Rebirth of Slick: Why Design Is Cool and Why It Will Make People Love Your Company

th of Slick Re bir hy It Will ool, and W y Des ign is c r Company Wh Love You Ma ke Pe ople Kelsey Ruger Thursday, October 15, 2009

In the early 1990s, while hard- core rap artists like Dr. Dre and Tupac dominated the charts, Digable Planets chose a road that ignored gangsta culture. Thursday, October 15, 2009

DIGABLE PLANETS DIDN’T SET OUT TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT WAS COOL Thursday, October 15, 2009

ers have that ese ch aract stics do th erican cool? aracteri dimen t of Am What ch embo ade them the m Thursday, October 15, 2009

BEYOND THE EXTERNAL WHAT subject: m. brando - a0043 n- 789s4 are inspired by cool? j. dea su bject: subje ct: c. gr ant - 0043 4 Thursday, October 15, 2009

BEYOND THE EXTERNAL WHAT THREE subject: m. brando - a0043 IDEASare inspired by cool? bject: j. dea n- 789s4 su subje ct: c. gr ant - 0043 4 Thursday, October 15, 2009

FOLLOW YOUR OWN PATH Thursday, October 15, 2009

BE REALLY DIFFERENT.. REALLY Thursday, October 15, 2009

TAKE CALCULATED RISKS Thursday, October 15, 2009

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US? Thursday, October 15, 2009

Thursday, October 15, 2009

TS? UL ES Thursday, October 15, 2009 R

WE OFTEN CONFUSE THE PROCESS OF DESIGN THINKING WITH THE ACT OF DESIGN DOING Thursday, October 15, 2009

WHICH COMPANIES HAVE A COOL FACTOR? Dell Toyota CVS Pharmacy Apple BMW MTV HEB Amazon Costco Microsoft Proctor & Gamble Zappos Sears Nike Corning Industries Disney Converse Target General Mills J.C. Penney Dow Chemical Starbucks Walmart Equifax Ofﬁce Depot Haliburton Estee Lauder Grey Goose Continental IKEA American Airlines Virgin Airlines General Electric Panasonic Boeing Google Thursday, October 15, 2009

ARE YOUR GOALS TOO REASONABLE? sounds mediocre ugh? what if it’s new? r nee ds usto me 1. Meet c market t ime to how about 2. R e duce eliminating o urces m ize res them? 3. Opti ar riers tional b ce func 5. Re du culture uh... yeah o rporate 6. Ch ange c right Thursday, October 15, 2009

WD D WHAT DID APPLE DO? Thursday, October 15, 2009

WW D WHAT WOULD APPLE DO? Thursday, October 15, 2009

These companies don’t have enduring relevant bands because of short sighted, gimmicky campaigns, a dash of bling or a viral web site. Thursday, October 15, 2009

Relevance creates long term value. Thursday, October 15, 2009

RELEVANCE IS COOL * * * Thursday, October 15, 2009

You can’t buy or borrow cool from a brand it has to be designed in. Don’t look for it on the outside. Be authentic. WHERE IS THAT WILL MAKE YOUR PRODUCT THE “IPOD” OF YOUR INDUSTRY? Thursday, October 15, 2009

BRAND IS DESIGNED WHEN YOU TAKE SUBSTANTIAL RISK AND FACE THE POSSIBILITY OF REAL FAILURE Thursday, October 15, 2009

WHEN YOU SPEND TIME CHASING COOL YOU DON’T DO THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU COOL Thursday, October 15, 2009

inspired by cool Thursday, October 15, 2009

Chasing Cool Thursday, October 15, 2009

THE TRANSITION FROM CHASING DESIGN DOING TO BEING INSPIRED BY SOLID DESIGN THINKING Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN IS THE FUNDAMENTAL SOUL OF THE COMPANY THAT EXPRESSES ITSELF THROUGH AN END RESULT - THE PRODUCT - Steve Jobs Thursday, October 15, 2009

far too n arrowly. ple deﬁn e design Most peo Thursday, October 15, 2009

BEAUT WHAT YOU SEE IS NOT WHAT YOU GET Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN IS THE entire experience PURPOSE FEEL DELIVERY AESTHETIC 2 not just 3 this FUNCTION SERVICE BRAND Thursday, October 15, 2009

