Design Feast Series: Designer’s Quest(ionnaire)

Douglas Look

Senior Strategic Designer at Autodesk Labs

Primary design concentration:

Strategic Design

Most preferred tool for designing:

Analog: spiral notebook with 7-3/4” x 5” narrow ruled eye-ease paper, post-its, and my Uni-ball pen. Digital: my Thinkpad X61 Tablet PC.

1. How and why did you choose to become a designer?

Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to be an architect. So I started out working in my Dad’s architecture firm when I was pretty young, probably around 4th grade or so. I’ve always been interested in looking around and creating, designing, and experiencing the results in the real world.

2. Challenges you encounter as a designer and how do you deal with them?

From Steve Jobs’ speech at Stanford, I think the challenges are “staying hungry and staying foolish.” That is, challenge yourself to keep striving and to keep trying new things.

3. Your definition of an “elegant solution,” that is, good design?

To me, an elegant design is something that solves a real problem simply and in a (seemingly) effortless way—it makes you think, that seems so obvious now—Why didn’t I think of that?

4. From skills to values, what makes a designer successful?

To me, success as a designer consists of taking an idea and transitioning it into a real product, service, or experience that benefits people. Skills: Empathy; Ability to successfully frame problems at each stage; and an Ability to communicate clearly with passion. Values: Do the right thing, professionally and personally; Have great empathy for others; and Do things to make the world a better place.

5. How do you stay motivated and grow personally and professionally as a designer?

Do something that you really enjoy and make the very best out of every opportunity. If you get stuck, actively pursue ways to make changes. After working as an architect for almost twenty years, I made a career shift to software design + product management. After being out of school for over twenty years, I went back to graduate school at the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology.

6. For those aspiring to become a designer, whatever the discipline,what is your advice?

Stay true to yourself, and what you believe, while at the same time be open to what you see and hear around you. It’s never too late to learn new things and stake out new directions. You just need to be willing to make the sacrifice and balance the trade-offs (there are always trade-offs).

7. What is your quest in design?

At this point, I’d like to continue working to advocate adoption of user-centered methods and tools in the business/professional community.

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