Innovation and all that

If there’s a bigger darling than design these days, it’s innovation. We’re seeing a tendency to link, or in geo-political jargon, hyphenate them; in academese, conflate the two; at any rate, we’re &-ing them.  Most will agree that It’s a Batman and Robin thing, and innovation is the caped crusader. Design belongs downstream. An enabler,… Continue reading Innovation and all that

The Business of Consulting

In the last decade, the more far-seeing set of mature, large businesses has been making hopeful approaches towards design. Their ardour comes from seeing design as a source of competitive advantage, and has been reported on widely. This column, too: we labelled Apple, Airbnb, Google and their increasing tribe as ‘digital darlings’. In their wake,… Continue reading The Business of Consulting

Personality, the uber-construct in the modern ‘liking’ business

Whether simultaneously, or in stages, whether consciously or less so, design rests on two legs. The first concerns appropriateness, or shaping form to purpose. The other concerns liking, or the positive emotions she expects to evoke from the persons in whose life the object will have a role. The uber-construct in the modern liking business… Continue reading Personality, the uber-construct in the modern ‘liking’ business