Think Differently About Change

Climate change comes bearing gifts. While not welcomed offerings, these changes demand a vastly different approach in the way architects and designers think about their professional practices. Something big is happening.

Moreover, architectural careers have quit working like they used to. Climate change will affect the economy and the underlying tenets of roles and responsibilities in the making of buildings – and urban environments. The challenges brought about by climate change create new puzzles to solve. We can meet these challenges. There are many approaches.

The Design Futures Council will be hosting our 9th Leadership Summit on Sustainable Design Oct. 5-7 in Atlanta. Again this year we will bring together 100 delegates to share case studies, present deep understandings and practical experiences, and chart the future. Invitations were mailed last week to members and fellows of the Design Futures Council.

To be considered for one of the delegate positions, e-mail me at jcramer@di.net or Mary Pereboom at mpereboom@di.net. We are seeking thought leadership and a diversity of talents.

All of us need to catch on to what’s happening. We need to seize the opportunities brought about by change.

Nominate Emerging Leaders

The Design Futures Council seeks nominations for its annual class of Emerging Leaders. Winning nominees will receive registration scholarships to attend the 9th Annual Leadership Summit on Sustainable Design in Atlanta, Oct. 5 – 7. The DFC seeks to identify and recognize emerging leaders who are having – and will increasingly have – a profound impact on design practices, the profession, and the community.

Successful candidates will represent the future of practice in terms of its broadening scope, service to society, sustainable design, technological innovation, or other areas deemed relevant by the nominator.

Nomination criteria:

• Nominees must be within their first 10 years of professional practice.
• They may come from any area of the design professions.
• They must be playing a role in designing a more sustainable future.
• The nominator must be a member of the Design Futures Council or past Summit attendee.

Six candidates will be chosen by a distinguished jury of past Summit delegates to receive a full scholarship, which includes registration and participation in all Summit events. Chosen candidates or their employers will be expected to furnish travel and accommodation expenses to and from the Summit. Some travel assistance may be provided on a case-by-case basis.

To nominate a candidate, download and complete the nomination form by July 1. Nominees and nominators will be notified in July. Any questions about the Emerging Leaders Program should be directed to John Cary via email - johncary [at] mac [dot]com

Nomination Form - Word Format

Nomination Form - PDF

Supreme Makeover

We’re really excited about the January/February issue of DesignIntelligence, which debuts the new four-color cover design. What do you think?

An Exceptional Book

We were delighted to read the December issue of IOMA’s Principal’s Report, which contains the first published review of our new book Change Design: Conversations About Architecture as the Ultimate Business Tool (2nd Ed.).

“Every so often a publication comes along that completely transforms your idea of what a book could be. Change Design: Conversations About Architecture as the Ultimate business Tool (2nd Ed.) is just such a book on several levels,” writes editor Ernie Burden.

He goes on to praise it as “an exceptional example of graphics and photography” but notes that it “transcends being simply an exercise in design and photography.”

The book highlights the role of design and innovation in transforming businesses and organizations. We couldn’t agree more with Burden’s assessment that it makes a great addition to your library.

The War on Talent 2.0: Are You Ready?

It is hard to believe that just a few years ago, one of the biggest conversations within the architecture and design profession was the war for talent — or a shortage of talent. Firms couldn’t find enough workers to fill seats much less enough talented staff. Leaders were in short supply. A very limited supply of H1B visas were accessible to architecture and design firms. Times have certainly changed.

The conditions of today don’t need to be explained in detail. Unemployment in the profession is over 15%. Firms are struggling to keep even talented staff. Backlogs are shrinking or in some cases evaporating. Competition for new projects is fierce. Each situation is unique, but common pain is felt by all. However, it becomes increasingly clear that we all have two choices: We can be the victims of these economic and structural shifts or we can be inventors of strategic success and satisfaction.

