This Is A Prototype

“Leadership is really a generosity of spirit. When you care about not just yourself but you care about those around you, and you’re willing to go that extra mile to make others around you successful, it becomes clear you are ready for leadership.” —Janaki KumarThroughout Season 1 of the series, we’ve been digging deeply into the hidden, and often surprising characteristics of leadership. Those leadership qualities—actually those human qualities—that don’t come from a text book or a classroom. That’s one of the themes I explore with my guests on this episode, Janaki Kumar and Stefanie Kubanek.Janaki Kumar is Head of Design at JP Morgan Chase’s Commercial Bank, and previously was head of the Design and Co-Innovation Center at SAP Labs. A thought-leader on design-led innovation in the enterprise, Janaki co-authored the book Gamification at Work – Designing Engaging Business Software. She has spoken at numerous industry conferences and academic programs, including Stanford’s Graduate School of Business where she teaches Customer Experience Design.Stefanie Kubanek is a New York and Munich-based designer and design educator whose work is inspired by her native-German roots and global perspective. After initially studying goldsmithing, Stefanie completed her Industrial Design studies at the Royal College of Art, and went on to spend a decade at the London office of Pentagram. In addition to running her own design consultancy, she is now Visiting Senior Lecturer at Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management in Ithaca, NY, and at Cornell Tech in NYC.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.

“I’m incredibly appreciative of the people that took a moment and said ‘here’s some things you’re probably gonna want to learn if you want to go farther.’”—Heidi MuncAmong the core themes that is emerging in Season 1 is the importance of mentorship, coaching, and sponsorship for design leaders. That’s one of the topics I explore in this wide-ranging discussion with my guests, Heidi Munc and Gus Granger.Heidi Munc is a user experience expert and creative problem solver with over 20 years of experience. As Vice President of User Experience at Nationwide, Heidi leads a team of ~100 user experience professionals who are accountable for all aspects of experience strategy and design. Gus Granger is an accomplished and award-winning brand strategist and graphic designer who has led both agency and in-house teams in an impressive range of leadership roles across various organizations including 70kft, VSA Partners, and Cyxtera.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.

“[Design leadership] requires a level of self-awareness…that is unlike the vast majority of other business functions.”In episode 3 of This is a Prototype, I take a slightly different approach to the format with the first of what I’m calling “POV Editions.” Here I look at design leadership through a more analytical lens with the help of a single guest who has a distinctive…point of view on the field. In this first POV Edition, I speak with design strategist, consultant, and community leader Sarah Clearwater, who I met on my recent visit to Auckland, New Zealand. Sarah is the founder of REFRAMR, a boutique design agency, and the instigator of the CX Collective, a vibrant community of designers and leaders in Auckland. She has also published Perspectives on Design & Leadership (available on her website linked above), an excellent report which surveys more than 25 design leaders across New Zealand and contains insights that extend globally. Sarah and I explore the unique aspects of design in New Zealand, we discuss those important superpowers of design leaders, and we get into the often jarring transition design leaders face when going from “on the tools” to “on the team.” Sarah ClearwaterSarah is an accomplished design strategist and change agent who understands how to bridge the gap between design and business, elevate the value and impact of design work and help organisations navigate rapidly evolving markets.With an international career spanning four countries, three languages, and two continents, Sarah has gained extensive experience in positioning organisations for success through customer-centered strategies. Over the past decade, her client list has included a diverse set of industries, including banking, insurance, telecommunications, FMCG, not-for-profit, government, and education.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.

As the early episodes of “This is a Prototype” roll out, some fascinating themes are beginning to emerge, including the surprising power of family in the life and career journeys of design leaders. In the second episode, I speak to Ashleigh Axios, Chief Experience Officer and an owner of Coforma and previous Creative Director and Digital Strategist in the Obama White House, and Chris Hacker, Chief Design Officer of Hacker Design Group, and previous Chief Design Officer at Johnson & Johnson. Ashleigh and Chris reflect on their early influences and share pivotal moments of success, failure, and learning in their remarkable careers. How did designing and building the float for the Labor Day parade in small town Ohio plant the seeds for future design leadership? Check out Episode 2 of “This is a Prototype” to find out, and let me know what you think!Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.

“Throughout my life here, there have been a lot of people who have created safe passage for me as a professional through my design career.” Ruki Neuhold-RavikumarIn the first episode of This Is A Prototype: The Design Leadership Podcast I speak to Antonio Garcia, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer at TXI, and Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar, president of the Kansas City Art Institute. We cover a wide range of stories about what it takes to be a leader in this new era of design, including those many jobs, experiences, and people that shaped our design journeys. I’m excited to present the first episode of This Is A Prototype, and eager to get your feedback!-------------Antonio García is Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer at TXI, a remote-first digital strategy and product innovation firm. Previously Antonio held leadership roles at Rightpoint, Gravitytank, and Firebelly Design and he’s the creator and host of The Dadwell Podcast, exploring the intersection of creativity and fatherhood.Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar is the President at the Kansas City Art Institute, a landmark, higher educational art and design institution in Kansas City, Missouri. Originally from Chennai, India, Ruki is a dynamic administrator, educator, thought leader, and award-winning designer focused on reimagining education, improving exposure to creative career pathways, and increasing access to knowledge at cultural institutions. She has previously served in leadership roles at the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Central Oklahoma.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.

We are in the midst of an unprecedented time in the history of the design profession. Businesses are investing in design at rates never before seen—building scaled design teams of hundreds and even thousands of designers, and hiring design leaders into executive roles giving them influence and access at the highest levels. As an executive design leader myself, I’m fascinated by the experience of designers moving into these new leadership roles. For most of us this is completely uncharted territory, the jobs are often undefined and there is rarely a roadmap or playbook to help us succeed, so most of us have had to learn on the job.In this trailer for the inaugural season of This is a Prototype, I introduce many of the themes that emerge in my conversations with design leaders from across the industry and around the world.Doug Powell is an award-winning designer and executive design leader with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. Learn more about Doug's practice as a consultant, educator, and coach at his website dougpowell.design.