Usability + Function + Signiﬁcance Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN THINKING IS NOT AN EVENT IT’S A PROCESS Thursday, October 15, 2009

Simply Chasing cool is a really bad idea; inspired by cool is a great idea. Don’t do it because you research it, do it because you breathe it. - Russell Simmons KING LO OK LIKE? OES DES IGN THIN WHAT D Thursday, October 15, 2009

Simply Chasing design is a really bad idea; inspired by design is a great idea. Don’t do it because you research it, do it because you breathe it. Thursday, October 15, 2009

THEY ALWAYS TREAT DESIGN AS A PROCESS NOT AS AN EVENT Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS INSPIRATION 1 Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS INSPIRATION IDEATION 1 2 Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS INSPIRATION IDEATION ACTION 1 2 3 Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS INSPIRATION IDEATION ACTION INNOVATION 1 2 3 Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS here INSPIRATION IDEATION ACTION INNOVATION 1 2 3 Thursday, October 15, 2009

DESIGN HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE CREATIVE PROCESS here INSPIRATION IDEATION ACTION INNOVATION 1 2 3 and here Thursday, October 15, 2009

DON’T FAVOR PRODUCTION OVER DESIGN Thursday, October 15, 2009

People talk about their functions in the organization. Human organizations are not at all like mechanisms. I mean they have hierarchies, responsibilities and different roles - but a human organization is much more like an organism. PROCESS TELLS US HOW TO BUILD. IT DOESN’T HELP WITH WHAT TO BUILD. Thursday, October 15, 2009

DON’T DEPEND HEAVILY ON METRICS OR COMMON WISDOM Thursday, October 15, 2009

BECOME OVERLY CONSERVATIVE OBSESSED WITH MEETING THE NUMBERS EMOTIONALLY AND ANALYTICALLY DETACHED WOULD RATHER BUY SUCCESS INSTEAD OF EARNING IT EMPHASIZE THE WRONG HEROES Thursday, October 15, 2009

DON’T LEAD WITH EFFICIENCY AND CUT COSTS LATER Thursday, October 15, 2009

DON’T SPEND ALOT JUST DO WHAT ACME DID THAT DOESN’T FIT OUR PROCESS DON’T SCREW THIS UP Thursday, October 15, 2009

BAKE DESIGN INTO THE CORE & BUILD EXPERIENCE OUT Thursday, October 15, 2009

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF AN APPLE PIE? Thursday, October 15, 2009

Make It Meaningful Tell me a engaging story I like experiences Looks matter but how I feel matters more CONSUMER MINDSET: THE PLAN Thursday, October 15, 2009

BE CAPABLE OF TELLING A MEANINGFUL STORY ABOUT YOUR BRAND OR COMPANY Thursday, October 15, 2009

A GOOD STORY ILLUSTRATES HUMAN EMOTION Thursday, October 15, 2009

The “values in action” The “vision” stories stories “why am I here” The “val ues in action” The stories stories Th e “who am I” ” The “I k now what yo u are thinking Stories stories CAN YOU THESE STORIES? Thursday, October 15, 2009

DON’T TRY TO MIMIC THE ACTION TAKEN LOOK TO BE INSPIRED BY THE INTENDED MOTIVE Thursday, October 15, 2009

Treating design as a veneer You create “objects” instead of IT’S USUALLY A experience VICIOUS CYCLE Design isn’t THAT IGNORES DESIGN a part of every role The experience isn’t designed Thursday, October 15, 2009

DON’T OUTSOURCE VISION DON’T BE A SLAVE TO TODAY’S TRENDS Thursday, October 15, 2009

DON’T FOLLOW YOUR CUSTOMERS LEAD THEM Thursday, October 15, 2009

YOU MAY NOT GET YOUR ANSWER FROM ASKING BUT YOU CAN GET IT FROM OBSERVING Thursday, October 15, 2009

FOCUS ON SOLVING HUMAN NEEDS INSTEAD OF TECHNICAL PROBLEMS Thursday, October 15, 2009

TEACH AUTHENTICITY Thursday, October 15, 2009

DON’T END WITH THE INSIGHTS GREAT IDEAS LEAD TO ANSWERS Thursday, October 15, 2009

Thanks Again! Kelsey Ruger http://www.themoleskin.com http://www.twitter.com/themoleskin http://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseyruger Thursday, October 15, 2009