This is a talk I did at BLND 2017 - a Design and Business conference hosted by the University of Waterloo.
The actual title is "Musings of a Hungry Creative". It's about the rarely shared struggles of being a creative entrepreneur, and what I learned while trying to navigate them. This is the most honest talk I've given and it was emotionally exhausting preparing it, but I'm happy that it resonated with so many people.
Read MoreTokyo is an experience designer’s paradise. On my recent trip there, I was amazed by how considerate and intentional the Japanese are with every action, product, service, and process. “How can we make life easier and more enjoyable for everyone?” seems to be the guiding principle in life. I felt it in everything from the perfect weight of a wabi-cha teacup to the incredible efficiency and accessibility of their public transit system.
Read MoreIn early June, a group of creatives and changemakers answered a vague invitation to gather in a Minnesota forest. The next few days were full of thought-provoking conversations, honest personal stories, and deep self-reflection. There was laughter, some tears, but most of all a sense of joyful camaraderie amongst kindred spirits. Together, we explored what it means to be "in service", and committed to helping each other find our way (or as Dila proposed, perhaps "there is no way").
Read MoreThe duo founded JourneyCX, a consultancy that modifies the “lean startup” process to help elephantine organizations master the culture shifts needed to become innovation idols
Hackathons and innovation labs have quickly made their way from Silicon Valley into corporate boardrooms, championed by business leaders who realize that they must “innovate or stagnate”. Millions have been invested into initiatives with the intent of creating new technologies, increasing profits, and attracting top talent. Although hackathons and labs are encouraging signs, too often innovation strategy stops here.
“Innovation” is one of the hot buzzwords for both startups and large enterprises; as customer needs and demands change more quickly, the ability to be agile and proactively offer solutions that meet these demands has become key to survival as a business in 2016. It’s an issue that Chenny Xia and Jessica Fan — two Next 36 alumni — are addressing with Journey, a Toronto-based design consultancy helping large enterprises make innovation part of their client’s DNA.
Read MoreAs a spirited young entrepreneur, you are ready to take on the big challenges of the world. As you embark on this new adventure, you find yourself asking, "how exactly do I uncover user needs?" In my role as a design strategist and startup founder, journey mapping has been an indispensable tool to get into the heads of users and uncover new opportunities.
Read MoreI recently ran a Crash Course in Design Thinking for Innovation for students at Western Canada High School, helping them gain the confidence to tackle real-world challenges through design.
Read MoreTeaching organizations how to think like a designer is a daunting task, yet it is an exciting challenge we are facing more each day. As our work becomes increasingly synonymous with innovation and smart business, designers play a greater role in changing the DNA of organizations.
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![[National Post] How two millennials are helping big corporations become innovation idols](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56fdd4e59f7266dc5190fbf6/1463156284065-FN6LL9QLRJXFKZRQKW8O/NationalPost.jpg)
![[Betakit] Two Next 36 alumni are tackling the myth of one "magic pill" that kickstarts business innovation](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56fdd4e59f7266dc5190fbf6/1460412094786-NGRH58VBCP8Z2P3PB9RF/IMG_1826-1050x700.jpg)
