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AMA: I'm John Maeda, Design Partner @ Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) in Silicon Valley

8 years ago from John Maeda, Partner

  • Pedro CarmoPedro Carmo, 8 years ago

    Hello John,

    You've once said in your email newsletter, ”designers are conditioned to start/join client-service practices — they are generally trained to solve clients’ problems and not their own“. I love this thought but feel like there's more to unpack in there. Can you expand on this? Particularly, in how/why we are conditioned this way, and how we can go about solving it.

    0 points
    • John MaedaJohn Maeda, 8 years ago

      Hello Pedro; I don't know if it's conditioning. I think it's habit and custom for how the world has evolved around creatives.

      I remember someone saying to me when I was in my twenties how I was "a sparkler" versus "a hammer." I didn't know what she meant -- until she said, "A sparkler has all kinds of new ideas; a hammer just hits the nail in consistently."

      So once I heard this, I spent the latter part of my life learning how to become "a hammer." Thus I got an MBA to learn about things I'd never bothered to learn in engineering or art school; and began to take on leadership roles to enter my zone of discomfort as opportunities to learn. I feel that creative people are comfortable with discomfort. So I'd suggest that you head into what is uncomfortable for yourself -- take on a leadership role. Find what is great about it. See how you can make a different kind of difference. Find creativity in it. And then iterate and refine from there.

      Good luck, Pedro!

      5 points