What do you get when you cross an illustrator and a graphic designer that both share a passion for all things horses? Horse on the loose, of course!

Horse on the loose is a collaboration between a sister duo who were looking for a way to share their love for everything equestrian with the world. Sister Andra happens to be a member of the Designing North team as well; we are very proud!

From shopping, to work and travel they envisioned a product that could be seen by others and instantly recognized by the larger equestrian community. Naturally they landed on the trusty tote; a bag for all purposes. But not just any tote. These bags are custom printed in Los Angeles, CA with unique illustrations representing dressage, jumping, and southwestern equestrian culture.

 Of course, there’s always more to the story than meets the eye. To go beyond the vibrant colors and flawless horse silhouettes, we asked Andra for her inspiration behind Horse on the loose, and the details that led to its launch.

Horse on the loose Story

“My sister Roxana and I started Horse on the loose at the end of last year. I live in Los Angeles, California and she lives in Transylvania, which is in the northern part of Romania. The two of us share a passion for horses and all riding disciplines. I’ve been taking dressage and jumping lessons for more than 9 years; incorporating this style into our designs was a natural progression for me.”

“I currently ride at an eventing barn called Goldspirit Farm in Los Angeles, CA. My sister has also been riding for two years now in Cluj-Napoca, Northwestern Romania. Although we are over 6,300 miles apart, we often spend holidays together and love to go horseback riding wherever our travels take us.”

“Besides having a passion for horses, we are both artists by trade. I am a graphic designer and and my sister is a painter and illustrator. Since my earliest memories, we have been drawing horses for fun, and to this day it’s still our favorite subject. With such a great distance between us, it’s comforting to know that my sister and I share the same passions and enjoy talking about art and horses whenever possible. But Horse on the loose is so much more. From two different continents, we are building a brand based on a shared interest and are able to display our talents in the process; I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Inspiration for the Designs

The inspiration for the designs originated more from a graphic design approach, rather than illustrative. The horses are very clean, edgy and stylish; we want people to recognize the designs without leaving too much room for interpretation. However, the designs cater to riders in the various disciplines, leaving room for a little personalization. These riders are a more sophisticated audience, seeking something unique that speaks to them.

“I’ve been to quite a few tack stores throughout the years and never found a tote bag that “spoke” to me. Most were either too generic looking and childish, or super high end and overpriced. I guess I simply wanted to produce a product that is affordable yet still looks great for everyday use. Secretly, I am my ideal customer — I’m an artist after all. “

With the recent ban on single-use plastic bags, totes are more than a trend at the moment and you can take them everywhere, including the barn! But these bags give riders the opportunity to show off their hobby to the outside world as well.

How did you end up with these unique designs? And where can enthusiasts find them?

Funny enough, I was working on a wall graphic for an equestrian event management company in San Diego. I presented them with various looks, amongst them was something similar to the style we ended up using on the bags. They didn’t choose that look (my favorite of course), so I decided to use it for myself.

Besides selling the bags through our online store, we are sending a few to some equestrian shows across the country as competition prizes.

In the future I hope to expand the line to feature more horse-riding disciplines such as racing and polo. Maybe we can put the designs on other merchandise; only time will tell! Until then, I hope you enjoy the bag designs and please share them with other horse-loving friends.

Are you an illustrator, graphic designer, or enthusiast for all things equestrian? If so, Horse on the loose would love your support!

We’ve all been there before, caught up in the routine-of-things with little thought for what life has to offer outside of “the daily grind.” Rarely, do we take time to think about the others before us who “paid it forward” in one way or another, granting opportunities that would have otherwise never presented themselves.

When we pay it forward, we commit and act of selflessness that transcends our connection to other humans on the planet, elevating the human experience in a positive way. Whether it’s an act of kindness, faith, or even compassion, it all makes a difference and can potentially set off a chain reaction of reciprocated behavior.

