think (here)

Assassination by Assumption

2010-03-10T08:23:24Z

Image Credit: Funky64

“The least questioned assumptions are often the most questionable” -Paul Broca

The most lethal element when forced into the design equation can be summed up in a single word:

Assumption.

It is during the earliest stages of the Design process that assumptions do the most damage. If you assume something early on it may not seem like an issue.

Think about a protractor. The difference one degree makes is seemingly insignificant up close. However, as the lines extend just a few feet and the separation becomes apparent. Extend those lines a mile and the difference is insurmountable. The same can be said about a design resting on a foundation of assumptions.

To correctly attack business design you need to clear the slate. 100%. Start with the fundamentals, the bare bones minimum. There is a good chance the question you were attempting to answer, the problem you were attempting to solve, or the path you were aiming towards is a few degrees off from the solution.

Assume nothing, and ask yourself: What assumptions am I making right now?

The $20 Brainstorm Hack

2010-03-08T06:14:04Z

A light video to kick the week off. I show you in 4 (admittedly lengthy) minutes how I saved $230 dollars on tools to improve brainstorming.

Once you watch the video head over to this 5 second poll and cast your vote for which is better: whiteboards or chalk boards.

t(h)ink on.

Business Design is NOT...

2010-03-04T07:34:00Z

Image Credit: davepearson

... (just) aesthetics

This is not just Graphic Design. This is not simply the visual elements of an object. However, it is certainly as elegant, as beautiful, and arguably more important. Instead of focusing on how a form will function, Business Design focuses on how a function will form....

... perfection

There is a misconception that for something to be designed well it needs to perform without error. The reality is that errors happen, often. Too often there are more variables than can be accounted for. Good Business design creates systems with a sort of pseudo redundancy. (More on this next week)

... going away

Trends change, resources deplete, and consumer demand shifts. No matter what your position, field, or industry if you embrace Business Design thinking... you will thrive. Some call them creative, crazy, or both; I call them t(h)inkers.

Are you a t(h)inker?

Business Design IS...

2010-03-03T10:00:18Z

I like creating solutions out of design. I live for turning nothing more than an idea, into a living breathing system (much more than I like the day to day management of it). Once it works, and satisfies the need, I pass it on, I am bored with it, and my mind is no longer challenged. That said, the future of Tt(h)B will bring posts that focus more

What it Takes to Redefine 'Design'

2010-03-01T09:13:46Z

Now that the past is out of the way, it is time to get down to business and answer some questions many of you have been asking like: * What exactly is Tt(h)B's definition of design?

Design is everything (to me): Part 2

2010-02-23T23:06:09Z

Growing Pains: Right before college the search for a practical application of my passion brought me to architecture. I remember thinking "I've found it! This is where I can place my passion This is where I can use my energy" As an architect, I could once again bring physical reality to ideas.

Design is everything (to me): Part 1

2010-02-23T13:10:00Z

The Early Years: As I reflected on the moments that brought me to my sentence, it became evident that I've already lived a lifetime influenced by design. Though it may have been called other things at the time, the pieces that played into my passion, my drive, and my success for what I was doing can all be traced back to design. Every. Single. Time.

Re-thinking 'think (here)': From One Paragraph to One Sentence

2010-02-21T22:55:25Z

Today, after 4 months and over 70 posts, I can finally answer a question that has been eating away at me since the beginning: What, exactly is this site? Or put another way: What is Tt(h)B's sentence?

The Olympic Difference

2010-02-19T05:39:42Z

Over the past three posts, Tt(h)B explored three interdisciplinary techniques that Olympic Champions share with Successful Entrepreneurs. (Did you miss out? Click here to catch up.) Today, we explore the fork in the road. Here are three reasons Successful Entrepreneurs are different from Olympic Champions.

How to be an "Olympic" Entrepreneur: Part 3

2010-02-18T03:19:57Z

Today Tt(h)B continues its exploration of three interdisciplinary techniques and traits that successful entrepreneurs and Olympic Champions have in common. If you missed part 1 on Uncompromising Devotion