More/Than/This (Blog) ™

Quote No. 063

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:05:00 -0400

In the modern world of information overload, you must manage your energy wisely. Otherwise you will slide into a state of reactionary workflow, (where you act impulsively rather then proactively), and simply try to stay afloat.

Scott Belsky, Founder/CEO of Behance

Rumination No. 033

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:26:27 -0400

More systems, less stuff.

Scout's Honour

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:21:00 -0400

Ongoing research for future work has led me to re-discover the history of General Baden-Powell’s Scout Law which was originally published in the 1908 volume Scouting for Boys. For more than a century, Scouts and Guides around the world have taken this oath to live up to the ideals of the movement. It’s wonderful in it’s simplicity and timelessness.

At the lab, we often encourage young entrepreneurs to start with principles rather then projects. When we look at some of the most successful enterprises, it’s common to find a core set of values at the heart of existence. The same is true for a number of leaderless organizations still active today.

A solid portion of millenniuls like to think that the quest to do good is distinct to our generation. But as history demonstrates time and time again, culture is cyclical. The Scouts have been saying (and acting upon) it all along:

1. A Scouts’ honour is to be trusted.

2. A Scout is loyal to The Queen, His Country, His Scouters, His Parents, His Employers and to those under Him.

3. A Scouts’ duty is to be useful and help others.

4. A Scout is a friend to all, and a brother to every other Scout, no matter to what Country, Class or Creed the other may belong

5. A Scout is courteous.

6. A Scout is a friend to animals.

7. A Scout obeys orders of his parents or Scout Master without question.

8. A Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties.

9. A Scout is thrifty.

10. A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed.

Principles. Good to have them. What are yours?

Quote No. 062

Wed, 01 May 2013 07:02:10 -0400

Suppose as you went to preschool and school, teachers were telling you that there were two kinds of businesses, one to make money for yourself, another to solve the problems we see around ourselves. And you can use your creative power either way. So you would have grown up with the idea that there are two kinds of businesses. You would make your decision what kind of business you would like to get involved with, and how much of each, if you want both.

We’ve used our creative power to focus on making money and we’ve done it like it’s the only game in town. It’s not. There’s a more exciting game in town.

There’s a whole generation of young people coming up with social business ideas. Profit making doesn’t interest them as much as it interested people before, particularly the postwar generation. Their main question is: What am I going to do with my life. What is the purpose of my life?

- Muhammad Yunus on social entrepreneurship. More here.

Quote No. 061

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:53:02 -0400

The way that education can lock us into careers, or at least substantially direct the route we travel, would not be so problematic if we were excellent judges of our future interests and characters. But we are not. When you were 16, or even in your early twenties, how much did you know about what kind of career would stimulate your mind and offer a meaningful vocation? Did you even know the range of jobs that were out there? Most of us lack the experience of life – and of ourselves – to make a wise decision at that age, even with the help of well-meaning career advisers.

– Roman Krznaric, How to Find Fulfilling Work

Rumination No. 032

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:01:11 -0400

Frustration fuels creativity. Usually.

Today, Here 4/28/13: The process is the product.

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 17:48:13 -0400

Today, Here 4/28/13: The process is the product.

Today, Here 4/27/13: 23 Months In. The first installment of...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 17:11:00 -0400

Today, Here 4/27/13: 23 Months In. The first installment of Quarterly Life Quarterly™. Copies on sale today.

Quote No. 060

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:24:22 -0400

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, the unreasonable one persists in adapting the world to himself, therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

– George Bernard Shaw

A Disruptive Education...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:53:00 -0400

The always enlightening Thomas Friedman interviews Harvard Education Specialist Tony Wagner in this important NY TImes Op-Ed. Wagner posits that our K-12 and college tracks are “not consistently adding the value and teaching the skills that matter most in the marketplace.” It’s not a new conversation, but one that is indeed becoming more frequent.

What you know matters far less then what you can do with what you know. The capacity to innovate–the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life–and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge.

The article is a very succinct, straight-forward preface to Wagner’s book. Good quick read. Read on.

