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Archives
The White Flag.
Jul 11, ’11
10:34 PM
After much consideration, I resigned from my job of twelve years nearly two weeks ago.
There are many who would question such a decision given that I don’t have another opportunity lined up, and I’m also not 100% certain what, or where, that opportunity might be. I just knew that this was the right thing to do and the right time to do it.
For someone who has historically placed logic above all else, admittedly many who hear this news are taken aback. Unfortunately, after what I’ve experienced over the past five years, I’ve learned that life has other plans regardless of what you may have wanted to happen.
Thus, I’ve stopped trying to make any real long-term plans and to accept whatever comes into my life. I don’t look years into the future; right now, I operate on a day-to-day basis (that’s 24 hours), perhaps because I don’t have any other choice.
I recently read an excerpt from a business text published by the Harvard Business Review where the author describes the attitudes of POWs during the Vietnam War. Those who believed they would be in that situation forever fared much better than those who believed they would be released within a certain period of time; the former group’s ability to accept their current circumstances increased their resiliency.
When things aren’t “working,” I think it’s natural to envision a time when things will be working again. Interestingly, it’s a mistake to think this way.
Since 2006, thoughts of a “better future” have centered on a relationship that no longer exists. More recent situations have involved my career and where I live: “This will get better in a few months …” or “I’m only going to live here for a short while …”
Anger and frustration at what “should have been” becomes draining and meaningless in time, but difficult to relinquish all the same. Unfortunately, these same feelings erode one’s resilience, and it’s a downward spiral from there.
Based upon my experience, I think one’s ability to “weather the storm” requires resilience, and surprisingly a pessimistic attitude (i.e. things may never change, but eventually everything ends). The ability to “live life” centers around the ability to “fail quickly” (i.e. perseverance) and a strong sense of one’s self / purpose. Everything else is supplementary, and should be considered a “bonus” because nothing in life, and no one, is guaranteed.
Abstract: “Iom”
Jul 10, ’11
11:36 PM
I actually created these earlier this year but decided to do some slight Photoshop modification to convey a digital, yet organic feel. The organism possesses energy but it is unclear whether this is potential energy or kinetic within a harsh environment. Is the system shutting down or in its infancy?
Frameworks.
Jul 10, ’11
12:30 PM
I think I’ve always been interested in solving problems, and when I’m asked to describe my strengths, “problem solver” is a phrase that immediately comes to mind.
In my experience, there are three steps to problem solving:
- Identify & understand the problem
- Choose or build a framework in which to solve the problem
- Come up with the solution (or solutions)
For many of the problems I’ve tackled over the past several years (many in the form of specific projects), the “framework” has remained fairly constant: it typically involves the creation of a team organizational chart and a conceptual visual that depicts the project’s “end state.”
While this model works well for project management, it doesn’t fare as well for creating business models.
Historically, business models tend to be verbose and full of financial analysis and risk-oriented topics. In many cases, this results in a business model that is too detailed, lacks true understanding and prone to gaps / errors.
In the book “Business Model Generation“, the authors present a different way of creating business models through the use of a modular graphic, or “canvas.”
This “canvas” approach streamlines the process of creating new business models by allowing participants to focus on the core subject matter vs. having to constantly remember how the pieces “fit” and whether anything has been missed.
Here is what this framework looks like:
I found this approach to be particularly useful, so much so in fact that I used it during a recent interview. One of the questions posed involved identifying several key aspects of introducing a credit card portfolio to a company’s product suite.
To answer this question, I drew two canvas’ on the whiteboard. The first represented the “as is” state and the second represented the future state, one where I had successfully integrated a credit card portfolio into their business model.
I used these two visuals to explain or identify:
- what would need to change
- where resources would be required
- sources of revenue
- potential opportunities
- sources of risk
Once I was able to tell this initial story, I found I was able to answer additional questions much more easily now that I had a solid foundation to work from.
When problem solving, the use of a problem solving framework is, I think, essential to long-term success. Once you find the right framework, you can continue to refine and expand its use, which can lead to more efficient use of your time and can open up possibilities in other areas as well.
When asked a problem that involves getting from point A to point B (physical location or point in time), duplicate the framework to show what sections need to change. Once you have a grasp on the original framework, replicating and showing the delta between the two versions is easy.
It’s at this point where you can spend most of your energy solving the real problem, and that’s where the fun really begins!
Launch.
Jul 7, ’11
4:50 PM
After two days of design and development, the new site is up! While the content is similar to what was on the original page, I’ve since included a new “Identity” PDF along with references to my various design portfolios (all in PDF format).
In a future post I’ll explain some of the techniques that I used to create this new version.
The Fuse.
Jul 6, ’11
9:52 AM
“[…] trying to make creative people fit some mold established as conventional wisdom or best practice may not always yield the best results. Lay the groundwork, but put the onus on the creative person to do what they do best—problem solve. Light the fuse and get away.”
– Greg Hoy
Web Concepts: “Disciplined Creativity”
Jul 5, ’11
4:45 PM
These are a few concepts for a possible redesign of my main web site. I stumbled upon the phrase “disciplined creativity” when browsing the BMW DesignWorks site; I think a great self-descriptor.
The first image is what visitors will see when they first visit the page. The second image shows what’s “underneath” each tile. When visitors hover over an individual tile, the “original” typeface will appear.
The phrases “Gr” and “Ind” will be linked to PDF versions of my graphic and industrial design portfolios.