Just imagine a world where a simple gesture could snowball into a global movement; wouldn’t that be something to witness?

Life presents many opportunities to pay it forward, often when you least expect it. But you don’t always have to wait for someone else to initiate a good deed. The truth is, you can be the catalyst to set things in motion, with any person you interact with.

Here are 10 fulfilling ways to pay it forward without spending a dime:

1. Substitute reimbursement with a request to “pay it forward”

You’ve just helped a fellow driver install a spare tire on the side of the road. He/she kindly offers a twenty dollar bill for your time and efforts. The temptation for “cold cash” may be strong, but chances are good you didn’t pull over to make a quick buck. Instead, ask the driver to return the favor for someone else who experiences a similar situation, in the future.

2. Offer mentorship

Regardless of age, profession, or relationship, everyone can benefit from a mentor in some aspect of their life. But finding one can be tricky. Sharing your time, knowledge, and experiences with others following in your footsteps, creates a feedback loop for personal development that strengthens the human experience. As the saying goes, “Be the mentor you wish you had.”  

3. Call a friend, family member, or acquaintance to see how they are doing, and listen

Life is busy. We get it. But everyone can make time for family and friends, right? The funny thing about life, it has a way of coming between you and the people you most want to spend your time with. Again, you’re not alone.

Those who most love you likely thought about you at least once, this very day. So why not give them a call and ask how they are? A simple gesture, it affirms that they are in fact important and top-of-mind, even during life’s busiest moments. Be an ear to talk to; pay it forward without speaking more than a few words.

4. Write positive reviews for small business that you support

These days, reviews are everything. They can make or break even the most successful business. Just look at social media’s impact on the boom of new products and services; it’s all about how many people “like” your business. When you have a stellar experience at a store or service provider, let others know how good it felt while also helping the business serve more people, and do good work in the process.

5. Offer your seat/place in line

As simple as it seems, why is it so rare, to see people give up their place in line… time and competition possibly? Lines are a daily routine, and yet they never get any easier to stand in. Even so, there are those who struggle both physically and emotionally, to stand in lines, to access needed services. Offering up your place in line to someone who could use it, goes a long way in paying it forward. Simple and selfless, it’s sure to brighten someone’s day.

6. Teach someone else a skill you have mastered

Mastering a new skill is a highly rewarding experience for most people, and often motivates continued education. In a world with so many like-minded individuals, there’s always another person trying to pick up the skills that you already have. Why not help others along, saving time and money with their efforts — chances are they will feel inspired to do the same. Think of it as a power to teach and influence through generosity. Now that will put a smile on your face.

7. Spend a day complementing those around you

Could you be positive for an entire a day? What about offering up nothing but compliments to everyone you speak to? Not an easy task! But when you see the good in others you are seeing the good in the world, and helping others do the same. Not to mention, it feels pretty good when you can be the root of someone’s happiness.

8. Donate blood at a local drive

Paying it forward with the “gift of life.” When you are healthy, you have the remarkable power to help someone who is not. Local blood drives make the process as convenient as possible and add immediate aid to the healthcare community. By sharing your experience with your network of friends, you can be a difference maker for someone in need while influencing your peers to get out and donate.

9. Spend some time picking up trash in a public area

Paying it forward has never been easier. Trash is everywhere, and always needs a trashcan to call home. Most people understand that we share this responsibility yet it’s more appealing when they see someone else initiating the action. Next time, try becoming the leader of a cleanup movement in your local community.

10. Facilitate progress in helping someone realize their dreams

“Keep dreaming,” a phrase that we toss around regularly to ease the letdown of reality. But what impact could we make if we all helped one another inch closer to our dreams? Yeah, it could be HUGE. Often, we hold the “golden ticket” to another person’s progress, and with a little generosity, can facilitate the realization of another person’s dreams. Whether it’s providing an invaluable contact or something larger, think about offering it up next time someone shares their dreams with you.

