Discovering Design's Hidden Superpowers

TED and BCG teamed up again for its annual TED@BCG event in October, this time in Milan, Italy. The theme for this year’s event was “Break the Mold.” The complexity of our times and the speed of change require more concerted investments in diversity and valuing differences in approach to help us solve big problems.

I had the fortunate pleasure of joining a cast of incredible speakers across the realms of art, design, microbiology, technology, social impact, and education. Whether sitting in the audience or watching backstage before it was my turn to step onto TED’s “red dot,” I was deeply inspired by all the great initiatives each speaker was pioneering within their respective fields. Another energy boost was having my wife and son join me in Milan to share in this special moment.

Remembering the Early Pioneers

My talk began with a reference to my favorite design superheroes, Ray and Charles Eames. If you haven’t heard their names, I am sure you’ve sat in an Eames lounge chair…my favorite piece of furniture created from the bending and molding of plywood.

The Eames were more than just furniture designers; they were truly holistic systems-thinkers. They brought all kinds of talent into their studio, letting the sparks and connections fly and making large impacts with the likes of IBM, Boeing, and the US government. They embodied multidisciplinary and human-centered thinking before places like the Stanford D-School. Studying their body of work definitely inspired my individual creative process.

Uncovering Designers’ Hidden Superpowers

Often, I think designers encounter misperceptions about their true skills. Especially with the rise of “design thinking.” Every time I think of this phrase, I hear my design mentor saying, “Design thinking? I’ve been thinking through my whole career!”

With design thinking, designers are thrust into multidisciplinary teams alongside business and technology folks. All of a sudden, they are looked upon as the creative expert that will guide the rest of the team through the creative process. It’s far too easy for them to earn a reputation for being a “master” at Post-It notes or the whiteboard, versus the deep skills they bring to the opportunity.

In my TED talk, you will see four case studies where a different design superpower made the difference in each situation. Of course, the designers’ referenced in each story were part of a larger multidisciplinary team working under shared objectives, but these are stories where the designers had breathing room to exhibit their unique and special abilities. Their efforts helped pivot the venture opportunity toward the right destination, versus just some destination. I think most creatives can agree that they’d rather seize those moments where they have the space to be thoughtful with their creative process, versus an endless churn of throwing mud at the wall hoping that a half-baked idea eventually sticks.

Spreading the Big Idea

My talk was a bit different than most design-thinking talks that typically encourage all disciplines to jump into the creative process—regardless of background. That’s a great thing (don’t get me wrong), and I think we all benefit when we collectively think through a problem through the eyes of the customer and practice empathy in our approach.

What my talk conveys is the need to still give professional designers the space and empowerment to deliver on their superpowers when and where it can really matter. Instead of a designer typically being the last hire in a startup, maybe you actually need a design cofounder at the very beginning. Instead of a group brainstorm, perhaps allow that designer some time to noodle on an idea and allow her/him to bring something thoughtful back to the team room.

We should all have an eye to empower our team members to enable their unique and individual superpowers to thrive, and that’s the beauty of diversity and celebrating differences. It’s time to think—or rethink—design for your specific organization and circumstances.

P.S. - Click here to go to my TED Institute page for this talk.