How Design Thinking Problem Solving Can Improve - Jon Kolko

In Chapter 11 of 17 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, designer and educator Jon Kolko interprets design thinking. He talks about the rise of "Design Thinking" philosophy, specifically using design methods to solve strategic business and organizational problems. He notes its shortcomings, specifically how design "doing" must complement design "thinking". He notes the "doing" part is often thought of as menial - commoditizing and offshoring product design for mass production overseas. Kolko argues against this, noting overseas designers will solve local design problems. Because design is connected to culture, problems must be locally solved, or at least locally engaged. Kolko is the executive director of design strategy at venture accelerator, Thinktiv (www.thinktiv.com). He is the founder and director of the Austin School for Design (www.ac4d.com). Previously, he worked at frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He has authored multiple books on design. Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

How to Use Design to Improve Organizational Culture - Jon Kolko

In Chapter 12 of 17 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, designer and educator Jon Kolko shares how his corporate interaction design client work has taught him how to build organizational culture. In his current role at venture accelerator Thinktiv, Kolko learns to structure organizational values while structuring service or product values. At frog design, he learns design artifacts such as websites or iPhone apps would become political tools in an organization. Kolko is the executive director of design strategy at venture accelerator, Thinktiv (www.thinktiv.com). He is the founder and director of the Austin School for Design (www.ac4d.com). Previously, he worked at frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He has authored multiple books on design. Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

How Startups Benefit by Using Interaction Design - Jon Kolko

In Chapter 13 of 17 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, designer and educator Jon Kolko notes where interaction design approaches benefit startup businesses. Working at a venture accelerator, Kolko notes that startups are built on iterations and interaction design too is rooted in understanding behavior over time and how this overlap can work to a startup's advantage. Kolko is the executive director of design strategy at venture accelerator, Thinktiv (www.thinktiv.com). He is the founder and director of the Austin School for Design (www.ac4d.com). Previously, he worked at frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He has authored multiple books on design. Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

How to Improve Design School Education and Teaching - Jon Kolko

In Chapter 15 of 17 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, designer and educator Jon Kolko shares how design schools can improve how they teach. He notes that most design professors teach what they have learned which is rooted in traditional design theory such as Bauhaus form giving, meaning color theory, typography, 2D design and 3D design. He highlights these are relevant for manufactured product design and not necessarily for social problem solving design. Kolko notes how innovative design thinking and doing programs are coming from abroad, including KAOSPILOT and CIID in Denmark and Malmo University in Sweden. These programs are focusing more on social problem solving design and less on mass-produced product design. Kolko is the executive director of design strategy at venture accelerator, Thinktiv (www.thinktiv.com). He is the founder and director of the Austin School for Design (www.ac4d.com). Previously, he worked at frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He has authored multiple books on design. Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

How Teacher Mentors Advance Art and Design Career - Jon Kolko

In Chapter 16 of 17 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, designer and educator Jon Kolko shares how three teachers have been great mentors in his life, shaping his personal and professional approach. The first, his ceramics teacher, teaches him a Buddhist approach to living. The second mentor, Richard Buchanan, founded the Carnegie Mellon design school and influences Kolko in his writings. The third mentor, Robert Fee, mentors Kolko while he teaches at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). There Kolko learns to treat teaching challenges as design problems. Kolko is the executive director of design strategy at venture accelerator, Thinktiv (www.thinktiv.com). He is the founder and director of the Austin School for Design (www.ac4d.com). Previously, he worked at frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He has authored multiple books on design. Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

How to Apply Design Passion in Business Career - Hammans Stallings

In Chapter 13 of 13 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, innovation strategist Hammans Stallings shares how he came to blend business and design in his career. Growing up around the arts and studying studio art at the University of Virginia, Stallings then spends years working in business solving problems. He connects the problem solving back into design problems and consumer experiences, ultimately building a bridge between his business and design interests. Stallings is currently a Senior Strategist at frog design. Previously he worked in business strategy at Dell and investment banking at Stephens. He earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a MS in Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business and a BA in Economics and Psychology from the University of Virginia.

