In this in-depth talk, ethnographer and leadership expert Simon Sinek reveals the hidden dynamics that inspire leadership and trust. In biological terms, leaders get the first pick of food and other spoils, but at a cost. When danger is present, the group expects the leader to mitigate all threats even at the expense of their personal well-being. Understanding this deep-seated expectation is the key difference between someone who is just an "authority" versus a true "leader."
For more on this topic, check out Sinek's latest book Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't now available for pre-order.
3:30 Happiness breakdown (4 chemicals) 5:53 1) Endorphins 7:16 Importance of endurance 7:59 2) Dopamine 8:19 Dopamine is to make sure get stuff done 9:10 Goals must be tangible - we have to see the goal to stay focused 10:17 Dopamine is dangerous when unbalanced 15:07 Feel safe 15:40 In our organization, danger isn't a constant it is a variable 17:05 The responsibility of leadership is 2 things: 1) Determine who gets in and who doesn't 2) how big do we make the circle of safety 17:33 Great leaders extend safety to the outermost of the org 17:53 3) Serotonin - leadership chemical 19:30 Trying to enforce relationships 22:22 Value of group-living 22:28 Being alpha comes at a cost 26:01 The cost of leadership is self-interest 27:15 Makes you feel safe 27:34 4) Oxytocin 29:03 Businesses aren't rational, it's about feeling safe. "It's human -- physical touch" 29:27 "Human bonds matter" 29:29 Act of human generosity 32:19 Leaders spend time/energy not money 37:30 You have to make sure you can trust others as leaders because you won't have time to help everyone 38:47 Cortisone - the feeling of stress and anxiety 40:59 Needs to shut down during times 41:42 Cortisone inhabits oxytocin 42:18 "Our jobs are killing us.. leaders are responsible" 43:12 Leadership is a decision, a choice.
About Simon Sinek
A trained ethnographer and the author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek has held a life-long curiosity for why people and organizations do the things they do. Studying the leaders and companies that make the greatest impact in the world and achieve a more lasting success than others, he discovered the formula that explains how they do it.
Sinek's amazingly simple idea, The Golden Circle, is grounded in the biology of human decision-making and is changing how leaders and companies think and act.
His innovative views on business and leadership have earned him invitations to meet with an array of leaders and organizations, including Microsoft, Dell, SAP, Intel, Chanel, Members of the United States Congress, and the Ambassadors of Bahrain and Iraq.
Sinek recently became an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. He also works with the non-profit Education for Employment Foundation to help create opportunities for young men and women in the Middle East region. He lives in New York, where he teaches graduate level strategic communications at Columbia University.
About 99U
The 99U delivers the action-oriented education that you didn't get in school, highlighting real-world best practices for making ideas happen.
Simon Sinek: Why Leaders Eat Last99U2013-12-04 | About this presentation
In this in-depth talk, ethnographer and leadership expert Simon Sinek reveals the hidden dynamics that inspire leadership and trust. In biological terms, leaders get the first pick of food and other spoils, but at a cost. When danger is present, the group expects the leader to mitigate all threats even at the expense of their personal well-being. Understanding this deep-seated expectation is the key difference between someone who is just an "authority" versus a true "leader."
For more on this topic, check out Sinek's latest book Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't now available for pre-order.
3:30 Happiness breakdown (4 chemicals) 5:53 1) Endorphins 7:16 Importance of endurance 7:59 2) Dopamine 8:19 Dopamine is to make sure get stuff done 9:10 Goals must be tangible - we have to see the goal to stay focused 10:17 Dopamine is dangerous when unbalanced 15:07 Feel safe 15:40 In our organization, danger isn't a constant it is a variable 17:05 The responsibility of leadership is 2 things: 1) Determine who gets in and who doesn't 2) how big do we make the circle of safety 17:33 Great leaders extend safety to the outermost of the org 17:53 3) Serotonin - leadership chemical 19:30 Trying to enforce relationships 22:22 Value of group-living 22:28 Being alpha comes at a cost 26:01 The cost of leadership is self-interest 27:15 Makes you feel safe 27:34 4) Oxytocin 29:03 Businesses aren't rational, it's about feeling safe. "It's human -- physical touch" 29:27 "Human bonds matter" 29:29 Act of human generosity 32:19 Leaders spend time/energy not money 37:30 You have to make sure you can trust others as leaders because you won't have time to help everyone 38:47 Cortisone - the feeling of stress and anxiety 40:59 Needs to shut down during times 41:42 Cortisone inhabits oxytocin 42:18 "Our jobs are killing us.. leaders are responsible" 43:12 Leadership is a decision, a choice.
