Being at Davos vs. TED

In a recent article Arianna Huffington made an excellent distinction between the attendees at the Davos conference and those at the Technological Entertainment and Design (TED) conference. The distinction here is no small observance, as it is innovation that will get us out of this slump and not old failed ideas.

She writes:

"I've been struck by how different the mood is here than it was last week in Davos. Much more upbeat. Maybe it's because TED is brimming with innovators, people less interested in figuring out how to prop up the collapsed economy of the last century than in creating an economy for the 21st century."

Innovation matters. Period.

Being Design-Oriented

"Design ... is the calculated construction of ... the total-persona-that-the-enterprise-presents ... to all of its stakeholders and constituents, internal and external, virtual and real."

--Tom Peters

Your design is you, reflected in decisions made that affect all those who delight in you.

Being Design-Focused II

Tom Peters writes this about design: "Design is the No.1 determinant of whether a product-service-experience stands out--or does not."

Performance also determines what stands out and what doesn't.

Think:

Madonna
Alvin Ailey
Jamie Dimon
Michael Jordon
K.D. Rowlings
Tom Peters
Cirque de Soleil
Martha Graham
Tiger Woods

Performance requires people who know how to execute under pressure and within deadlines; they know how to seize the moment.

Being Design-Focused

Design is shape, sound, psyche, sexy, and super. Think...

Frank Lloyd Wright
Apple
P Diddy
e e cummings
Zingerman's
Harley Davidson
Versace
The Container Store

Design has utility, but no specificity; it's pure creativity.