Summary: <a href="http://www.gayleallen.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Blog-Post-John-Maeda-and-Simplicity.png"></a>Everyone benefits from understanding great design. Whether you make products, program apps, or provide services, design plays a critical role in how effectively you accomplish your goals. And if you work in the field of design, there has never been a better time to showcase your skills.<br> In this thought-provoking interview, <a href="https://www.ted.com/speakers/john_maeda">John Maeda</a> talks about all of this and more. An award-winning designer who was described as a bellwether for the design industry by <a href="https://www.wired.com/category/magazine/">Wired Magazine,</a> John sits at the crossroads of business, design, and technology.. His TED talks have been viewed by millions, and his books have been translated into dozens of languages. <br> John began his career Professor and Head of Research at <a href="https://www.media.mit.edu/">The Media Lab at MIT</a>. He then served as President of the <a href="http://www.risd.edu/">Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)</a>, authored a number of books, and then left academia to work as Design Partner for venture capital firm <a href="http://www.kpcb.com/">Kleiner Perkins</a>. He now works as Global Head of Computational Design and Inclusion at open-source tech firm, <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a>.<br> John shares what he has learned along the way. Insights from our interview include:<br> <br> How the arduous practice of engineering informs his perspective on design<br> How he was raised not to know what he could not be<br> How curiosity is about having an openness to now knowing<br> How much of what he saw in Silicon Valley was reminiscent of MIT <br> How resilience can increase with curiosity<br> How each challenge he has chosen stretches him<br> How creatives often lack confidence – a normal occurrence for them<br> How a brilliant professor taught him to say I do not know<br> The three kinds of design that exist right now<br> How digital design is constantly changing, immature<br> How design thinking is a powerful strategy for understanding users<br> How schools can benefit from real-world practice<br> Why stepping out of academia was important for his understanding of the world<br> Why the addictive aspect of tech is not a problem for him<br> How he is always looking for new people to learn from <br> Why he wishes we were talking less about beauty in design and more about effectiveness<br> How he wishes design were more about who we can serve rather than trends<br> How he is asking how design can be more inclusive<br> How we can get caught up in making things in our own image through design<br> The fact that design tends to come to the foreground only once the tech matures<br> The challenges of leading and working with people in design<br> How he is learning to work in a 100 percent remote tech company<br> <br> Selected Links to Topics Mentioned<br> <a href="https://www.ted.com/speakers/john_maeda">John Maeda</a><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/johnmaeda">@JohnMaeda</a><br> <a href="https://www.media.mit.edu/">MIT Media Lab</a><br> <a href="http://www.risd.edu/">Rhode Island School of Design</a><br> <a href="http://www.kpcb.com/">Kleiner Perkins</a><br> <a href="https://automattic.com/">Automattic</a><br> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058536/">Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer</a><br> <a href="http://www.kpcb.com/blog/design-in-tech-report-2016">Design Report 2016</a><br> <a href="https://getbevel.com/">Walker and Company, Bevel Brand</a><br> <a href="http://www.grindr.com/">Grindr</a><br> <a href="http://www.kpcb.com/partner/jackie-xu">Jackie Xu</a><br> <a href="http://www.kpcb.com/partner/justin-sayarath">Justin Sayarath</a><br> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inevitable-Understanding-Technological-Forces-Future/dp/0525428089">The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly...</a>