About Simon Sinek
A trained ethnographer and the author of Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek has held a life-long curiosity for why people and organizations do the things they do. Studying the leaders and companies that make the greatest impact in the world and achieve a more lasting success than others, he discovered the formula that explains how they do it.
Sinek's amazingly simple idea, The Golden Circle, is grounded in the biology of human decision-making and is changing how leaders and companies think and act.
His innovative views on business and leadership have earned him invitations to meet with an array of leaders and organizations, including Microsoft, Dell, SAP, Intel, Chanel, Members of the United States Congress, and the Ambassadors of Bahrain and Iraq.
Sinek recently became an adjunct staff member of the RAND Corporation, one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world. He also works with the non-profit Education for Employment Foundation to help create opportunities for young men and women in the Middle East region. He lives in New York, where he teaches graduate level strategic communications at Columbia University.
About 99U
The 99U delivers the action-oriented education that you didn't get in school, highlighting real-world best practices for making ideas happen.Yancey Strickler: A Framework for Your Ultimate Self99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
With a simple four-square grid, the author and former CEO of Kickstarter Yancey Strickler shifted his entire perspective on decision-making, his sense of self, and his relationship to the world. His concept of “Bentoism”, inspired by the Japanese bento box, is a way of framing your choices with an eye to the future, beyond your own self-interest, and with consideration for your community and the next generation.
This talk was recorded remotely on May 18, 2020
About this speaker:
Yancey Strickler is a writer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder and former CEO of Kickstarter, author of This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World, and the creator of Bentoism. Yancey has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People. He’s spoken at the Museum of Modern Art, Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals, Web Summit, and events around the globe. Yancey co-founded the artist resource The Creative Independent and the record label eMusic Selects. He grew up in Clover Hollow, Virginia, and began his career as a music critic in New York City. The London Spectator called him "one of the least obnoxious tech evangelists ever."Anne Helen Petersen: Rethinking Productivity Culture99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
Anne Helen Petersen’s thoughtful examination of our relationship to work has never felt more relevant, as we are struggling to reevaluate boundaries and navigating burnout in unexpected circumstances. Ahead of the publication of her new book, Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation, the author and BuzzFeed News senior culture writer shares her no-nonsense perspective on the pressures of productivity, why we undervalue rest, and how our always-on work approach comes at the expense of our whole selves.
This talk was recorded remotely on May 21, 2020
About this speaker:
Anne Helen Petersen is a senior culture writer at BuzzFeed News, where she writes about everything from celebrities to socialist Baptists. Her third book, Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation, will be released in 2020Taeyoon Choi: Strategies for Embracing Our Contradictions99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
Taeyoon Choi, an artist and co-founder of the School for Poetic Computation, is well-practiced at finding beauty in the chaos, and unafraid to dig into the complicated ways we connect and learn from each other. In this nuanced talk, illustrated with excerpts from his journal, he discusses the concept of unlearning, nurturing relationships that allow room for disagreement, and making space to be your whole self (contradictions and all).
This talk was recorded remotely on May 24, 2020
About this speaker:
Taeyoon Choi is an artist, educator, and activist based in New York and Seoul. Taeyoon teaches at New York University’s ITP program and co-founded the School for Poetic Computation, where he continues to organize sessions and teach classes on electronics, drawings, and social practice. Recently, he’s been focusing on unlearning the wall of disability and normalcy, and enhancing accessibility and inclusion within art and technology.Anna Sale: Let’s Talk About Hard Things99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
Anna Sale’s podcast, “Death, Sex and Money”, is not afraid to dig into the tough, thorny topics that most of us are eager to avoid. Time and again, in her work and personal life, she has found that it is during these difficult and direct conversations that genuine community and connection begin to take root. In this talk, she shares how to start doing the hard work of listening, sharing, and finding common ground.
Her forthcoming book, called Let's Talk About Hard Things, will be published by Simon & Schuster in spring of 2021.
