film
Making films about design isn't common. Using design thinking as the basis for telling relevant and important stories about people and business is something that should happen in a film medium. The first film focuses on the practice of Design Strategy at Continuum as a way to help companies be more successful by serving the values of people. This is the first in a series of films about design.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 12:45AM Opening and closing rough cuts plus a couple other random sketches of content from the middle of the movie. The song is for opening and closing clips only and is placeholder in other clips. I'm still looking for music that sounds like strategy for those.
Monday, September 8, 2008 at 07:24PM I'm capturing interesting tidbits that won't make it into the final film - they're like outtakes but just for DSG. The "not-quite-ready-for-primetime" clips are valuable to watch because they illustrate how individuals speak about their work. Viewed collectively, they get at how the group thinks about its work. They're all about a minute long and the password is...coming soon.
Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 02:18AM 
This is what I will be looking at for 2 weeks. Logging video is a sucker's job. Please distract me.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 04:11AM 
It's obvious that there is a pattern in the way the group talks about what it does. Design strategists couple feeling with thinking when contemplating any question or problem.
Many identify as designers even if they were trained in something else. Design pervades the discussions we've been having.
The most revealing finding, so far, is that two groups are emerging from our conversations. There are those that are motivated by questions and those that are driven by answers.
These two groups, however, share a common struggle - they take their challenges very personally. It is becoming very clear that strategists live to work and enjoy being consumed by the problem at hand. Living their lives project by project is a lifestyle rather than a job. It is like an addiction, a compulsion and can sometimes careen out of control.
There is a tremendous amount of pride in the group, not because of the
output, but in Kristin Heist's words, "because of the energy." Everyone I've interviewed describes Strategy as the job for them, partly because of the delicate balancing act required to get the right idea. There is an inherent tension when determined strategists tackle very difficult challenges together. Often there are sparks and that is part of the appeal.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at 11:22PM 
We spent the last century sorting out supply - how to make things. This century will be about sorting out demand - what to make (and what not to make). Consumers, not companies, determine the value of things. Our job, our struggle, is to achieve resonance between what is meaningful for the consumer and profi table for the company.
This film is about revealing that creative struggle. More importantly, it is about the type of people who are driven to challenge the notion of “what to do?” before accepting the question “how to do it?”. Now more than ever, companies are looking for a new type of thinker/doer - one who can envision, and interpret for others, a creative plan for what to do next - someone who helps a company do the right thing.
Design strategists are creatively driven, deeply empathetic about people and focused on winning in the marketplace. Design strategists are experts at achieving resonance.
What will the film be about?
It will reveal how high level strategic design thinking can solve the important challenges of our time. And it will demonstrate that success relies on creating a culture of challenge and change. It will answer the question “What do we do next?” with an intimate look at the people who spend their lives making sure they get it right.
Who is the film for?
1. Organizations that want to succeed and are committed to sustaining themselves for the long term.
2. Executives and leaders who want to know how to connect with consumers meaningfully.
3. Students of design, business, marketing, engineering, and social sciences.
How will it be made?
I will ask strategists about their roles as team members, people and consultants - to refl ect on their personal and professional growth within the context of an evolving practice and the larger business world. There will be a focus on the behavioral, emotional and social ingredients that combine to make strategists diff erent than designers, marketers or engineers.
This is a DesignFilms production and produced by Continuum, Inc. Film proposal PDF here.