What Makes a Near-Peer Mentoring Relationship Valuable - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 5 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares how mentor Jon Kolko encouraged her independence and built her self-confidence. While studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Serota forges a mentoring relationship her professor, Kolko. Only a few years older than Serota, Kolko provides presence and encouragement as a mentor to help Serota gain confidence in her work and become more independent in her aspiration. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How to Find Purpose in a Design Career - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 6 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota discusses where she finds purpose in her career. Specifically, through her social sciences background and design research, Serota finds purpose learning to make things for people.  As a practicing designer, she notes product design - interaction, fashion, graphic, etc. - is about value added utility.
To identify this utility, she draws upon social science experience in anthropology, sociology in qualitative marketing research across cultures. This informs the resulting product design efforts. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How SCAD Alumna Finds First Job and Builds Design Career - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 8 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota graduates at the top of her college class and then struggles to find work. She broadens her horizons and takes a design recruiting job, where she learns about people and hones her interests. Ultimately, the experience positions Serota for design research work. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How Research Experience Informs Design Career - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 9 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares how her design career has developed. After high school DJ and Music PR jobs, Serota attends Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to study industrial design. Over time she focuses on formative design stages, specifically design. After multiple early career jobs, she lands a design researcher job at Lextant. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Enjoying the Challenges of Working in Design Research - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 10 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares what she finds intellectually stimulating and rewarding working in her design research role. He notes three specific parts of the design research process. The first is project preparation - identifying participants and what to ask them. The second is effectively interviewing participants and gathering data. The third is translating that data into a useful design solution, including business and political considerations. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How UNICEF mHealth Project Uses Design Thinking to Innovate - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 13 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares how her frog design team assisted UNICEF to further develop African mobile health - mhealth - projects. Focused on the last mile of health care in rural areas, frog helps UNICEF plan how to address the motivations of community health workers - CHWs - in context of the project design. Ultimately, frog provides visual aids to help socialize and unify pilot project participants. Longer term, the tools and ongoing relationship will help the project scale more thoughtfully. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Why Experiences are More Valuable Than Material Goods - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 14 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares why she places a higher value on experiences than material goods. Serota notes material goods are temporary and do not exist unless someone uses them. She focuses more on the user experience, as experiences are ultimately the end goal, not the product itself. She shares a story from working abroad in Zambia where material goods were rendered useless when lacking experience design and associated instruction. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How Designer Learns by Teaching Graduate School - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 15 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares why she teaches. She teaches to learn from aspiring young design professionals coming from different backgrounds and skills. Serota orchestrates the room by facilitating idea exchange and sharing, resulting in a powerful classroom learning experience. This not only inspires Serota but also informs her work at frog design. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

What Draws Creative to Practical Problem Solving - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 16 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares why she is drawn to practical problem solving. As someone who enjoys making things, Serota is drawn to going beyond the conceptual to physically address the issue or concern. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How to Create Interactive Design Experiences - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 17 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota describes how people and choreography play into an interactive design experience. She notes how some design experiences are intentionally seamless or organic, such as using a mobile phone, whereas others are planned. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

What Role Does Objectivity Play in Experience Design - Lauren Serota

In Chapter 18 of 18 in her 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, interaction designer and researcher Lauren Serota shares what role objectivity plays in designing experiences. She notes her aim is less to be objective and more to consider the experience from the user's perspective. It is more about putting herself in the shoes of the various research subjects who will interact with the product or experience. Serota is an interaction designer at frog design - http://frogdesign.com - and a professor at the Austin Center for Design - http://ac4d.com . She earned her bachelors degree in industrial design from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

How Theatre Students Learn and Interpret Entrepreneurship - Bijoy Goswami

In Chapter 4 of 15 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, leadership philosopher Bijoy Goswami shares how Norwegian students gave him a fresh perspective on entrepreneur experience. Goswami lives in Austin, TX, where he develops models, including MRE, youPlusU, and Bootstrap, to help others live more meaningfully. He teaches his models through community activism, lectures, writing, and online communication. Previously, he co-founded Aviri Software after working at Trilogy Software. Goswami graduated from Stanford University, where he studied Computer Science, Economics, and History.