This talk was recorded remotely on May 19, 2020
About this speaker:
Anna Sale is the creator and host of Death, Sex & Money, the podcast from WNYC Studios about “the things we think about a lot and need to talk about more.” She has contributed to Fresh Air with Terry Gross and This American Life and is the author of the forthcoming book Go There: The Art of Talking about Hard Things (Simon and Schuster). She grew up in West Virginia and now lives in Berkeley with her husband and two daughters.Octavia Bromell: Exploring Personal Projects99U2020-08-07 | About this workshop:
UK-based illustrator and artist Octavia Bromell creates a vivid, joyful world that embraces life’s small, everyday pleasures. In this workshop, she shares how embracing personal creative projects has had a transformative effect on her work and mental health.
This workshop was recorded remotely on May 20, 2020
About this speaker:
Octavia Bromell, better known as Tink, is an illustrator, mental health advocate, and former Adobe Creative Resident based in rural England. She uses her experience with anxiety and depression to find the joy in everyday life. With her distinctive maximalist style, Tink has worked for the likes of Moleskine, Adobe, and The Royal Shakespeare Company, and gives talks all over the world on the positive impact creativity can have on all our lives. Her work appreciates life’s oddities through the lens of illustration.Alain Sylvain: Understanding Power Languages99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
We all recognize power when we see it, be it the presence of an intimidating stance, the dynamics of a hierarchical workplace, or the control of a systemic force. For Alain Sylvain, Founder and CEO of Sylvain Labs, learning your power language is the key to unlocking your potential. In this talk, he dissects the markers of power that surround us, and how we can leverage inherent skills to assert ourselves.
This talk was recorded remotely on May 22, 2020, and includes an introduction from Alain recorded on June 3, 2020 following the death of George Floyd.
About this speaker:
Alain is the founder and CEO of Sylvain Labs, a strategy and design consultancy that helps clients including Google, American Express, Airbnb, Spotify, and IKEA seize the reality and potential of their business. Founded in 2010, the company is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Amsterdam and Richmond, VA, and is a Certified B-Corporation. Alain is a partner and investor in several ventures, on the board of Plus Pool, and a member of the New York City Mayor’s Creative Council.A.J. Jacobs: Practicing Radical Gratitude99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
Few people recognize the value of a thank you note more than A.J. Jacobs. The author and journalist embarked on a quest to thank everyone involved in making his daily cup of coffee, and found that this simple gesture of gratitude had a powerful impact on his relationship to the world and his own attitude. In this talk, he explores how shifting our focus to gratitude and appreciation can be awkward and vulnerable, but ultimately deeply rewarding.
This talk was recorded remotely on May 21, 2020
About this speaker:
A.J. Jacobs is the author of four New York Times bestsellers, including The Know-It-All, Drop Dead Healthy, and The Year of Living Biblically. He has given four TED talks that have total views of more than seven million. He is a frequent contributor to NPR’s "Weekend Edition", and writes for The New York Times and Esquire magazine, among others. His most recent book is Thanks a Thousand, in which he travels the globe to personally thank everyone who played a role in his morning cup of coffee, from the barista to the farmer to the logo designer to the truck driver. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.Nishat Akhtar: Look Around You99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
Like all of us, Nishat Akhtar, a practicing artist and Creative Director at Instrument, is surrounded by algorithms that seem to have an intimate knowledge of our likes, dislikes, and personal patterns, reflecting back an image of ourselves every time we engage online. But how often are we taking the time to interrogate our assumptions and preferences? In this master class, Nishat points out the responsibility we have to push ourselves past these imagined boundaries, engage with our community, and take the time to truly examine what we like and why.
This talk was recorded remotely on May 23, 2020
About this speaker:
Nishat Akhtar is a creative director at Instrument and an adjunct professor of design at Portland State University with an ongoing illustration and art practice. Her work is multi-disciplinary, ranging from illustration and brand design to interactive and experimental projects. Nishat has shared her artwork globally through exhibitions, lectures, and workshops from New York to Japan.Michelle Rial: Charting Stories Through Objects99U2020-08-07 | About this workshop:
You may look at a pair of nail clippers and see a useful, everyday tool, not worth a second glance. Michelle Rial, illustrator, chart-maker, and author of Am I Overthinking This?, looks at the same object and sees dozens of creative possibilities and an opportunity for a productive brainstorming session. In this workshop, she gives us an insight into how examining everyday objects around us can unlock a new way of thinking and creating.