Think of paying it forward as an art form — the art of harnessing compassion, kindness, or faith in society. The more of this art you practice, the more beautiful the world can be. These forms of selflessness are far more impactful on society than we often give credit, and inherently provide food for the soul, long into the future. Even more exciting about “paying it forward,” it doesn’t have to cost a dime. And why not get creative in the process. Here at Designing North, it’s our mission to design a community that lives north of expectation, in the name of elevating the human experience. Be the global count.  

It’s not a location, it’s a mindset.  

This is the brand tagline for Designing North Studios, our digital design and development studio based in the Bay Area. It’s meaning runs deep in the veins of the studio, and serves as the guiding light for every team member that walks through its doors — we like to call them Designing North Stars.

Designing North Studios is the product of many years of hard work and planning by Managing Director, Lisa Peacock. From the name, to the logo and color palette, and most importantly the mindset, Lisa’s vision always included motion in some way or another — it just took a few years for this vision to be brought to life:

“I’ve always envisioned that the Designing North logo would move. It’s not super easy to recognize that the DN from DESIGNING NORTH flips and glides together with our Yummo Font forming the combined ‘DN’ mark in our DN badge.”

The joining of the Designing North logo and motion marks a pivotal moment in the studio’s existence. It takes dedication, commitment, and most importantly, really good people to make a design studio “tick,” and that’s exactly what we do.

It’s all about designing a community that lives north of expectations.

Using Motion In Branding

Although motion and branding isn’t a new art form, augmented experiences are becoming an important part of our daily lives — across all screens. With more eyes on mobile, people want to experience a brand, not read about it.

As digital devices pervade all aspects of the human experience, motion design is an interesting and informative way to share the big idea or story; our story.

The Designing North interstitial display, designed by the talented Nick Alexander – expresses that marriage of the D, and then the N falling sideways, to form the mark.

Motion Design Inspiration

As the Executive Creative Director, Lisa Peacock envisioned every movement that takes place in the interstitial. It all has meaning, as it adds life to the Designing North name:

“It was important to give recognition to the use of the STAR in the logo badge. Even though a simple symbol, used by many – I always knew that the people I was looking for to work at Designing North Studios, would be my Designing North Stars. I had no one at first, but I knew they would come. And they did. So it serves both a tactical purpose of displaying the ‘mark’ inspiration, and it illustrates the aspirational side of the designing north mindset: we know the stars are out there, swirling around somewhere, and eventually we hope they land here and work with us at Designing North. But even more broadly: we know there are those out there, swirling around, ‘designing north’ wherever they are, and wherever they land. And we salute that mindset most of all.”

With the lobster fishery closed for the season, it was now up to locals to design a community for conservation.

It all began with a young man dressed in flashy swim trunks, sprinting up the beach towards me as I sat in the sand, photographing nearby surfers. I have always considered the beach to be my second home; the ocean is a very important part of my life, and I have always been a strong believer that I must be active in protecting the things closest to me. This explains why I was alarmed by this lone runner; it’s not like running on the beach is odd, but for some reason this instance felt different. And boy was I right.

In this moment, I was completely committed to this stretch of beach, as a participant in its beauty and steward for its existence, which allowed me to recognize that this was no ordinary young man out for some exercise.

Living near the coast for so many years has conditioned me to care deeply for it. It’s no longer a choice but rather a natural thought I have or action I take to keep this environment free of conflict. Most often, a donation to a local marine conservation groups does the trick; facilitating a greater impact than I can physically provide. But on this day no such monetary exchange was required.

By the time the runner had stopped he was already waving his hands in the air, almost as if he was trying to flag down someone in the surf — fairly uncommon behavior unless jumping jacks are involved — they were not. I then thought, “is someone in trouble; should I offer help?” The wild arm waving lasted only minutes before a single diver popped his head above the surface like a seal scanning the shoreline.

