arts & business council

MetLife Foundation National Arts Forums Series

Denver Commission on Cultural Affairs
Denver, Colorado

Design thinking: Success Stories
03/07/2007

Panelists:

• Charlie Girsch, Creativity Central
• Maria Girsch, Ph.D, Creativity Central
• Andrew Hudson, vice president of corporate communications, Arcadis
• Don Samuels, City Councilman, Minneapolis, MN
• James Davis, dean, University College, Denver University
• Henry Beer, principal, Communication Arts
• Tom Clark, executive vice president, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation

Maria and Charlie Girsch began the forum with a creative thinking exercise which set the stage for business, educational, and political leaders to share how innovative thinking fueled their professional success. Then panelists addressed issues on creativity in the workforce, public policy, aging and creative thinking; issues not so much local in nature as universal.

Andrew Hudson talked about the interconnection between jazz and corporate structure: the necessity of improvisation, teamwork, shared responsibility, trust, practice, anticipation, and problem solving.  He referred to old companies as symphonies and start-ups as jazz bands and identified ways to bring swing back to the structure of the large orchestra modeled on the structural aspects of jazz.
 
Leaders of large cities, like those of large corporations, could also benefit from improvisation. Don Samuels acknowledged that the problems of large cities, such as gang violence are the same, whether the city is Minneapolis or Denver. It is the way in which one chooses to respond to such stressors that will provide an opportunity to be creative. Samuels identified his unique approach to community problems, such as energizing a small number of committed volunteers to overthrow a well-funded opposition candidate. To address homicides in his district, he began a one-man vigil that turned into a city-wide concern. He urged participants to demand more of their political representatives and to become more involved in the governing process.

Jim Davis has been charged by University of Denver to change the face of retirement. People are living longer, more active, and healthier lives. The “baby boomer's” unique desires to be challenged and engaged at every age has stimulated the University to address this exciting challenge. Using recently received grant dollars, Davis is identifying the needs for mental stimulation, physical well-being, and a sense of belonging for retirees. 
 
Henry Beer spoke about the reality of constraints and how they impact creativity. As a principal of a nationally recognized design firm, he has first-hand experience of working with a variety of clients and his own creative staff. Constraints are considered by his firm as the stepping stones to solving the client’s needs. They are a part of the reality of the job, not something separate to be avoided. By way of example, he talked about the 12” x 12” album cover and how artists used this constraint as a launching pad for creativity. As a designer, Beer considers his job to be the questioner. The more clearly he identifies the present reality versus the client’s needs, the more successful the job will be. He also considers his ability to identify the correct question as what separates his abilities from that of his younger employees. Contrary to others, Beer does not think everyone is born creative.

The presenters were very open about their personal growth path, and the fact that success does not come in a steady pattern, but is full of set-backs, trails, and tribulations. The key points they made included: failure and mistakes often lead to new and better innovations and constraints can serve as stepping stones to problem solving.