This workshop was recorded remotely on May 20, 2020
About this speaker:
Michelle Rial is a graphic designer who makes charts. Named by New York magazine’s Vulture as one of “The Funniest Cartoonists and Illustrators on Instagram,” her work has been featured by The New Yorker, Fast Company, USA Today, Wired, and more. She’s the author and illustrator of Am I Overthinking This? Over-answering Life’s Questions in 101 Charts, and a former senior designer at BuzzFeed News.Michael Ventura: Applying Empathy99U2020-08-07 | About this workshop:
The work of strategy and design firm Sub Rosa is rooted in the practice of applied empathy. In this workshop, Founder & CEO Michael Ventura helps us explore the different aspects of empathy, identify our empathic archetypes, and ask ourselves probing questions to unlock greater creative thinking.
This workshop was recorded remotely on May 21, 2020
About this speaker:
Michael Ventura is the CEO and founder of Sub Rosa, a strategy and design firm that has worked with some of the world's largest and most important brands, organizations, and start-ups, including Johnson & Johnson, Pantone, Adobe, TED, Delta Airlines, and The Daily Show. Michael has served as a board member and adviser to a variety of organizations, including Behance, the Burning Man Project, Cooper-Hewitt, and the UN's Tribal Link Foundation. He is also a visiting lecturer at institutions such as Princeton University and the United States Military Academy at West Point.Kelli Anderson: Materials for Computer People99U2020-08-07 | About this workshop:
Designer and paper engineer Kelli Anderson creates incredible things from analog materials: planetariums, cameras, and speakers. In this workshop, Kelli walks us through the computational thinking of artists including Sol LeWitt, George Perec, and Marjan Teeuwen, and introduces us to analog computing through exercises that engage our observation and reverse engineering skills.
This workshop was recorded remotely on May 22, 2020
About this speaker:
Kelli Anderson is a designer and paper engineer who pushes the materials of graphic design to their interactive extreme. Kelli is best known for her design, animation, and illustration work for NPR, The New Yorker, Wired, MoMA, the Exploratorium, and The New York Times, as well as her redesign of New York brands such as Russ & Daughters and Momofuku. Her experimental and interactive pop-up books (This Book is a Camera, which transforms into a pinhole camera, and This Book is a Planetarium, which houses a tiny planetarium and other contraptions) have been called “A marvel of paper engineering and imagination" by The New York Times. She teaches at the School for Poetic Computation and the New School in New York City.
Download the worksheet for Activity 5: Made with Rules: adobe99u.co/MadeWithRulesJohn S. Couch: Designing a New Day99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
Even those of us working our dream jobs have hidden ambitions that our routines don’t accommodate. For author and artist John S. Couch, that means the intimidating prospect of trying his hand at stand-up comedy. In this workshop, he leads us through a painting exercise where he shows us how to build time into your schedule for those secret aspirations, and how to create with soul to capture genuine energy in your work.
This talk was recorded remotely on May 18, 2020
About this speaker:
John S. Couch is vice president of product design for Hulu, where he led the successful 2017 redesign of the Hulu experience across mobile, living room, and web. John’s 2020 book, The Art of Creative Rebellion: How to champion creativity, change culture and save your soul, is a “letter to a young designer” on how to navigate the labyrinthine and often convulsive environments of modern businesses, while maintaining a strong grip to the reason why anyone becomes an artist, designer or maker: to create.
Materials you’ll need for this talk:
Download the worksheets for John’s Master Class: adobe99u.co/NewDayEmily Cohen: Building the Love Into Creative Business99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
Self-proclaimed “brutally honest” creative business strategist and consultant Emily Cohen says the concept of love is a starting point for all her interactions and relationships. She shares the practical ways that we can show and receive love in relationships with clients, employees, and colleagues, and how to build lasting, reciprocal relationships rooted in acts of care.
This talk was recorded at Founders Studio on May 11, 2020
About this speaker:
A brutally honest consultant, Emily Cohen has been honored to consult and work with leading design firms across the country. Emily loves sharing her expertise through speaking engagements, guest posts, online courses, industry activism, and in her new book, Brutally Honest: No-Bullshit Business Strategies to Evolve Your Creative Business. Emily is also a fast-talker, a designer by degree, an avid reader, a trend-spotter, a connector, and her clients’ advocate.Antionette D. Carroll: Understanding Identity, Power, & Equity in Design Leadership99U2020-08-07 | About this talk:
Antionette Carroll, Founder, President, and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, believes that if inequality is by design, then it can be re-designed by us. Over the years, she has helmed multiple initiatives dedicated to solving the fundamental problems of inequity and fair representation in the design industry and expanding our roles to examine inherent biases. In this talk, she offers a framework for prioritizing equal outcomes over equal access to change the mindset of the industry.
