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Did you miss our conversation with Kevin Bethune? Register here to watch the recording of this inspiring and thought-provoking PRINT Book Club discussion and buy your copy of Nonlinear: Navigating Design with Curiosity and Conviction.
If you’re looking for a wisdom-filled and affirming discussion of the business of design, you’re in for a treat. Bethune offered up sage life, career, and day-to-day work strategies honed throughout his successful design and business career. All wrapped up under the umbrella of a “nonlinear” approach.
So, what does “nonlinear” mean in practice? It’s all in the way we approach our work, Bethune says. As teams of designers, “there’s always a temptation to codify what we did. There’s a ‘de-risking,’” he says. But there will always be a project that comes along—maybe the next one—where the framework falls down. Nonlinear celebrates the nuances and complexities of our work.
At its core, the book is a celebration of asking questions (“the subversive act of unpacking”) and searching for what’s missing—in the process, in the data, in your research, in a brief.
You’re not going to understand everything all the time. It’s a forest of ambiguity. What info do I have? What don’t I have? Develop an appreciation for the choices you have.
Kevin Bethune
Bethune talked about the big leaps he’s made in his career—his willingness to ‘zig, then zag.’ He offered some insights on how to know when it’s time to make a move. Spoiler alert: it’s about listening to your curiosity and letting your intuition guide you.
Tune in for some wise advice for anyone in their early career and actionable tools we can all implement in our work as individuals and teams of problem-solvers.
Register here to watch the recording and buy your copy of Nonlinear.
Save the date for our April Book Club with our very own Debbie Millman on Thursday, April 24, at 4 p.m. ET. She’ll discuss her new book, Love Letter to a Garden (release date: April 15). Stay tuned for a very special surprise!
More links from our talk with Kevin Bethune:
Bethune has been recognized by the Eames Institute as part of their inaugural The Curious 100.
Kevin Bethune in The Daily Heller.
Doug Powell interviews Bethune about design leadership on the podcast This is a Prototype.
This is Bethune’s second time as our Book Club guest. Watch his first appearance on demand, as we discuss his book, Reimagining Design, and his journey through corporate America as a Black professional.
Learn more about Bethune’s consulting practice, Dreams • Design + Life.
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