Eric Karjaluoto Creative Director and Founding Partner smashLAB Eric Karjaluoto is creative director and a founding partner of the creative agency smashLAB. Since 2000, he has helped a broad range of clients including The Vancouver Aquarium, the University of Minnesota, and The Nature Conservancy with their strategic, design, and communication challenges. Eric authored the books Speak Human and The Design Method. He writes regularly about design at erickarjaluoto.com. Session Information Title: The Design Method: Using Process to Hack Design Date/Time: Thursday, September 4 – 9:45am -10:45am Find out why the idea of being “creative” may be getting in the way of producing good design, and how you can start designing better, more effective work by moving the focus away from the studio/designer—and back to the client. Eric Karjaluoto says biases about creativity are leading designers to bank on inspiration, worship “big ideas,” and treat design as a means of personal expression. Unlike art, he believes design is about discipline and producing sensible, functional, and appropriate work. In this session, Eric will debunk some creative myths, present a better way to produce design, and provide tips on how to make the design process clearer, faster, more valuable, and profitable. 3 Main Takeaways: Learn how to develop a process for establishing strategies and plans for your design projects. Find out how to develop a cohesive concept and visual direction for each client/job. Discover an iterative approach to prototype, test, refine, and produce effective design.