This talk was recorded remotely on May 22, 2020
About this speaker:
Antionette D. Carroll is the founder, president, and CEO of Creative Reaction Lab, a nonprofit educating and deploying youth to challenge racial and health inequities impacting Black and Latinx populations. Antionette has been named an ADL and Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow, Roddenberry Fellow, Echoing Green Global Fellow, TED Fellow, ADCOLOR Innovator, SXSW Community Service Honoree, Camelback Ventures Fellow, 4.0 Schools Tiny Fellow, St. Louis Visionary Award Honoree for Community Impact, and Essence Magazine Woke 100. Over her almost 10 years of volunteer leadership, Antionette was named the Founding Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force of AIGA. She’s a former AIGA National Board Director and Chair Emerita of the Task Force. She is also the co-founder and co-director of the Design + Diversity Conference and Fellowship.
Additional materials for this talk:
Access the Equity Pledge and other materials from Creative Reaction Lab: creativereactionlab.com/our-approachAshley C. Ford: Imagination Is a Creative Superpower99U2019-06-26 | In her inspiring 99U talk, writer Ashley C. Ford explains how significant life experiences opened up her ability to expect things she didn’t previously think were possible for herself and others. The lack of imagination, Ashley tells us, is what holds us back as humans. But nurturing the superpower of imagination within yourself opens up endless possibilities for your work, life, and impact on other people.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Dr. Vivienne Ming: Share Your Vision With the World99U2019-06-26 | In her 99U talk, artificial and augmented intelligence leader Dr. Vivienne Ming, explores the often complicated relationship between creatives and technology. AI, she argues, can match a lot of human capabilities, but not vision and purpose. It can, however, make your vision and your purpose a reality.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Giorgia Lupi: Finding Humanity in Data99U2019-06-26 | In her 99U talk, ‘data humanist’ and Pentagram partner Giorgia Lupi offers a look into the far-reaching applications of her work in data and design, from corporate (an AR-powered map for Starbucks retail stores) to institutional (a site-specific visualization of a MoMA exhibition) to personal (an interpretation of a child’s life with chronic illness). Giorgia encourages creatives to harness data as a design tool, while respecting human privacy and experience in their output.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Joel Beckerman: Designing With Sound99U2019-06-26 | In this 99U talk, Joel Beckerman, a composer and the founder of Man Made Music, reveals how fundamental sound is to our everyday experiences, and why it’s crucial to think about sound design at the outset of creative projects — not as an afterthought. Joining Joel to demonstrate the power of sound is the choir from the Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Kat Holmes: Rethink What Inclusive Design Means99U2019-06-26 | In her work at Mismatch.design and Google, Kat Holmes is helping other designers to rethink inclusive design not as a remedy for “personal health conditions” but as solves for “mismatches” — moments where human interactions are hindered by an absence of appropriate design solutions. Her 99U talk takes us through her journey to this approach, and how it can help us all recognize and combat everyday mismatches in the world.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Kyle T. Webster: Make Time for Boredom99U2019-06-26 | Illustrator, educator, and design evangelist Kyle T. Webster is just like the rest of us: glued to screens and media throughout the day. But he’s recognized that his best creative ideas emerge when he’s relaxed, focused, and … bored. In his 99U talk, Kyle argues that we’ve lost the art of boredom, and thus the levels of creativity that it can nurture.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Michael Ventura: Empathy Is Your Best Creative Tool99U2019-06-26 | Entrepreneur and author Michael Ventura has dedicated his career to exploring how empathy can make us better leaders, collaborators, and contributors to society. In his 99U talk, Michael explains that the practice of empathy “isn’t about being nice” — it’s about deep understanding, and learning to apply that understanding to incredibly effective ends.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Thaniya Keereepart: Shaping a Better Creative Economy99U2019-06-26 | Patreon’s Thaniya Keereepart is dedicated to helping creatives make a living from their work, a challenging conceit in a world of social media views, and companies replacing paychecks with “exposure.” In her 99U talk, Thaniya explains the changing economics of creative work, and helps creators, clients, and consumers alike understand how they can support a stronger marketplace.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Tim Brown: Engage With the Unknown99U2019-06-26 | In this conversation with Courtney E. Martin, IDEO’s Tim Brown discusses the arc of his career, and how creative industries have evolved, from the early socialization of design thinking to the changing relationship between design and engineering to the urgent challenge of design ethics.