In: Design
10 Jun 2009While doing some research on storytelling yesterday, I came across this quote from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2:
“When we mean to build, we first survey the plot, then draw the model.”
Odd, I said to myself. That’s exactly what we do at Image, Space, Object; use narratives and models to inform the design process for small [...]
In: Design| storytelling
21 Feb 2009Overview
The title of this article is Story-Centered Design, but what it really concerns is taking an integrated, holistic approach to developing solutions, especially in collaborative problem solving. It is a truism to say we’re working in an increasingly collaborative age, and it may be overstating the case somewhat (people have always worked collaboratively). What is [...]
In: Design
10 Nov 2008I did a presentation at the Image, Space, Object conference in August on the topic of Story & Emergent Design – afterwards one of the participants came up and said they enjoyed the talk, and especially the part where I said that I have a tough time explaining to my mother what it is that [...]
In: Design
11 Feb 2008Promoting Heritage
I spent a couple of days last week attending the “Saving Places Conference” put on by the fine folks at Colorado Preservation. Colorado Preservation is recognized as one of the finest state organizations in the country focused on cultural heritage preservation. The Saving Places Conference is a great example of their excellent programs.
Part [...]
In: Design
6 Feb 2008Overview
Over the past few years I’ve spent quite a bit of time working in the world of higher education, both as a consultant and an adjunct faculty member. It seems to me that the very institutions where students learn about the value of design thinking don’t internalize these ideas. Real opportunities for improved products and [...]
In: Design| Environment| The Generalist
30 Jan 2008Should designers work toward the end of aspirational consumer culture? Can the design industry, broadly defined, reposition and reinvent itself to provide value and sustainability while still creating desire?
When I was at Northwestern, I took some classes from a Professor of Philosophy, David Michael Levin, who once asked us whether having a choice was important [...]
In: Design
8 Jan 2008The Design Continuum
Design rests on a continuum between production and innovation. Along this continuum, whether working in product, communication, or interaction, designers focus on providing a compelling experience, an experience that is useful, usable, and desirable (or, as the architect Vitruvius wrote in the first century BCE, firmitas, utilitas, venustas).
In those realms of design [...]
In: Design
4 Dec 2007Continuing the mobile phone theme, I came across a presentation by Jan Chipchase at the TED conference (via the putting people first blog at experientia.com). I’ve posted it below if you want to check it out.
I’ve mentioned Jan in the past and have subscribed to his blog, future perfect, for quite a while now. [...]
In: Design
28 Nov 2007Over the past month I’ve been conducting research for the University of Denver for various web-related projects they have going on. As part of this process, I interviewed a number of undergraduate and graduate students about how they find information, connect with their friends, and generally how they use technology in their daily lives.
Without [...]
Hugh Graham Creative provides design strategy, research, and storytelling for corporations, non-profits, and community organizations.

