Earlier this term we were fortunate enough to hear from David Ewald, Chief Creative Officer at Uncorked Studios in Portland.
As his company bio notes:
“David Ewald is Chief Creative Officer at Uncorked Studios. A founding member of the company, David leads the team to pursue design excellence across all Uncorked projects. His tenacity for user-centered design remains the core belief that inspires our team to build products that make life designed.
David has helped shape the strategy and design vision for Uncorked’s clients including LEGO, Samsung, Intel, and Google Creative Lab. Additionally, David provided his branding expertise to Safecast, an organization co-founded by Uncorked Studios following the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. His previous work for Target, Cartoon Network, Nike, HP and Matador Records built a foundation for his unique blend of entrepreneurship and interaction design.
David is an accomplished photographer, and spends his spare time seeking opportunities to document narratives in and around the Pacific Northwest. He is originally from Wisconsin and lives in Forest Grove, Oregon, with his wife and son.”
Here’s five key things we learnt from his talk:
1. Design is a way of thinking about our lives
“To put it into perspective,” Parkey Doyle wrote:
Ewald highlighted the ‘norms of design’ – from takeout menus, shipping packages, kiosk stands and furniture arrangements, design is all around us in both obvious and inconspicuous forms. Even if the design goes unnoticed, it still plays part in affecting our attitude. When approaching any task with design in mind, it is important to approach it from the position of a “resolver,” or as Ewald describes it, “… [getting] behind the scenes…. [thinking] about how people will experience things.”
“I do not focus on design, but after David Ewald, I was convinced that design was something I could incorporate into the work I do,” observed Emily Poole.
2. Everyone is a designer
“Everyone is a designer,” David told us early on.
“Sometimes all it takes is four words like that to completely produce a new perspective in which to view how the world works, noted Brandon Reichelt. “It’s refreshing!” “I didn’t think I could love the thought of design more than I did. So, thank you, David Ewald for starting our course off with a bang.”
This was a perspective which resonated with many students:
“Being a designer isn’t just locked with people who are”designers” of products or certain graphics,” reflected Angela Chan. “Everyone is a designer. No matter what.”
Angela, like many in the class, highlighted a photograph David showed of his toothbrush and his wife’s toothbrush on the toothbrush holder.
As Angela describes it: “One toothbrush was laying horizontal on the top of the rims of the holder and another one was handle down into the holder. They were both concepts of design from the individual that comprised to their needs. Something so simple but was pure design at its heart. With design nothing is wrong or right as David highlighted “design is a way of thinking.””
3. Power of technology to galvanize groups
David discussed his work with Safecast, a website that aggregates radioactivity data from throughout the world. It’s origins lay in providing real-time hyper-local information about the status of the Japanese nuclear crisis.
Here’s a few news stories on this topic:
- How technology is changing disaster relief: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29149221
- Japan quake: Worst crisis since WWII, says PM: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-12726297
4. Make people the forefront of your work
“No matter who you’re working with, there are humans behind the scenes,” he explained. “You have to get behind the scenes and think about how people will experience it.”
This approach has driven a number of projects that Uncorked have undertaken, including the Google Cubby Wall at San Bruno, CA.
As SOJC student Michaela Bourgeois reflected: “ The simple concept of a storage unit for personal belongings, [has] now evolved into a user-friendly intersection within the digital and physical world of design.”
Photo via Iontank https://www.iontank.com/projects/cubbywall
This example let the group to make further observations about the importance of blending the functionality of design with a product’s purpose; and the need to avoid getting overwhelmed by technological possibilities. Experiences – be they digital or real world – still need to be functional.
5. Everyone has time to get a coffee
As with all of our guests this term, we asked David for advice on networking and job hunting.
“If there was a one concept I want to take from this lecture and discussion,” AUgust Howell wrote, “would be what Ewald said at the end of class. He said that even huge companies have people who work behind the scenes. Get to know those people by doing research and pick their brain over coffee. A 15-20 minute conversation can go a long way.”
It was notion that many students also came back to in their mid-term reflections.
As Elise Lee commented: “Being in a relaxed coffee date allows you to show your real self instead of the fake, nervous self you may show during an important interview”.