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Zach Lieberman: What Could the Creative Career of the Future Look Like?99U2019-06-26 | Zach Lieberman’s career spans a range of mediums, projects, and workplaces, but the throughline is his ability to seamlessly merge technology and creativity in fascinating new ways. In his 99U talk, Zach explains how he forged his unique creative process, and how he’s helping other artists do the same through experimental education and unlikely sources of inspiration.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Anna Pickard: How to Make Brands Sound Human99U2019-06-26 | In this insightful, funny 99U talk, Slack’s director of brand communications Anna Pickard explains her approach to giving the workplace chat app its voice, endearing it to millions of users. From finding unlikely places (like error messages) to show authenticity, to the significance of naming product features, Anna shows us why words matter in product design, and how to choose your moments to wield them.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Tea Uglow: How to Lead When You Don’t Know What You’re Doing99U2018-07-19 | Tea Uglow gave herself a unique and imaginative title to match the unique and imaginative work she does at Google Creative Lab Sydney. As “Experimental Person-in-Charge”, she has worked with artists, writers, and performers on seven books, 17 websites, six apps, a feature film, three plays, two concerts, four museum exhibits, and a teddy bear that talks. In this talk, Uglow explains why her success as a leader is rooted not in what she knows, but in what she doesn’t know:
Why the best creative leaders value the skillsets they don’t have Why creatives shouldn’t have to-do lists And how her journey as a transgender woman shows that you can’t truly plan your life or career
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Marcelino J. Alvarez: Be a Designer of Community99U2018-07-19 | Uncorked Studios CEO and co-founder Marcelino J. Alvarez has worked on projects and products that took him to communities in Cuba, Lebanon, and Japan. In this talk, he explains:
How his own Cuban heritage inspired his design philosophy How designers and entrepreneurs can produce work that truly benefits communities And why mundane solutions are often the most necessary
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Todd Yellin: Create a Culture of Iconoclasts99U2018-07-19 | As VP of Product for Netflix and self-proclaimed “enabler of iconoclasts”, Todd Yellin leads the team that helps millions of people find something great to watch. In this talk, Yellin explains his unique approach to leadership, which includes:
Why leaders should never say never How to empower your team to make decisions (and mistakes) Why a simple hand-raise is fundamental to the diversity of voices and ideas at Netflix Plus, what we can learn from Titus Andromedon, Michael Scott, and Paul Blart Mall Cop
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Christine Sun Kim: Your Work Is a Product of Your Experience99U2018-07-19 | The work of Christine Sun Kim is inspired and informed by her experience of the world as a deaf woman, artist, mother, and partner. This 99U talk, delivered in ASL and interpreted live at Alice Tully Hall by Beth Staehle, asks all creatives to consider how their outputs are colored by their own experiences, abilities, and empathy:
How empathy for her hearing partner and baby informs her work How she better understands sound through illustrated diagrams Why a framework of “house rules” is essential to any creative process
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Jason Mayden: Designing for the Next Generation of Superheroes99U2018-07-19 | Whether working as the CEO behind Super Heroic, a mission-driven business focused on providing quality play-performance for children, or in his former life as Senior Global Design Director at Nike, Jason Mayden believes the mindset of playfulness can make heroes of us all. From the joy of Haribo gummy bears to Batman, Mayden’s true purpose is play and designing products that make the most vulnerable among us—children—embrace their inner hero. In this lively talk, Mayden shares:
How his incredible design career started with a 1-800 phone call How he finds design motivation and inspiration in fatherhood How design solutions can equip kids with empathy and kindness
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Vince Kadlubek: Make a Mind-Blowing Experience99U2018-07-19 | As the visionary CEO behind Meow Wolf, the immersive art installation in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Vince Kadlubek is combatting the mundanity of our everyday world with an alternate reality that surprises and challenges visitors. In this talk, Kadlubek shares his belief that people are hungry for mind-blowing experiences — and it’s up to creatives to deliver them. His pro tips include:
Why the experience movement is capturing and enrapturing audiences How creatives can upend built environments And how a mind-blowing experience can start with an average refrigerator
