This Is A Prototype

“How is design infiltrating business in a new way? How is it reaching every inch of the of the business?"—Nicole Gull-McElroyWhat are the central stories in the design industry today, and how is the business media covering them?In this POV Edition, I speak with journalist Nicole Gull-McElroy, who reports on the intersection of business and design for Fortune, Fast Company, and Wired, among other publications. Nicole was the lead editor for Fortune’s “By Design” newsletter, and last January she wrote

“Leadership is really a generosity of spirit. When you care about not just yourself but you care about those around you, and you’re willing to go that extra mile to make others around you successful, it becomes clear you are ready for leadership.” —Janaki KumarThroughout Season 1 of the series, we’ve been digging deeply into the hidden, and often surprising characteristics of leadership. Those leadership qualities—actually those human qualities—that don’t come from a text book or a classroom. That’s

“I’m incredibly appreciative of the people that took a moment and said ‘here’s some things you’re probably gonna want to learn if you want to go farther.’”—Heidi MuncAmong the core themes that is emerging in Season 1 is the importance of mentorship, coaching, and sponsorship for design leaders. That’s one of the topics I explore in this wide-ranging discussion with my guests, Heidi Munc and Gus Granger.Heidi Munc is a user experience expert and creative problem solver with over 20 years of

“[Design leadership] requires a level of self-awareness…that is unlike the vast majority of other business functions.”In episode 3 of This is a Prototype, I take a slightly different approach to the format with the first of what I’m calling “POV Editions.” Here I look at design leadership through a more analytical lens with the help of a single guest who has a distinctive…point of view on the field. In this first POV Edition, I speak with design strategist, consultant, and community leader Sarah

As the early episodes of “This is a Prototype” roll out, some fascinating themes are beginning to emerge, including the surprising power of family in the life and career journeys of design leaders. In the second episode, I speak to Ashleigh Axios, Chief Experience Officer and an owner of Coforma and previous Creative Director and Digital Strategist in the Obama White House, and Chris Hacker, Chief Design Officer of Hacker Design Group, and previous Chief Design Officer at Johnson & Johnson

“Throughout my life here, there have been a lot of people who have created safe passage for me as a professional through my design career.” Ruki Neuhold-RavikumarIn the first episode of This Is A Prototype: The Design Leadership Podcast I speak to Antonio Garcia, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer at TXI, and Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, president of the Kansas City Art Institute. We cover a wide range of stories about what it takes to be a leader in this new era of design, including those many

We are in the midst of an unprecedented time in the history of the design profession. Businesses are investing in design at rates never before seen—building scaled design teams of hundreds and even thousands of designers, and hiring design leaders into executive roles giving them influence and access at the highest levels. As an executive design leader myself, I’m fascinated by the experience of designers moving into these new leadership roles. For most of us this is completely uncharted territory,