I spent my childhood on this very coastline, free diving and spearfishing with friends. Yet, scanning through all of those memories I couldn’t recall an instance when I had tried to communicate with someone on the beach, at least forty yards away. Again this situation proved to be different. The two young men appeared to be in-sync with one another; whatever they were up to was intended to be disguised from everyone around them.

Like magnets, the pair continuously moved closer to one another until the young man on the shore was knee deep in the water. Again the diver showed odd behavior in remaining on his stomach when he could clearly stand. At this point myself and a fellow group of four beach-goers were standing, intensely focused on this pairs activity. This beach in particular had a modern tower for state park employees and ranger, yet nobody was home at the time. Coincidence? More like a stroke of luck for these two.

Out of nowhere, two plastic bags were abruptly yanked from a backpack and double-bagged in perfect fashion. Either this guy was a supermarket attendant in his profession or had plenty of experience doing whatever it was he had planned next. Seconds later the diver presented at least two large Spiny Lobster — attempting to hold them below the surface, out of sight from us onlookers.

My instinct urged me to confront the young men head on, but my lack of legal knowledge restrained this response. Instead I pulled out my phone and visited wildlife.ca.gov to verify the exact dates of California’s lobster season. The results read: March 16, 2017. Additional text stated that each count of illegal capture could carry a fine of $1,000 and possible jail time — no wonder these two were acting with such deceitful intent. The day’s activities suddenly fell into perspective.

With the sight of lobster antenna crawling through an opening in the bags, beach-goers began approaching the pair with smiles of intrigue and curiosity. Clearly this attention, although harmless to their mission, was unwanted. With the obvious risk of being spotted by the park rangers the lobster catch was stuffed into a backpack and thrown over the man’s shoulder; followed by a mad dash back down the beach towards the parking lot.

Witnessing this blatant disrespect for not only the law, but also a place I cherish, was more than enough to incite my involvement. As I searched for the park ranger — he had passed by me only twenty minutes prior — I made contact with the only group who was noticeably disturbed by the brazen heist of a highly regulated marine asset. They too were ready to take action, with the mindset that we all share a responsibility in protecting our local environment.

Our physical presence on the beach, just outside the state park tower, served as the flare needed to direct officials to our cause . What began as individual efforts soon progressed to a group cause fueled by a desire to act beyond expectations — providing a voice to the environment that we call home. This wasn’t a new scenario for the on-duty rangers. In fact, as soon as they heard of our account they assembled their search crew within seconds with eyes already over the beach exit; it was time to let them get to work on foot and by air.

As I returned to my car I couldn’t help but fixate on what had transpired; thinking about everything else that could have been done to stop the day’s unfortunate loss, the moment they trespassed on our coastal environment. I asked myself, if it were an elephant being slaughtered, or a bear being trapped, would everyone have paid attention — am I missing some unidentified threshold for tolerance? In a time when poaching and wildlife crime is considered a global crisis, there’s no room to turn a blind eye, not even for a pair of irresponsible teenagers who seemed to fit their surroundings well.

As frustration eased, I wrapped my head around a lesson to walk away with, and share with you:

Not one person HAD to pay attention to these people as they commit their crime — but a few of us were compelled to do so. We went beyond what anyone would have expected us to — the ‘designing north’ mindset. This mindset is in you too, in ways you may have already discovered or will eventually find.

Although I may never know whether or not my actions served as a voice for the voiceless, I am certain that they brightened the day for the law-enforcing professionals I collaborated with. The feeling of camaraderie and sense of pride that I would want, if I were in their shoes, is exactly what this experience provided.

Healthy marine life, healthy marine ecosystem, and a happy coastal community; it just takes a few good people to make a world of a difference. And why not be one of the few. Many people go beyond what is expected of them: in their career, how they live, the relationships they nurture, or through just a simple random act of kindness – we call it   ‘designing north’.

Do you know someone that is ‘designing north’? Maybe it’s you? Tell us. We’re looking for the global count.

