Tim Brown IDEO

To remain one of the most innovative companies in the world, IDEO has long developed a certain kind of talent – T-shaped people. The pdf below is an interview with Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO about their T-shaped stars. Here are the key extracts:

T-shaped people have two kinds of characteristics, hence the use of the letter “T” to describe them. The vertical stroke of the “T” is a depth of skill that allows them to contribute to the creative process. That can be from any number of different fields: an industrial designer, an architect, a social scientist, a business specialist or a mechanical engineer. The horizontal stroke of the “T” is the disposition for collaboration across disciplines. It is composed of two things. First, empathy. It’s important because it allows people to imagine the problem from another perspective- to stand in somebody else’s shoes. Second, they tend to get very enthusiastic about other people’s disciplines, to the point that they may actually start to practice them. T-shaped people have both depth and breadth in their skills. 

Ville Tervo, UX / UI Designer

“T-shaped people are great at one thing and familiar with many others”

Pi-shaped people have a distinctive pair of deep skills combined with a breadth of wider knowledge. Having visionary design skills combined with the ability to write front-end code is one example.

Daniele Barratta, University of Bologna

Here are some of the broad skills needed across the top of the ‘T’

1. Strategic Design
2. Policy Design
3. Service Design
4. Experience Design
5. Interaction Design
6. Graphic Design
7. Industrial Design
8. Engineering Design
9. Fashion Design
10. Interior Design
11. Spatial Design
12. Landscape Design

… and here are some of the in-depth skills needed down the leg of the ‘T’

1. Problem setting
2. Brief
3. Research
4. Concept
5. Prototype
6. Valuation
7. Specifications
8. Development
9. Executives
10. Delivery