EP 65: Designing Strategic Innovation | Kevin Bethune

How does design transform organizations? Why does diversity fuel
innovation? What happens when you let curiosity guide you? Kevin
Bethune is the Founder & Chief Creative Officer of dreams •
design + life, a "think tank" that delivers design & innovation
services using a human-centered approach. Kevin's background spans
engineering, business and design in equal proportion over his 20+
year career, positioning him to help brands deliver meaningful
innovations to enrich people's lives. His work represents creative
problem-solving that brings multidisciplinary teams together to see
the future through an open aperture, and a deep industrial design
approach to inform and influence desirable, feasible and
business-viable design outcomes. Kevin began his career as a
mechanical engineer in the nuclear power industry. This chapter
gave him deep product experience working with high-performing teams
across 14 nuclear reactor upgrade campaigns. After his MBA, Kevin
joined Nike, Inc. in a business capacity, but quickly navigated to
the Global Footwear product engine to drive advanced digital
product creation capabilities, discovering the world of design in
the process. After solidifying his creative foundation through
further studies at ArtCenter College of Design, Kevin co-founded
distinct design & innovation capabilities at two Tier 1
management consulting firms in Booz & Co. and the Boston
Consulting Group (BCG). As Vice President of Strategic Design at
BCG Digital Ventures, he led a large cohort of designers that would
influence and shape every corporate venture spun out from the
incubator. Kevin left BCG Digital Ventures to carve his own path
under the banner of dreams • design + life, focusing on unlocking
human potential through strategic design, industrial design and the
building of new ecologies. Kevin also serves as a Board Trustee for
ArtCenter College of Design and the Board Chair for the Design
Management Institute. Kevin’s book, Reimagining Design: Unlocking
Strategic Innovation was published in March 2022. Follow Kevin on
Twitter and Instagram Show website link:
https://mailchi.mp/designlabpod/kevinbethune This episode is
sponsored by: Fortune Brainstorm Design, to be held May 23-24 in
Brooklyn is a curated experience for passionate and successful
design and design-minded professionals. Join Fortune and be
inspired by diverse examples of design excellence, explore how
design thinking and practice can be challenged and advanced, meet
and network with high-level peers, and leave with concrete ideas
and partnerships to drive transformation within your organization.
Listeners of Design Lab with Bon Ku can use code “designlab” for a
20% discount on registration!  For more information or to
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