Like modern sports, in which we root for the laundry (a Bill Simmons quip), corporations are undifferentiated masses. Being in the background and maintaining our anonymity while making large impacts may not feed our egos, but can still result in acclaim and accolades—just in smaller circles.
The opening paragraph to the excellent Lords of Strategy by Walter Keichel gives a striking parallel:
"Bruce Doolin Henderson achieved executive position at an early age—he was the second youngest vice president in Westinghouse’s history—but he was fired from that job and every job thereafter, something he bragged about. Then, in 1963, he founded the Boston Consulting Group, which changed the world. The Financial Times would say of him, on his death in 1992, “few people have had as much impact on international business in the second half of the twentieth century.” Have you ever heard of Bruce Henderson?"
I love being reminded that just about EVERYthiNG we use has a designer behind it! Not to be quaint here, but my unsung design hero is my mother. Her design capabilities in clothing to pottery to fine art alone are amazing. She also cleverly designed so many elements of everyday family life. I am so lucky I grew up submersed in all she designed!
Loads of folk that did amazing stuff in the unglamorous but important areas like content and government - a few that particularly come to mind for me is Ginny Redish (who was doing form design and plain english back when that meant paper forms) and Whitney Quesenbery and Caroline Jarrett (similarly doing stuff in civic tech just before GDS and 18F made it cool). More generally, see https://womenofixd.com/
Maybe just as further evidence to your point... I don't know who my design heroes are. Definitely something I'll start paying more attention to. Thank you for the food for thought.
Like modern sports, in which we root for the laundry (a Bill Simmons quip), corporations are undifferentiated masses. Being in the background and maintaining our anonymity while making large impacts may not feed our egos, but can still result in acclaim and accolades—just in smaller circles.
The opening paragraph to the excellent Lords of Strategy by Walter Keichel gives a striking parallel:
"Bruce Doolin Henderson achieved executive position at an early age—he was the second youngest vice president in Westinghouse’s history—but he was fired from that job and every job thereafter, something he bragged about. Then, in 1963, he founded the Boston Consulting Group, which changed the world. The Financial Times would say of him, on his death in 1992, “few people have had as much impact on international business in the second half of the twentieth century.” Have you ever heard of Bruce Henderson?"
I love being reminded that just about EVERYthiNG we use has a designer behind it! Not to be quaint here, but my unsung design hero is my mother. Her design capabilities in clothing to pottery to fine art alone are amazing. She also cleverly designed so many elements of everyday family life. I am so lucky I grew up submersed in all she designed!
What a great answer. Thanks.
Loads of folk that did amazing stuff in the unglamorous but important areas like content and government - a few that particularly come to mind for me is Ginny Redish (who was doing form design and plain english back when that meant paper forms) and Whitney Quesenbery and Caroline Jarrett (similarly doing stuff in civic tech just before GDS and 18F made it cool). More generally, see https://womenofixd.com/
Maybe just as further evidence to your point... I don't know who my design heroes are. Definitely something I'll start paying more attention to. Thank you for the food for thought.