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.John Maeda: Designing Inclusive Teams and Products99U2018-07-19 | The prolific John Maeda—whose career has spanned Cooper Hewitt, MIT, and KPCB—now leads computational design and inclusion at Automattic. In this conversation with Adobe VP of Design Jamie Myrold, Maeda shares his insights from a long and varied career on the history and current state of diversity and inclusion in the design industry, including:
The traits in leaders and teams that promote inclusion How Automattic’s remote-work practice helps its teams develop empathy The surprising history of design’s impact on business And how he harnesses his “secret power” to make immediate change
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Scott Belsky: Lessons from the Messy Middle of a Startup’s Journey99U2018-07-19 | Behance and 99U co-founder Scott Belsky is often asked about the inception and acquisition of the companies. But the biggest lessons are found in the sometimes-messy, oftentimes-exciting, and always-challenging experience between those bookend moments. In this talk, Belsky shares his perspective on:
How to sustain momentum, and morale, during periods of uncertainty Why resourcefulness is the ultimate future-proof skill What circumstances inspire true innovation And how to spot the best opportunities
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Mona Chalabi: Sequence, Sequence… Surprise! Designing Data for Maximum Impact99U2018-07-19 | As data editor for the Guardian US, Mona Chalabi contextualizes big numbers with her signature illustrated — and often provocative — data visualizations. But her end goal isn’t just a shareable image; it’s to make sure readers understand the big picture. In this talk, Chalabi shares her approach to storytelling with data, including:
What common mistakes to avoid when presenting data Why data visualization can never be totally subjective How repetition and surprise can be wielded to emphasize important information
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Tina Roth Eisenberg: Leading with Joy99U2018-07-19 | As CEO of Creative Mornings, Tattly, and the newly launched Creative Guild, Tina Roth Eisenberg oversees some highly creative teams. Rather than follow traditional leadership practices, she’s writing her own rules that prioritize joy, generosity, and confetti. In this inspiring talk, Eisenberg explains how she’s building a workplace her employees are excited to go to every day, including:
The non-traditional interview questions she asks job candidates How to show up to work as your authentic self, and help your team can do the same How she infuses her workplace with surprise and delight
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Tiffany Dufu: Drop the Ball Instead of Trying to Do It All99U2018-07-19 | Businesswoman and Drop the Ball author Tiffany Dufu may seem to do it all, but for years she hampered her own growth with the expectation that she must do it all—be the perfect woman, mother, wife, mentor, and author. In this talk, Dufu shares her manifesto on how doing less allowed her to feel more fulfilled. Her hard-won insights include:
Where unrealistic expectations for our work and personal lives are rooted Why we need to ditch the to do list Why the key to delegating is clear communication
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Ashleigh Axios: How Selfish Design Can Save the World99U2018-07-19 | After breaking ground in government as the creative director for the Obama White House, Ashleigh Axios is now working to democratize publishing at Automattic, the parent company of WordPress. In this passionate talk on the role of design in social change, Axios asks creatives to embrace the good feeling that comes from helping others, even if chasing that feeling can seem self-centered. Her primer to doing good with a creative skillset includes:
Why the problems that keep you up at night are your best motivators How to scale your vision for a better world And how the Obama White House empowered social change with impactful design
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Adam J. Kurtz: Perfect Isn’t Better99U2018-07-19 | The often humorous, sometimes dark work of the artist known as ‘adamjk’ can be seen everywhere from tote bags to enamel pins to his books on creativity. Yet the prolific Kurtz doesn’t claim to be an expert: in this uproarious talk, he offers some useful panaceas to the pressures of creative perfection:
Why execution should be only half of your design focus How honesty and kindness have propelled his career What factors (besides talent) contribute to creative success
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Audrey Liu: Incentivize Creative Teams with Meaning, Not Perks99U2018-07-19 | Audrey Liu, Director of Product Design at Lyft, takes issue with how companies incentivize creative teams. Instead of dangling perks like kombucha and in-office massages, Liu asserts the need to connect designers with the fulfillment of solving real problems. In this insight-packed talk, Liu advises leaders on:
How to connect your team’s accomplishments to real world impact Why creatives need to do the right thing, not just the most measurable thing How to activate empathy by literally putting your designers in the driver’s seat