Pets and Their Designers

From a cheerful Golden Retriever named Lily, to a more stoic Australian Bearded Dragon called Mokee-Djimba, The success of Designing North Studios is an extension of the good company we keep at work. Here in the studio we love pets and welcome them into our daily lives, no matter where that take us. This often results in lunch at the dog park but what better place to take a break than a dog park?

Morale, stress, productivity; these are all valid reasons for inviting a pet into the studio, but none are as important as the love we feel from their presence. It’s safe to say, the personalities and behaviors of our furry friends provide the perfect relief for long hours in front of the screen . And since our pets contribute to our daily success, we think it’s important to give them the proper introduction they deserve. When we say, “meet the team,” we want you to meet the ‘whole’ team. Without further ado, let us introduce some of the four-legged stars of Designing North Studios:

Golden Retriever

As the Managing Director of Designing North Studios, Lisa Peacock shares her workspace with a glowing-Golden Retriever named Lily. When asked, ‘Why do you enjoy working alongside your pets?’, Lisa made it clear that her day in the studio wouldn’t be complete without a dog: “She knows what I need, and never fails me. She always reminds me when it’s time to get up and take a break (paw on knee). But funny enough, she always waits until I’m off the phone.” Now that can’t be said for most coworkers.

Australian Bearded Dragon

v:shal kanwar is a creative director at Designing North Studios who also shows creativity in his choice of pets. With the name Mokee-Djimba, it’s not just the appearance of his Australian Bearded Dragon that demands attention. And no matter how complex the design problems get, or how fickle a client can be, Mokee-Djimba never gets flustered. Additionally, they share a passion for a vegetarian diet. To our surprise, v:shal’s bearded dragon is quite the calming presence in the studio. In fact, he often spends the day just chillin on the shoulder of his owner while he works — scaly weaponry and all!

Black Labrador Retriever

Heading up content strategy at the studio is Dan Salcius. It’s been a dream of his to share his work day with his Labrador Retriever Gracie and cat Keystone — yes, he’s named after a beer commonly found on college campuses. His two furry friends keep him company day after day no matter the circumstances. But what he enjoys most is their ability to shed humor on any situation. They have a candid approach to reminding Dan that life doesn’t always need to be so serious — the world of content marketing needs more dogs and cats. He also appreciates their forceful nature when it’s time to go for a walk or roll around outside in the sun. They don’t take no for an answer.

Traditional Persian Cat

Chris Mohler heads up many creative projects at Designing North, but she doesn’t do it alone. And as a gifted graphic designer she also happens to spend hours on end in front of the screen. Fortunately she has her cat Lucy to keep her company. Lucy is a Traditional Persian whose biggest contribution to the day is showing up for repeated coffee breaks — a true shoulder to lean on.

Maltese-Poodle

Grant Klein also leads the charge for creative projects at Designing North. He too has a trusty sidekick to share the day with, as long as that day doesn’t involve contact with anyone or anything. Unfortunately Grant’s Maltese-Poodle, Truman, hasn’t quite learned when is not an appropriate time to bark… queue the conference call. Although Truman can’t spend everyday in the studio, he is always thrilled to greet Grant at the door after a long day of solitude.

Black Labrador Retrievers

Julie Farrell is the Head of Marketing at Designing North Studios. She has spent many years working alongside her sister/brother duo of Black Labrador Retrievers Molly and Ranger. Not long ago, brother Ranger became ill due to old age and passed at the age of 13 — that’s 79 in dog years, according to the AVMA. Only days later, sister Molly passed from what’s best described as a broken heart. Although tragic, this bond proves that our pets are far more connected to the world than we give them credit for; affirmation that they could be the most loyal coworkers around.

