Reimagining Design
Book

Reimagining Design

Unlocking Strategic Innovation

Kevin Bethune and John Maeda
MIT Press, 2022

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • For Beginners
  • Insider's Take
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Designer and thinker Kevin Bethune mixes autobiography with career guidance and management wisdom in this unique take on the burgeoning design profession. Bethune’s advice on how firms should organize design teams and how designers should approach their work – based on decades of his own experience and success – applies to any firm and all rising designers. Brimming with insights and inspiration, the volume offers arguments for social justice, musings on the future of design and tips for aspiring designers – an abundance that may feel like too much for one volume.

Summary

As a Black man, author Kevin Bethune stands out in the world of design.

Events during and following 2020 shook the United States, especially for Black Americans. Many experienced a deep sense of despair in response to the COVID-19 crisis – which disproportionately affected the Black community – and multiple egregious instances of racial violence that took place during the first year of the pandemic. Experiences of tremendous loss can make a population more resilient in the long run, but the impact of 2020 will linger for decades to come.

Kevin Bethune, a Black man succeeding in the predominantly white world of design, sees hope amid the hurt and sadness. The curiosity and creativity that have driven his career also help him imagine and work toward a better future for all. Bethune grew up relatively privileged in a white suburb of Detroit but hails from a family which, for generations, suffered brutality at the hands of white supremacists. Bethune’s early career mirrors that of many other American Blacks in the degree to which he suffered regular microaggressions, discrimination and lack of respect.

Curiosity, good listening skills and a steadfast...

About the Authors

Kevin Bethune is the founder and chief creative officer of dreams • design + life, a think tank that takes a human-centered approach to design and innovation.

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