Episode 5

What can a furniture designer teach us about creating a better world?

Neil Goldberg

On this episode, we have an insightful conversation with Neil Goldberg, designer, entrepreneur, educator and author with a passion for seeing human centered design applied with artisanal care to every kind of artifact of the human imagination. He’s served as design researcher at furniture maker Herman Miller, and brought the people centered innovation process he practiced there to Silicon Valley where he founded the design agency Praxis. Here he answers the Big Question: “Why is design consciousness so important for this cultural moment as we navigate our current crises of: pandemic, poverty, and protests?” He shares insights on design thinking and an ethical framework for design practice he refers to as design consciousness. Design consciousness is the awareness that everything around us that isn’t nature is an artifact of the human imagination. Everything around us has been designed. “When we’re aware of having the agency of creation, we take care of what we create.”

We hope you enjoy! If you find this meaningful and helpful, please consider sharing with a loved one or a colleague. If you’d like to dive deeper and see more of Neil’s work, visit his website: www.praxisdesign.com or sign up for his online Living Workshop, below.

Neil Goldberg On Wise Design Leadership

After a 40-year career observing and participating in the transformation of design practice with companies such as Herman Miller and his own firm, Praxis Product Design, Neil Goldberg has set out on a project to situate our creative agency at the center of human experience. In this course, he guides you into the world of design thinking, design consciousness, and its intersection with the work of leadership, justice, and innovation. The stories and lessons shared come from his years of experience as a designer, leader and teacher. You’ll learn the steps of design thinking and how to integrate the choreography into your own leadership. You’ll also develop your own mindfulness practice anchored in core soul-traits you choose to incorporate into your ongoing growth curriculum. It’s all about discovering how to view social injustices as artifacts of design, opening up the possibility for innovative solutions.

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