A Nonlinear Approach to Navigating Design and a Meaningful Career - E48

Curiosity and grit combine to become an unwavering conviction. Rei talks with Kevin Bethune, renowned design executive and author, to uncover how his unique career path has informed his approach to design thinking and innovation. Kevin shares his journey from an early career in engineering and business to discovering his passion for design—an unexpected yet coherent sequence that prepared him to help brands innovate meaningfully. The conversation explores how curiosity and resilience have driven Kevin’s professional transitions from engineering at Westinghouse to business planning at Nike, then to a creative transformation through an industrial design program. 

Kevin Bethune is the Founder & Chief Creative Officer of dreams • design + life, a think tank that delivers design & innovation services using a human-centered approach. He's also the best-selling author of Reimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation (The MIT Press) released in March 2022. His second book, Nonlinear: Navigating Design with Curiosity and Conviction (The MIT Press), will be coming out February 4, 2025. Kevin's background spans engineering, business and design in equal proportion over his 25+ year career, positioning him to help brands deliver meaningful innovations to enrich people's lives.

His work represents creative problem-solving that brings multidisciplinary teams together to see the future through an open aperture, and a deep industrial design approach to inform and influence desirable, feasible and business-viable design outcomes.

Timestamps:

• 0:03 Kevin Bethune's Journey Through Engineering, Business, and Design
• 7:03 Rigorous Engineering Challenges in Nuclear Plant Projects
• 12:34 Kevin Bethune's Journey from Engineering to Nike's Innovation Team
• 18:22 Kevin Bethune's Journey from Nike to Design Innovation
• 27:28 Takeaway

Episode References:

• Kevin Bethune | Kevin's 2nd book NONLINEAR is available for pre-order 
• Kevin Bethune | Online Portfolio
• dreams • design + life | Corporate Site
• Rei Inamoto | Instagram
• Rei Inamoto | X
• I&CO | Corporate Site

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