new meaning to an ordinary object.
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Detail of the artist Mark Wallinger’s 10000000000000000, 2012.
At the Anthony Reynolds Gallery and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art © the artist
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Permission To Be Demanding
You’re hiring a designer or marketing person and can’t wait for the process to unfold.
Or…maybe not.
Most likely you have some uncertainty. You don’t know how to choose a consultant. You’ve never been through the process. You don’t know which questions to ask. You don’t speak the same language. You’re worried about money. You have a committee to please. You’ve got your other work to do.
Oof. Read more
That’s How We’ve Always Done It
Have you ever found yourself saying this as you start a project?
Have you ever imposed this criteria on a hired consultant or firm? Read more
Is your committee-run project like oatmeal?
Oatmeal, while healthy, is also an off-white blob composed of distinct particles loosely hanging together by a gelatinous substance.
Sounds wonderful, right?
Now picture a real meal, a dinner plate with a juicy seared steak surrounded by roasted potatoes, sautéed greens and wild mushroom compote.
They’re all in it together but the steak is the meal’s leader. The steak wouldn’t be as effective without its supporting cast. A one-person-led project can work, but it can also lack the pizzazz and ideas that a group of people bring to the table, each with their own perspective and expertise. (Assuming the team was selected to create a balanced and broad understanding of the subject at hand.)
But the problem with teams is that many are unfocused and lack a real decisionmaker — someone who can keep the project alive with decisiveness.
How does indecision kill your efforts? Read more