Summary
Kevin will share the ambitions behind his first book, Reimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation (The MIT Press). The writing journey unpacked a series of unique multidisciplinary leaps across his lived personal and professional experience. For anyone curious about a wide range of things, Kevin offers a story of how he made his curiosities work for him and create value for others. Kevin will share visual anecdotes that illustrate how design changed his life, and how he observed design transforming organizations as well. Kevin's arguments crack through the glass ceiling of ambiguity that multidisciplinary teams may face when it comes to understanding design against newly emerging realities. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) serves as an important underpinning in Kevin's story as a Black man who's experienced exclusion. He'll introduce us to the leadership tact necessary to set a new tone to ensure our future design & innovation teams actually mirror the composition, needs and values that exist within an increasingly connected world.
Key Insights
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Kevin’s career evolved from mechanical engineering in nuclear power to strategic innovation in design.
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His multidisciplinary journey blends engineering, business, and creative design education and practice.
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Mentorship from Duane Edwards at Jordan brand helped Kevin transition into professional design.
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Boston Consulting Group invested in innovation studios that integrated multidisciplinary teams and client embeds for long-term collaboration.
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Kevin emphasizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in innovation processes informed by personal and systemic histories.
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Design work must account for societal, economic, regulatory, and policy trends beyond just technology.
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Leadership operates on a spectrum from gatekeeping, enforcing compliance and risk aversion, to servant leadership that empowers and fosters risk-taking.
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Servant leadership encourages shared vision development, role clarity, and growth opportunities within teams.
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Creating space and bandwidth for deep design work and immersion in ideas is critical to meaningful innovation.
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Integrated multidisciplinary collaboration is necessary to unravel complex future challenges and create relevant, strategic solutions.
Notable Quotes
"Everything is the way it is by design."
"Design’s value lies in who’s represented around the table during its creation."
"The personal narrative became the dominant frame during my writing journey."
"Nike’s culture encouraged coffee chats that pivoted into real design opportunities."
"We invited clients to live in innovation residences for 12 to 18 months to nurture solutions."
"There’s been a spectrum of leadership behaviors ranging from gatekeeping to servant leadership."
"A gatekeeper might expect compliance, but a servant leader wants the team to make the vision smarter."
"A servant leader fosters a culture that embraces failure as learning and encourages failing forward."
"Recruiters asking if they can have a beer with a candidate is a gatekeeping mentality that inhibits true inclusion."
"We have to create space to unravel threads of societal balance that inform the spaces we navigate."
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