The Prepared Mind Discussion about designing human interaction.

Next week we’ll resume with the The Prepared Mind Podcasts! Thanks to all of you who have listened in the past and hopefully the latest podcast, #14 by now, will be heard by a few new listeners as well.

We’ve got some really interesting guests lined up and I’m going to try and do them once a week but a lot is going to depend on the interviewee’s schedule. But I’ve got to say, it feels good to get back into podcasting again. Thanks also to those of you who have dropped me a line over the months and let me know that you’ve missed them. It should be exciting as I’m trying some new things in terms of the technology and format. Let’s see how it goes!

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I’m convinced this podcast was haunted, or at least jinxed! Technical difficulties made for a surprise guest during this podcast.

 Standard Podcast [51:45m]: Download

• 0:00:00 The haunted podcast prevented our original guest, Peter Flaschner, from being able to be recorded
• 0:01:00 The surprise guest for this podcast
• 0:03:00 Please fill out the listener survey so that we can learn more about you, our audience
• 0:04:10 Design customization: engaging design clients/buyers and allowing more customization
• 0:12:50 How do we use dynamic technology to create a greater connection from the client to the designs we sell them?
• 0:24:06 Design, innovation and why the iPod is still on top. Newsweek article
• 0:37:23 The need to incorporate more innovation into our design practices and thinking

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Today we speak to Errol Saldanha, creator of the website Beyond Graphic. Errol talks to us and makes the case for why it might be time to change the word “graphic” in the term “graphic design”.

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• 0:04:07 Where do we go, beyond “graphic”?
• 0:11:40 Reactions from the design industry
• 0:11:40 Do we know there is a problem?
• 0:43:04 Unique period in time: opportunities for designers
• 0:55:50 Changing roles in technology
• 0:59:50 Designers must become more strategic
• 1:09:46 Seeing design from a bird’s eye view
• 1:23:04 Redefining the designer’s role

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We’ve spoken about the state of design education on so many occaisions, I was happy to have fellow UArts alum R. Brian Stone, associate professor in the Department of Design at Ohio State University, sit with us for a discussion.

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• 0:01:51 Brian Stone discusses the interdisciplinary collaboration between GD students, ID students and Interior Design students at OSU
• 0:06:04 New ways of design thinking for design students
• 0:10:00 The relationship between design educators and design firm professionals
• 0:19:40 NEVER STOP LEARNING!
• 0:34:43 The process of designing
• 0:46:30 The need for design students to learn about business

• Article written by Brian Stone on the AIGA Voice Journal website: Blurring Boundaries: Interactive Multimedia and Interdisciplinary Convergence
• Research paper published by Brian Stone: Designing the Screen-Based Interaface: A 3D to 2D Migration

Jason Fried of 37signals chatted with us a little bit about some of their product offerings, establishing new, design-related revenue streams and gave us a preview of their new, upcoming book. Take a listen!

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• 0:01:40 Who is 37signals and what do they do?
• 0:07:42 Why 37signals doesn’t do client projects and web sites any more
• 0:11:28 New business models and revenue streams for designers
• 0:27:28 37signals’ book “Defensive Driving for the Web”
• 0:35:02 How the collective 37signals team members collaborate remotely
• 0:40:40 The team and discipline break-down of team members
• 0:48:35 Jason discusses their new, upcoming book

Other links mentioned in this podcast:

• “The E-Myth Revisited”
• Defensive Design for the Web
• Lulu.com, site for self-publishing

In my first podcast after a long pause, I sat down with Von Glitschka of Glitschka Studios and Bad Design Kills to discuss the state of the industry.

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• 0:01:09 How Bad Design Kills was conceived
• 0:07:47 Von discusses his previous illustration work and the parallels between the problems of the illustration industry and the problems facing the GD industry
• 0:31:22 The state of design industry “leadership”. Does it even exist today?
• 0:47:14 Design Thinking and why it’s needed
• 1:03:50 Design education (we need WAY more time for this topic)
• 1:14:21 New things that Von has on the horizon

Other links mentioned in this podcast:

• Too Many Grads or Too Few Competencies? The Design School Dilemma by Steven Heller
• Responses by both the GDC and the RGD in Canada to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Committee’s calls for an unethical, speculative logo contest

In the aftermath of the stolen logos scandal, Robert Wurth and I discussed the commoditization of design and how designers can strive to improve designer/client relationships. We went a little long today but it was a great conversation with a lot of value.

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(more…)

Niti Bhan, founder of Does Size Matter?, sat down with me and spoke a little bit about some of her experiences/observations while working at IIT’s Design Institute, one of the country’s most well-respected D-Schools. Niti also lets us know what she’s up to with her new consultancy. Give it a listen!