Sir Dave Mason – The Cat

Straight from Designing North’s Head of Technology himself, Dave Mason is an excellent co-worker. “He says “hi” in the morning and get’s on with his own agenda during the course of the day (mostly sleeping). Occasionally he’ll wake up and stroll over to my monitor to assess the mouse activity. A moment of virtual small creature murder (the mouse) is usually enough to keep him satisfied, then he’ll wander over to one of the other computers and sleep on the warmest part, the keyboard. This cozy slumber has previously resulted in emails being sent to a client who questioned the prolific use of “ffffffffffffffffffff” in the message text. Sadly, unlike his namesake, Dave Mason does not play guitar. In fact he makes no noise at all, no meow, no purring, just a silent bump against the leg to demand attention, which can be somewhat unnerving when sat in a darkened office at night, only to feel an involuntary leg movement. He’s just cool.”

We have learned that cats often spend the time required to think through complex problems. Just take these design thinking cats for example.

Pet’s lower stress levels at work. Enough said. Whether you agree with this or not, we’re sticking with it — Purina published their Pets at Work Report in June that supports our belief, and even went far enough to claim many other health benefits related to their presence: reduce blood pressure, decrease loneliness, help lower cholesterol levels and encourage physical activity. So next time you are at work while your four-legged fiend is at home think about how much healthier you could be, and pioneer a new pet policy at work.

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California’s ‘super-bloom’ leads to a ‘super-boom’ of tourism, traffic, and confusion.

Wildflowers are popping up all over the map in Southern California — a place largely known for mars-like droughts — is turning once desolate landscapes into a colorful array of white, yellow, orange, and purple — the ideal contrast for your Instagram feed or Facebook wall. And as we have learned time and time again, when all media streams descend on a single subject, reality is quickly distorted; reflecting individual imagination and creativity in a method that portrays a universal reality.

We all want to experience the same feeling of excitement as the next person — missing out might trigger anxiety. It’s commonly referred to as FOMO (fear of missing out), and represents the California wildflower ‘super-bloom’ very well. In order to keep our dreams in sight we latch onto pictures, videos, and written words from strangers who have been where we have not. Sounds harmless, right? Unfortunately, it’s quite the opposite; something the town of Anza Borrego recently learned.

The LA Times reported: JoAnn Maiter, a part-time employee of the Borrego Springs Chamber of Commerce, said she couldn’t remember how many phone calls she’d answered. Dozens and dozens.

“We’re swamped. You can’t even get into our visitor’s center right now,” she said, adding that nearly 300 people had already signed into the visitor’s log by noon on Friday. “They’re coming from everywhere — absolutely everywhere: Canada, Minnesota, Chicago.”

From a user experience perspective, you can’t design a guaranteed outcome, you can only design for an experience — which may or may not lead to the desired outcome. Even with all of the user research in the world there will always be situational factors that a designer simply can’t control — unless artificial intelligence has something up it’s sleeve.

External forces such as social media, rarely follow this thought process and often distort reality to a level that we can’t recover from — the ‘Super-Bloom’ is a prime example.

Impact of Media on Perception

A well respected photographer uses his highly trained eye, creative vision, and advanced equipment to capture a brilliant image of the desert bloom. As most experienced photographers do, he then uses post-processing skills to perfect the image and shares it with her thousands of eager followers; with a well written message of inspiration and eternal wanderlust. It’s a dream-worthy scenario and nearly every human on the planet wants to experience this feeling personally. And this is the expectation they have, all the way up to the moment they finally do — “the moment of truth.”

As was the case for many visitors, the ‘super-bloom’ introduced a reality that wasn’t entirely true to the stunning imagery and influential media viewed online — an all-too-common scenario in this “digital age”. Just like a moment in time, every human can’t experience the exact same event the way another person did previously. 

Instagram photos by professional photographer Scott Kranz

From a user experience perspective, I am able to understand why a highly anticipated natural phenomenon has turned into a complete headache for thousands of people. A quick comparison of expectation versus reality reveals two different scenarios; we all want the one that aligns with our media viewing experience. But not everyone will experience the event in the same manner; under the same conditions.

