Design Thinking is a trendy term these days, and for good reason! More and more launchers and businesses are learning about the power of this empathy-driven methodology to solve problems. [Read more…] about The Five Stages of Design Thinking
design thinking
Empower Your Team To Solve Problems Together
When was the last time your team or company encountered a problem? Yesterday? Last week?
Chances are, it was recent.
Who solved that problem? Most likely—if it was an operational problem—your operations leader handled it. Your marketing leader probably stayed far away, because it wasn’t their problem to solve.
This is how most businesses address issues. Your department, your project, your problem. But what if there was a more efficient way to solve problems and better your culture? What if your marketing leader could have had a great solution to the operational problem? [Read more…] about Empower Your Team To Solve Problems Together
074: Design Thinking Changes Everything: Part 2 of Our Conversation with Jason and Hillary DeMeo
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Summary:
We’re back with part two of our conversation with Jason and Hillary DeMeo, founders of We Are Curio. Missed part 1? Listen and read the summary here. Jason and Hillary are experts in Design Thinking—an empathetic framework for solving problems. On today’s episode, we’re talking about chasing down ideas, finding your identity, and learning from failure without really failing.
Links + Resources:
Launch Youniversity Podcast Episode 073 (Part 1)
@thedemeos (Jason and Hillary on Instagram)
Pre-Order Re-Thinking Innovation: 8 Mindsets for the Everyday Innovator
3 Takeaways:
1. Not every idea is for you.
A lot of times, as launchers, the message we hear from business gurus is to go all-in on our ideas and never stop hustling. But Jason has a filter for that mentality: Ask, “Does this idea fit in with who I’m called to be? Or, is it just a really cool idea that should be a hobby?” Jason says that if it doesn’t fit in his identity, he can easily move on. Have the courage to figure out who you are before you chase down your ideas and dreams.
2. Prototype who you should be.
Before launching We Are Curio, Jason and Hillary launched the Curio online store. From the store, they started to learn who they wanted to be as a company and how they wanted their culture to operate. From there, they grew little by little with experiment after experiment. Now, as We Are Curio, they have a business and team they absolutely know fit their identity and purpose.
3. Design thinking and leadership.
Design thinking and leadership are complementary. You can’t be a good leader without empathy. Get to know your team on a human level, and then you can start to design and collaborate together.
073: How Design Thinking Can Change Your Culture with Jason and Hillary DeMeo
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Summary:
Every launcher encounters problems and challenges on the road to launching. Usually, we try to solve those problems with data, debates and brainstorming. But what if we started with empathy instead?
On today’s podcast, we’re talking to Jason and Hillary DeMeo, founders of We Are Curio. Jason and Hillary are experts in Design Thinking—an empathetic framework for solving problems. They’re breaking down what Design Thinking is, who can be a designer, and how to shift your mindset to be a human-centered problem solver.
Links + Resources:
@thedemeos (Jason and Hillary on Instagram)
Pre-Order Re-Thinking Innovation: 8 Mindsets for the Everyday Innovator
Three takeaways:
1. What is Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is the process by which we solve problems and add value. It’s all-encompassing of the mindset, process, tools and people.
2. Design Thinking isn’t just for creatives.
In this context, design doesn’t mean a form of art. Instead, it’s an intentional tapping into our talents and gifts. An accountant can be a designer, because he or she thoughtfully designs financial systems to keep the company moving forward. An assistant can be a designer, because he or she intentionally designs processes that drive efficiency and problem solving.
3. Start on the line of empathy.
When you start with empathy, you realize the accountant is just as important as the writer and the assistant and the CEO. Everyone is in this together. Instead of competing against organizational lines, Design Thinking brings teams together to solve big problems.
006: Rethinking Design with Coca Cola’s David Butler
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Summary:
Welcome back to The Launch Youniversity Podcast! Today is part two of our conversation with David Butler from Coca-Cola. (Missed David’s first episode? Click here to listen!) He is back with us to drop some wisdom on how to launch our ideas, products and businesses. Today we are diving deep into how to define design and what it truly does for the success of your company.
David offers a different perspective on prototyping and challenges you to think beyond Apple, Microsoft and other companies who are known for their product design. Make sure you listen to the full episode. . .you might just find out what two superpowers every launcher needs for success.
Links + Resources:
- Design to Grow: How Coca-Cola Learned to Combine Scale and Agility (and How You Can Too)
- Prototype: The Third Step in The Launch Sequence
- LYP 005: Launching and Scaling with David Butler
- David Butler’s Twitter