IDEO and Tim Brown are institutions in the world of design and innovation. I say this with much respect and admiration for the Palo Alto, CA based design firm and well-traveled designer. Tim Brown's recent presentation at TED 2009 in the UK is a good, 16 minute overview of how and why to apply "design thinking" for today's tough challenges. Yes, and for those questions that need a creative approach and mindset:
Truth be told, I interviewed at IDEO in 1998 during the same period I was interviewing at Sun Microsystems. To this day, the two rounds of IDEO interviews were the most unusual and stimulating I have ever experienced. The questions they asked seemed odd to me at the time. Years later, I realized they were applying a form of design thinking during the interview process -- probing not only to see if I was qualified for the job but also to determine if we were a good fit for their unique culture.
Long story short, Sun offered me a solid marketing position and salary that I decided to accept. The decision was made because Sun was a more recognizable brand, a technology leader that seemed right given my career path, and the offer was better than the compensation range that IDEO was discussing. More honesty: To this day, I wonder if I made the right decision by going with Sun. No regrets, though.
Funny thing is I was so impressed with IDEO in general (and my interview experience) that I eventually hired them for an "eBusiness Innovation @Sun" consulting project, including Tim Brown and Tom Kelley; one of the Kelley brothers who actually interviewed me years earlier. I will always remember the thrill I experienced during our one day workshop in San Francisco with a diverse team of Sun and IDEO talent; I want more of that creator juice and experience.
I'm a fan of IDEO because they continue to lead in their industry, they impressed me with their work while at Sun, and I continue to find their ideas, practices and thought leadership timeless and highly useful. So it goes without saying that I will apply their design thinking in a new, creative project I'm leading now with a diverse and talented team at Lyris. More on this another day.