The first 500 visitors to the region likely had a great time; roads were clear, the sun was still rising, services were accessible, and fellow adventure seekers weren’t breathing down their throats. By the time ten thousand people flooded the park, reality took a turn for the worst.

Importance of Understanding User Behavior

When talking about the field of UX, understanding ‘user’ behavior through and through is a fundamental rule. Unfortunately, most professional industries — outside of the digital design or human factors realm — forget to rehearse their use cases, often leading to more harm than good.

Read more on the differences between UX, XD and other practices around UCD.

In predictable fashion, the governing bodies that control this impacted region, have been promoting the “super-bloom” for months — picking up the intensity over the past few weeks — as they prepared for this abundance of excitement in their own backyard. Shortly after, the media took hold and the conversation snowballed from there — fake news!

Because our studio practices the user-centered approach, I quickly recognized a parallel between the work of a UX designer and the experience that these state parks and media outlets were hoping to deliver. More importantly, I concluded that the managing bodies of these parks didn’t do their research on the possible user groups that might ascend and make up most of their visitors. As you might expect, the resulting experience was best described with frustration and disappointment — and that’s putting it politely.

Whether they were in communication or not, the media and state park services did a fantastic job promoting this natural phenomenon; you might even believe that it was a planned event from the look of coordinated PR efforts. In this case, it’s not what they did, but rather what they didn’t do that made the experience memorable.

Whether it was the severe underestimation of potential attendance or lack of education leading up to the event, the disconnect between visitors (users for all intended purpose) and the parks themselves was too great to recover from. From a user’s perspective, this is where the disconnect made the most impact:

I was promised once-in-a-decade-flowers yet I was never educated on what a super-bloom entails; how it looks and how it’s different from my garden at home — a bed of roses is far more spectacular than a patch of dandelion. Given the rarity of this phenomenon, it’s safe to assume that the majority of visitors didn’t have detailed knowledge on what exactly they were going to see; Leaving this experience up to my imagination was a risky approach to rely on.

Apply Design Thinking

Prior to the weekend, visitor estimates were casually tossed around. Whether a backup plan was strategized or not, it was evident that the actual attendance to the region was far greater than expected. The lack of parking — yet alone physical space — direction, and transportation resources caused a once relaxing environment to quickly become stressful and borderline dangerous.

Hosting a large number of visitors — similar to a sporting event — called for an increase in staff or personnel to at least assist visitors during their travel, yet alone manage their experiences while visiting. This region in particular required off-road access to view some of the most appealing landscape. With no prior education or experience in off-roading, hordes of visitors took to the trails without proper equipment or professional direction; conflict ensued for many, positioning select groups against each other. Have you ever seen a Hyundai Sonata attempt a water crossing? We hadn’t either until this trip.

With consideration for the needs, wants, and limitations of visitors, the ‘Super-Bloom’ experience could have been something special. And had I not been working shoulder-to-shoulder with a team of UCD practitioners, reminding me daily how design should solve problems, I’d still be confused and frustrated from the tension felt during the experience. Understanding the gaps, missed communication, and lack of research helps to alleviate the disappointment I felt (kinda). Who knows, in the next decade we might just see designers in charge of the solutions to the problems we identified — wouldn’t that be smart. The events of the 2017 California ‘Super-Bloom’ are a reminder that design thinkers are needed everywhere; in every company and perhaps most especially when it comes to serving the people experiencing government services.

Design thinking can transform. Let us show you how that paired with a UCD approach can open the door to new possibilities.

Some ideas are worth revisiting.