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Farai Chideya: The Episodic Career99U2018-03-19 | In her book, The Episodic Career, author and professor Farai Chideya considers how professionals can protect themselves and achieve their personal definition of success in an age of uncertainty. In her 99U talk, Chideya focuses on how creatives in particular can not just survive, but thrive amid disruption.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Ian Spalter: Why Designers Should Work Like Comedians99U2018-03-19 | Big data has never been bigger, but Instagram’s Ian Spalter warns that while data “can inspire” it “will not save you”. Spalter has found unlikely inspiration from the process of professional comedians: the ability to take raw data and contextualize, iterate, and most importantly, understand the difference between “good laughs” and “bad laughs”.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Liz Jackson: Designing for Inclusivity99U2018-03-19 | Liz Jackson is leading a revolution in inclusive design by rethinking disability as a branding problem: “We are disabled not by our bodies, but by the world around us. It is a social construct. Disability is nothing more than a brand, the world’s ugliest brand,” says Jackson. From problematic “inspiration porn” to the lack of disabled people involved in the industrial design process, Jackson’s talk is a powerful call to action for all designers.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Julia Kaganskiy: Navigating the Unknown99U2018-03-19 | As director of arts and technology incubator NEW INC, Julia Kaganskiy helps creatives and makers navigate everything from cultural shifts to financial challenges. Through it all, she’s developed a framework to navigate the unknowns in the creative career, without losing confidence in your ideas.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Irene Au: The Architecture of Creative Collaboration99U2018-03-19 | Khosla Ventures design partner Irene Au learned some of her most valuable design lessons not from the companies the advises, but from a close collaboration with the residential architects who helped her family design their dream home. From how to choose your clients to anticipating their needs, mindfulness and intention rule when it comes to fruitful creative collaborations.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Natasha Jen: Design Thinking is Bullsh*t99U2018-03-19 | If Google Image search is your sole barometer, “design thinking uses just one tool: 3M Post-Its,” says Pentagram partner Natasha Jen. “Why did we end up with a single medium? Charles and Ray Eames worked in a complete lack of Post-It stickies. They learned by doing.” In her provocative 99U talk, Jen lobbies for the “Crit” over the “Post-It” when it comes to moving design forward.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Debbie Millman: Anything Worthwhile Takes Time99U2018-03-19 | Overnight success is rare, and often comes at the expense of valuable learnings. From early-career false starts to her sleeper hit podcast Design Matters, Debbie Millman isn’t afraid to be frank about the incredible patience that good work requires.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Rick Webb: You Can’t Plan for Everything, So Stop Trying99U2018-03-19 | As co-founder of creative agency The Barbarian Group, Rick Webb helped define the then-burgeoning field of digital marketing. When Barbarian experienced rapid growth, Webb had to get comfortable with delegating creative control, and when the agency was sold to holding company Cheil Worldwide, he and his partners had to relinquish control of their operations and even contend with a corporate scandal. In his 99U talk, Webb takes a detailed look at the birth and life of a creative organization, and the messy realities of the coveted “exit”.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Scott Belsky: The First Mile of Product99U2018-03-19 | 99U and Behance cofounder Scott Belsky believes the earliest days of a product are its most critical. In this talk, Belsky outlines the key qualities that lead to a product’s early adoption and longterm success.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Paul Ford: Finding Inspiration in Procrastination99U2018-03-19 | Something funny happened on Paul Ford’s way to developing his dream project: he found about 1,000 reasons not to do it. “When you need to do a thing, everything you do is about the thing you're not doing,” says entrepreneur and writer Ford in his 99U talk.
But his procrastination gave way to other fruitful projects, and even the inspiration to finish the very task he set out to do in the first place.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.Steve Selzer: Designing for Friction99U2018-03-19 | As experience design manager for Airbnb, Steve Selzer doesn’t fear friction; he embraces it. Avoiding friction means removing “opportunities for serendipity, confrontation, and personal growth,” says Selzer. In his 99U talk, he not only outlines how his team navigates friction they encounter, but how they strategically create it.
About 99U 99U brings you the best of the creative world through the lens of design and the people and work who are shaping it.