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• 0:01:26 What is a D-School and why is it important?
• 0:13:30 Do designers possess the skills to meet “unframed” challenges?
• 0:25:20 More effective ways of brainstorming, particularly for interdisciplinary teams
• 0:34:34 Does size matter? Can small design firms outperform large design organizations?

• Article about the shift of large corporations moving toward boutique design firms
• Niti also writes frequently for Core77.

Emily Cohen is a consultant to creative professionals. Having been a designer in the past, she brings unique insights into working with creatives to shore up the business end of their practices. Emily and I had a great conversation about the business of design and the many concerns designers face. Give it a listen!

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• 0:00:52 How Emily helps creatives with business consultation
• 0:04:25 Areas for designers to improve, business-wise. Books & resources for business improvement
• 0:09:07 Why it’s important for designers to develop an understanding of business language
• 0:18:43 The changes in the old design business model
• 0:28:40 Dealing with business paperwork. Article from Emily’s website about payment strategies.
• 0:31:31 Design education and design business
• 0:41:36 Designers are often their own worst enemy

Recommended reading:

• The Business of Graphic Design, by Ed Gold
• Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers, by Tad Crawford
• AIGA Professional Practices in Graphic Design
• The Business Side of Creativity, by Cameron S. Foote
• Graphic Artists Guild Handbook
• The Graphic Designer’s Guide to Creative Marketing, by Linda Cooper Bowen
• Talent Is Not Enough, by Shel Perkins

I sat down with Ralf Beuker, who runs the design blog Design Management, on the topic of design management and why it is important to the industry.

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• 0:01:20 What is design management?
• 0:15:45 Why design must cross the bridge to management
• 0:20:31 Design management and students
• 0:50:51 Ralf’s work at Zollverein School and Ed Annink
• 1:00:08 Why some companies constantly innovate

Mentioned during this podcast:

• More definitions of what design management is
• ERCO
• IKEA’s business model
• Design Management entry about Peter Gorb at DesignThinkers
• The Substance of Style by Virginia Postrel
• Paul Nixon’s website

A very interesting conversation with GK VanPatter of NextDesign Leadership Institute. We discussed the work being done at NextD and the challenges facing designers today and in the future. NextD believes they have the tools to help designers cope with those challenges. Find out how!

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Show notes:

• 0:00:50 What is NextD?
• 0:03:17 Disturbing trends in design leadership
• 0:08:05 The reaction of design schools to NextD
• 0:09:57 The need for new design/innovation skills
• 0:20:04 Desginers need better language skills. (NextD Mindscapes)
• 0:30:09 The process of solving problems; old vs. new
• 0:35:00 How design organizations are reacting to NextD
• 0:38:24 Changing methods, NextD Journal conversation with Lorraine Justice
• 0:45:47 Design publications and their effects on design methods
• 0:47:30 Disconnected designers (Dept. of Labor study, APFD study)
• 0:50:46 Design publications
• 0:54:00 How NextD helps designers collaborate with professionals in other disciplines
• 0:59:26 What next? A designers’ plan of action!

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In this podcast I spoke with David Heller to discuss Experience Design, what it is and why it’s important.

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Show notes:

• 0:01:56 What IS Experience Design?
• AIGA Experience Design
• Interaction Design Group
• 0:13:31 What happens at the DUX2005 Conference?
• DUX2005
• Experience Design conversation with Clement Mok & Terry Swack
• 0:24:16 Companies that craft unique experiences
• 0:30:50 Globalism and new kinds of design organizations
• 0:42:52 Briefly lost Dave
• 0:43:30 The Experience Design process
• 1:01:30 Dave’s Experience Design reading list
• Neuromancer (Remembering Tomorrow)
• The Design of Everyday Things
• Emotional Design: Why We Love (Or Hate) Everyday Things
• About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design
• The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web
• Experience Design 1

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If it’s possible to hit the jackpot on this, only my second podcast, then I think I have. Ed Gold sat down with me for about an hour and spoke with me about GD certification. I ran into Ed on the Speak Up website when he gave his comments on a discussion about GD certification that was started by Gunnar Swanson. His comments, particularly what he had to say about launching a feasibility study to look into what — if any — benefits to our industry certification may or may not bring, intrigued me. So I sent him an email and asked if he would appear on a podcast and he agreed. SCORE!

Here is the podcast. I think there is some great and informative stuff that Ed had to share, as well as a pledge made by yours truly!

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Well we finally got the first podcast recorded and up onto the server! Thanks to Neil Tortorella for recording this with me and I hope to record at least one per week.

http://www.thepreparedmind.com/pm/podcasts/pm_podcast001.mp3

Or feel free to subscribe to the feed:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/thepreparedmind

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