At the beginning of every new year, we all love the idea of a clean slate; starting brand new. Reinvention, exhilarated innovation, new message, new mantra, new you! Hmm. The design world is constantly evolving to solve an array of seemingly new problems — some are new, but honestly, most are the same old same old. Our head of technology always likes to say “There are no new problems, just new solutions.” And like many other design-thinkers who manage to stay ahead of their time with the ideas, discoveries, and theories; Simon Sinek’s “The Golden Circle” theory hailed earlier mid-decade seems to have reason to sparkle again. As a theory it is by no means bulletproof (or new), but as a brand building exercise this concept could prove useful for many of today’s companies. With 2017 underway, Simon’s concept is quickly resurfacing as a strong tool to answer many of the challenges that current brands face when connecting with their more values-driven, authentic-seeking, transparency-embracing customers — or – let’s just call them what they are; millennials. How to connect with a new generation is not a new problem, and this generation might not even need a new solution.

The Why

At the core of every action we take lies a reason to why we took that action. Similarly, brands that experience long-term success understand why they were capable of such success. When relating this thinking to a business — big or small — it’s easy to neglect the ‘WHY’ and focus on the ‘WHAT’. The Golden Circle reinforces that brands, companies and people alike should focus on why they do what they do as the foundation of their business. In other words, communicating from the inside out rather than the outside in, presents the opportunity to connect with individuals on a much more personal level. Here at Designing North Studios, we predict that this simple concept will play a large role in how successful both young and experienced brands will be in 2017. As the Designing North Studios brand mantra says, ‘It’s not a location, it’s a mindset” — our mindset is our WHY; our fundamental reason for doing what we do.

Here’s an interesting way to demonstrate the importance of operating from the inside out on a personal level. Think about the job interviews of your past and try to remember how each one played out. Chances are good that you don’t remember the majority of them since they didn’t connect with you emotionally. Each one likely began with a ‘what’ formatted question and didn’t excite a response that tapped into your creativity or emotion. Now imagine if every interview began like this: Why do you do this profession and why are you here today? It’s transparent that you could relay your core message much sooner and with much less words; The Golden Circle drives this point home. As soon as the ‘why’ becomes more than an income or sales driver, a true purpose can be identified; your brand’s purpose for being.

The How

From the core of The Golden Circle we move outward one layer which represents the ‘HOW’. Still less obvious than what a brand does, how they do it reveals their differentiation amongst the competition. When a brand can accurately and consistently identify how they do what they do, they will likely be able to replicate and further strengthen the how factor. As 2016 has foreshadowed, the coming year will challenge brands to transform the ‘how’ into visual content that’s strategically created with purpose (reflecting the why factor) and uniquely shared across social media channels. Simply ‘knowing’ how a brand creates value isn’t personal enough for individuals to form a lasting connection. It needs to be experienced. This is why content truly is king and will continue to be the foundation of personal and professional bonds between brands and real people; not just those termed consumers. The ‘how’, or value proposition, is still just as important as ever but will require a bit more creativity to convey and bring to life in 2017.

The What

The outside of the Golden Circle is comprised of the ‘what’ layer and refers to a brand’s or individual’s ability to communicate what they do. Of the three layers it’s the easiest to identify which is why brands commonly rely on it to define their business. Unfortunately the best things in life don’t come easy – but you already know this. As history has shown us, there once was a time when answering a simple question – what do you do? – was enough to connect with like-minded consumers and possibly spark a person’s interest, enough so to draw them to your brand. We believe those days are gone. With technology we see innovation, and with innovation we see change which is why the ‘what’ no longer suffices as a credible factor for brands to be accepted as a part of one’s life. Now, more than ever, human beings need more than ‘what’ to make a purchase, they want to personally connect with the ‘why’.

How is it that only a few brands have achieved unthinkable success when the vast majority remain average given the same resources? How is it that an even playing field can appear to be so one-sided? The explanation may lie in the ability to create value from the inside out rather than the outside in. The Golden Circle could play an integral role in revisiting, reinventing, and rethinking the success of both current and new brands in 2017.

Designing North Studios’ strategiests and designers know a good theory and when to revive it.

When you are ready to take a look at your brand from the inside out, get in touch.