We’ve all encountered our fair share of bad advice. (The nosy relative with unsolicited feedback; the hairstylist who urges you to “try something new.”) But every now and again, you stumble upon a gem — a specific truth that feels universal, an insight that opens up a whole new way of seeing.
At IIDA, we’ve spoken with scores of successful design professionals and experts over the years, and along the way, they’ve shared some wise counsel. Below you’ll find a trio of thoughtful nuggets. The efficacy of advice often boils down to timing: coming across the right words delivered in the right sequence at the right moment. Hopefully, some of the ideas below turn out to be exactly what you need to hear, when you need to hear it.
In the face of bad luck, keep an open mind. Opportunity may be around the corner.
In an interview, Sean McDowell, formerly the senior vice president of innovation and sustainability at MillerKnoll, told IIDA that a Chinese proverb, which roughly translates to “Sāi Wēng Lost His Horse,” helps guide his approach to leadership.
As the story goes, an old farmer named Sāi Wēng raised horses for a living. One day, one of the beloved horses ran away. The neighbors said, “What bad luck!” But the farmer said, “Who is to say what is good and what is bad?”
The next day, the horse returned with another horse. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. The farmer replied, “Who is to say what is good and what is bad?”
One day, the son was trying to train the new horse, and it broke his leg. The neighbors felt sorry for Sāi Wēng, but the farmer replied with the same question.
Later, the emperor’s army came to recruit all able-bodied men to fight a war. They did not take the farmer’s son because he had a broken leg — sparing his life.
“It’s a good reminder to not jump to conclusions,” said McDowell, who is now founder and principal of Fountain Design and Innovation. “Stepping back from a situation can provide much needed perspective and turn potential setbacks into opportunities for growth.”
Don’t run from failure. Run toward it.
“I love failure,” said Los Angeles-based spatial designer Adi Goodrich, co-founder of Sing-Sing Studio and a creative director at Google, at this year’s NeoCon. Goodrich was speaking on IIDA’s Collective Design Live panel, focused on the future of big ideas. “I think being brave is all we can do as designers. What are we doing if we’re just sitting back and we’re scared to fail?”
Maybe you decide, Goodrich said, that you don’t want to fail “super publicly.” In that case? Bring your idea to a trusted group of friends or colleagues. Start there, and if the group believes in it, take it further. If it doesn’t land, that’s okay. “It’s only going to allow you to grow.”
“I truly believe that we are here to make things…for people and with people. So, that can be a fail, but I think failure is as good as winning.”
That said, failure “takes a lot of humility,” replied Carrie Buse, an innovation consultant who previously spent 22 years at Mattel, working on product design and the future of play. “People who are trained in a particular area, they see themselves as experts. I see myself as an expert in certain ways,” she added, but that can get in the way. “If I’m not willing to get really excited about where I’m wrong, I’m not going to learn anything, and the product is probably going to suffer as a result.”
Talk to strangers. Listen to them, too.
As a kid, stranger danger is real. But as an adult? Connecting with the other humans all around us — on the bus, in the waiting room, in line at the supermarket — can be a source of happiness. “We have a brain that’s uniquely constructed for connection with the minds of others,” said researcher and professor Nick Epley, “that is made happier and healthier by connection with others.”
Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Epley spoke at IIDA’s Industry Roundtable, an annual gathering of thought leaders, last year. People perceive risk in reaching out to engage another person in conversation, especially someone they don’t know well. But in a series of experiments that now have more than 3,000 participants, Epley’s data holds steady: we dramatically underestimate how pleasurable it will be to connect. “Life’s a gamble,” Epley said. “There’s risk in deciding what you’re going to do. [Connecting with others] is as close to a sure thing as you’re ever going to get.”
Talking — and, importantly, listening — can teach us all a lot. About design, about leadership, and about life. So said Jay Henry, senior director of sustainability and innovation at Tarkett, in an interview. “I’ve learned that the most meaningful lessons rarely come from a single book, podcast, or speaker,” he said. “They come from watching people: great leaders, frontline employees, mentors, peers, designers, customers, and even those who taught me what not to do.”
“In design, the best solutions often begin with listening and observing,” Henry added. “I think leadership is the same way. You have to stay curious about people: what motivates them, what challenges them, and how the work affects their lives. … The more we listen and build real relationships, the better our decisions, products, and cultures become.”