In a beginner's mind, there are endless possibilities - in an expert’s mind, there are few.

To create a great design, you have to keep an open mind. You must be fearless and approach the process from a user’s experience, not from the creator’s experience.

Some of the greatest innovations came from a genuine desire to solve the problems of the target users. They came from people who genuinely sought to understand what those people cared about and designed their products with that in mind.

That’s why ignoring design while innovating is ignoring the intended user.

In this episode, the first part of two, Ed Bernardon interviews Harry West, Professor of Practice at Columbia University and Principal at Invisible Design. He is the creator of the curriculum on Human-Centered Design and Design Justice. He’ll share with us the importance of human-centered design when innovating.

Some Questions I Ask:

• What is design? (02:39 )


• What does it mean to be open during a design process? (07:38 )


• Where did the idea of Swiffer come from? (14:06 )


• How often do you rely on something that’s already invented while innovating? (26:20 )


• How does communication influence innovation? (28:15 )

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• The meaning of human-centered design and the steps involved (04:57 )


• The purpose of human-centered design (11:05 )


• How to create a design that will still be desirable to a customer in the future (12:54 )


• How a Swiffer works (21:23 )


• The benefits of keeping an open mind when innovating (30:24 )

Connect with Harry West: 

• LinkedIn


• Columbia University in the City of New York

Connect with Ed Bernardon:

• LinkedIn


• Future Car: Driving a Lifestyle Revolution


• Motorsports is speeding the way to safer urban mobility


• Siemens Digital Industries Software

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