A part of this success must be setting a vision and developing strategy for the new world of architecture, whatever that may be. The future condition is unknown, but we can control our attitudes and develop scenarios to allow for our success in whatever this condition holds. One future condition that is certain is that the role of talented design professionals will be even greater. And yet where will this talent come from?

The share of the U.S. workforce that has a post-high school education is not expected to rise in the next 20 years. This is a scary fact given the national high school graduation rate hovers around 50% in the nation’s fifty largest cities, and rises only to 71% in the nation’s suburbs. In some of our more diverse urban areas, where much of the diversity needed for the relevancy of our profession resides, the graduation rates drop to nearly 30%. According to 2007 Department of Education Statistics, only 31% of 8th-graders in the United States are at or above proficient levels in standardized math testing. These are just a few of the frightening trends surrounding the struggles of education.

In a Journal of Business and Psychology article titled “Attracting Applicants in the War for Talent: Differences Among Workplace Preferences in High Achievers,” the authors state, “Students with very high cognitive abilities and strong records of extracurricular activities prefer ‘investigative’ occupations involving analytical or intellectual activity aimed at problem solving and the creation or use of new knowledge.” This is terrific news for architecture and design. However, the fact is that only 10% of people are in the top 10%.

Rather than spending all of our resources chasing the top 10%, I recommend we spend more of them chasing the other 90%. We all want a slice of that top 10%. But by developing a vision and strategies that embrace new paradigms and dynamics within our profession we can begin to develop effective ways of recruiting from the 90% and developing them into the top 10%. If we don’t, competitors will. If we wait for the future to happen, it won’t be desirable. This is the opportunity to affect the future health of our organizations that we have been looking for.

A Time for Leadership

I recently have been rereading “Building Community:  A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice” — more commonly known as “The Boyer Report” — written by Ernest Boyer and Lee Mitgang. This project, led by the Carnegie Foundation in partnership with the AIA, AIAS, NCARB, ACSA, and NAAB, was initiated in 1987 and published in 1996. Many of the profound observations made by the report are as applicable today as they were 15 years ago. I believe that as a profession we still have a long way to go in addressing, much less meeting, the charges set forth by the authors. It is in many ways disheartening that we have failed to deal with these vital issues as a profession and yet slightly encouraging that the same issues remain at the forefront of discussions in many leading institutions and professional practices across the country.

I have been particularly struck by the last of the seven goals set forth by the authors, that of service to the nation. This motivational section takes a  profound look at the role architecture and design can have in the creation of better neighborhoods, communities, and nations. As the authors so eloquently state,

In this time of continued uncertainty for our profession and for our planet and its people I believe it is time for us to step forward into the role that Boyer and Mitgang challenge us to achieve — that of vocal and knowledgeable leaders. Now more than ever, the vision and talents of our profession are needed in our communities. Design thinking can and should be at the forefront of decisions we are making about our future. Rather than sitting on the sidelines hoping that the past returns or bemoaning the current state of affairs, we — collectively and individually — must lead. We can contribute greatly to the discussions. I firmly believe this is the opportunity our profession has been looking and waiting for. It’s time for leadership!

New Book by Richard Saul Wurman

Wow — what a day yesterday! Richard Saul Wurman was in the office for a work session on his newest book. Tentatively titled “33: Understanding Change by Changing & the Change in Our Understanding,” it’s a dynamic, multilayered presentation of conundrums and opportunities we face in the modern world. Architecture, design, science, health care, technology, and connectedness are themes that weave throughout.

The inner core of the book is Wurman’s “What-If, Could-Be: An Historical Fable of the Future,” a charming and challenging self-published fable that was distributed at the 1976 AIA Convention, which he chaired (and which is still discussed in many circles for its game-changing formula and out-of-the-box format).

Working with Wurman is an exercise in flexibility. He’s off and running the minute he enters the room, and you just have to try to keep up. It’s an energizing, elevating, creative, and confusing experience. Can’t wait for more.