Episode 79: Oen Hammonds - Design Thinking

"There is nothing wrong with failing. Failing is a learning moment. If you failed and you took the time to reflect and learn why you failed, and what you can do to change that course, and who can help you with that, most importantly, then you haven’t failed. You’ve just learned something."
Oen Hammonds is a Design Principal at IBM here in Austin where his job focuses on employee experience design. As early as High School he found himself designing for others, and after an eight year stint in the U.S. Army, he picked up where he left off and studied design in college. The jobs he has had since have all challenged him and have added to his skill set in different ways. He talks a lot about his path to the success he has found today and how important it is for a designers to have humility in their work. We delve into the subject of Design Thinking and all the ways that framework can be adapted to peoples careers and everyday life. Oen has also been sharing his knowledge as a teacher for the last fifteen years and is married to accomplished artist and teacher Hollis Hammonds.
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About text courtesy of Oen's website Designer | Advocate | Educator Knowledgeable Design Principal with solid grasp of development, implementation and optimization of communication and leadership skills. Goal-driven Graphic Designer successful at applying technical skills to create work that informs and engages customers. Clear communicator and collaborative team player with an eye for detail and skill in customer relations. Ready to bring 20+ years' experience to dynamic position in fast-paced environment.
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Some of the subjects we discuss: Designer Advocate Teacher Student diversity Art vs Design Humility/Ego Mad Men Meeting needs Telling a story Buyer loyalty High school Mac Classic Getting paid? Joined the Army College/NKU Design style Early influences Benchmark From large to small Move to Austin Y&R experience Agency vs In-house Move to IBM 4 different roles Design Thinking Team activities Empathy map Useful in life Being reactive Constructive meetings EDT development Open source/badges It’s a Framework The Loop Observe Reflect, Create Solving a problem Loosely held Courage/slow down Oen’s career course Failure/goals Mentorship Using EDT in life Year end review More time for fun Personal work
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This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Intro music generously provided by Stan Killian (http://stankillian.com/main/) Support this podcast. (http://www.austinarttalk.com/supportpodcast)