Tim Brown is the leading pioneer of ‘design thinking’ and the CEO of global design and innovation firm IDEO.
The main principle of his approach is that innovation comes from collaboration based on studying what people need and looking beyond particular design disciplines. The results are as likely to be systems and experiences as products or brands.
He works with some of IDEO’s top clients, including Sony, Microsoft, Motorola, Pepsi and Procter & Gamble. But he’s just as dedicated to applying design thinking to sustainability and healthcare in the developing world. For instance, the recent Ripple Effect project with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has helped create new ways to bring safe drinking water to people in India and Africa.
His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Design Museum in London. He’s also a writer and blogger on design as well as taking part in the World Economic Forum at Davos and advising senior executives of Fortune 500 companies.
What made you decide to be an industrial designer?
I went to art school interested in painting or graphic design but discovered workshops and realised I loved building things. Also, I’d long been interested in science and technology, and industrial design seemed the perfect combination of art and technology.
What are you working on now?
IDEO.org, a non-profit version of IDEO. Designers from IDEO and Fellows from around the world will work on poverty-related challenges like urban sanitation, education and low-cost healthcare. We hope to do about 12 projects in the first year.
Which project do you feel defined your career?
It was more a series of projects that significantly changed my approach to design. Working in Silicon Valley for companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sony, Panasonic and Seiko Epson showed me that design was far more complex and could have an even bigger impact on people’s lives than I’d understood. This line of inquiry led me to design thinking as a platform for innovation and problem solving.
Where do you go for inspiration?
The best inspiration comes from being out in the world, particularly traveling to new places. My first trip to India was life-changing and convinced me design had to play a greater role in solving problems for the poor.
Which other designer's work do you most admire?
Charles and Ray Eames for their incessant playfulness and experimentation. We’re often way too serious as designers, and being playful is a great antidote to that.
What would be your dream project?
On the serious side, I’d love to design a healthcare system from the ground up. On the less serious (and less likely) side I’d love to be involved in designing a space station. There’s something fascinating about designing a human habitat where you have to consider everything because the environment provides almost nothing. Plus I’ve always found space travel incredibly romantic.
If I wasn't a designer I'd be a...?
Writer. I love researching a topic, then writing about it. It’s another way to get new ideas into the world.
Any advice for young designers?
Design has to be a passion first and a profession second. If you’re not following your passion you’re probably doing the wrong thing.