Today, Here 4/23/13: Throwback. Nicole Lavelle and I. Germany,...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:55:00 -0400

Today, Here 4/23/13: Throwback. Nicole Lavelle and I. Germany, circa 2010. Mobile Office.™ This is social design.

Today, Here 4/22/13: This is social design.

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:44:57 -0400

Today, Here 4/22/13: This is social design.

Quote No. 059

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:15:27 -0400

Mostly people will tell you it’s a really bad idea…
That’s when you know it’s really good.

– Ari Weinzweig - Zingermans Co-founder

Today, Here 4/18/13: Hosting a lecture series and design...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:56:11 -0400

Today, Here 4/18/13: Hosting a lecture series and design workshop in Detroit. Heavy hitters. Come.

Time for Change.

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:26:00 -0400

At the studio, we have a rule: Give away everything except your time. This is a lesson we remind ourselves often, particularly during periods when work schedules get twisted into a seemingly unmanageable tangle of chaos. Lately, knots in the timetables are becoming harder to unravel. I go to bed with a heavy mind and awake with a racing one. I find myself canceling plans to accommodate project deadlines, often letting my work come before relationships. I do this, knowing I’m treading down a dangerous path. I do this, despite wise council from others who warm me to “slow down.”

This morning, I’ve found myself in a particular hurried state. Calls to be made, emails to be sent, projects to be advanced. I’ve stopped just long enough to watch a TED Talk singing the praises of “slowness,” which I thought was worth re-posting here. In his talk, Carl Honore dissects the complications generated from a culture obsessed with speed. Of particular interest, is his observation that in many cultures, time is viewed as something that moves cyclicly, that is, it replenishes itself in a natural cycle. This is a sharp contrast to the way we view time in the Western world, as something that moves in a linear fashion, ultimately running out.

Simply put, I’m reminded today to slow down. Easier said then done of course, but there are steps to be taken. Steps to unplug. To turn it off. To recharge. To put on the breaks. To dream. Less is more. Summer is coming. Time for something to change.

Today, Here 4/15/13: What started as this (above) has evolved to...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:11:44 -0400

Today, Here 4/15/13: What started as this (above) has evolved to this. Here’s to the future.

Today, Here 4/13/13: TypePlaySaturday™

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:51:25 -0400

Today, Here 4/13/13: TypePlaySaturday™

Today, Here 4/12/13: Planning the future.

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:58:54 -0400

Today, Here 4/12/13: Planning the future.

Educating the Future

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 08:39:00 -0400

I recently had the good fortune of dining amongst a great crew of individuals, most of whom are working on social design and entrepreneurship initiatives throughout the city of Detroit. The gathering was hosted by Juliette LaMontagne of Project Breaker and Susie Wise, K12 Lab Director at the D.School.

Breaker is a design-led social entrepreneurship program for 18-24 year olds. Young collaborators learn creative problem-solving processes that they use to identify the needs of a community and then translate those needs into a marketable enterprise. This summer, Breaker is coming to Detroit for a two-week session: The Future of Stuff.

What stands out the most about the Breaker process is it’s emphasis on design AND entrepreneurship. Around the globe we see workshops of similar ambition being led, but too often participants are boxed in by a single discipline. i.e. designers learning how to design more socially relevant projects with other designers (most of whom have little or no business experience), or entrepreneurs learning how to launch better businesses with other entrepreneurs (many of whom don’t understand how design and design thinking can advance their offerings).

Having participated (and hosted) a number of design workshops, I’m almost always left with the same feeling at the end: Okay, that was fun…but now what? Now what, if I want to make a living doing social good work? Now what, if I want to go out into the world and do this on my own? Social Design workshops are good at getting young creatives excited about alternative career paths in design, but they’re usually not so great at actually equipping young learners with the entrepreneurial skills necessary to build projects with real market value.

This is the difference I see with Project Breaker. I’m excited beyond belief to participate as a design coach during the summer session. Much more to come…

Rumination No. 031

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:31:30 -0400

Teach/lead/empower…without imposing answers.