ARCHITECTURE

Inspiring Innovation: Think Like a Designer.

I’m fortunate to be in a field where even the smallest of projects in scope can have a tremendous impact on people. We’re designing places where people live, work, and play and the developments that make a city come alive.

Every project has the opportunity to be greater than the sum of its parts. But this requires an approach that is marked by an unwavering commitment to protecting creativity, encouraging experimentation, and celebrating individualism in design. Only with this approach can we integrate diverse solutions to contribute to the vitality of our broader community.

Over the last several years, I’ve taught Professional Practice at the University of Kansas, covering topics that extend far beyond design. As Kansas City grows and evolves, and our city becomes home to more and more startups, incubators, and small businesses, there are valuable lessons to be learned from how architects and designers approach their work that can inspire growth and change among our business community.

In that vein, I’d like to share with you some of the valuable ways that designers and architects work – and how our approach can positively influence any business.

INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS

The best solutions rarely are derived from a single person, working in solitude to solve a problem. In design, some of our best ideas are the results of surprising collaborations.

We frequently hold charrettes, formal brainstorms that encourage creative thinking. We pin up ideas, write, draw, and sketch. There is no bad idea in a charrette, only creative thinking that serves as a springboard for creative solutions. In these charettes, we find success not only in the ideas themselves but also in the collaborative spirit that is fostered.

Look outside of your industry and competitors for inspiration. Consider how you can collaborate with those who have specialized knowledge. In the case of one of our recent projects, which featured a retractable roof, we partnered with Chuck Hoberman, known for his influence on kinetic architecture through the design of the Hoberman Sphere. In other cases, we seek out experts in topics like fundraising, or ask stakeholders like student-athletes what they would most like to see in an experience. This was a recent strategy with UMKC to gain insight for our work on Swinney Recreation Center. These surprising collaborations result in more integrated, thoughtful solutions. We reach outside our industry often out of necessity, but business owners should reach outside even when they think they know best. This thoughtful evaluation and the invitation of others into your business and process are what make the difference between a good company and a great company.

Innovation districts, like the Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis, designed by HOK, are a great example of how this spirit of collaboration can pay dividends for those outside of the architecture industry. This project brought together diverse companies with a passion for innovation, including CIC, Microsoft, and Square, in one district with shared amenities to drive inspiration. It’s generated 3,800 tech-related jobs and more than $500 million in investment in the last 15 years. When fully built-out, the project is expected to generate $2 billion in development and more than 13,000 jobs. There is a demand for collaboration; and as more businesses see the value in collaboration, the more districts like this we can anticipate arising.

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CONSIDER THE EXPERIENCE

We often talk about designing for the experience, whether it’s the traveler experience, fan experience, visitor experience, or retail experience. We thoughtfully consider the experience people have as they enter a building, explore a space, engage with the environment, and even as they travel home. These experience-driven considerations are integral for any business considering the holistic customer experience.

Just as we do in architecture, I encourage you to consider connection points – the moments where you interface with your customers. Create a plan of how your clients will be engaged each step of the way – whether that’s in a physical retail environment or in the digital world in the professional services world. Evaluate what is working and what isn’t, and invite valued customers into the process to provide feedback on how that experience can be elevated.

INNOVATION + TRANSFORMATION

The road to innovation and transformation for a business, a community, or a city all begins with asking the right questions. And usually, the right question is “why?” It’s a question that designers toil over, seeking to understand the reason behind the building, space, or district. And while it’s a question top of mind in the architecture industry, it’s not assessed with enough frequency in business. Many of the greatest challenges we face as business owners can be reoriented by refocusing on the why. In Simon Sinek’s book Finding Your Why, he explains: “If we want to feel an undying passion for our work, if we want to feel we are contributing to something bigger than ourselves, we all need to know our why.”

Take time to ask why are you doing what you do? What’s the why behind your organization? By asking this, I think you’ll find the why is rarely a revenuedriven outcome. The why is usually an aspirational statement that speaks to a broader impact that changes, informs, and inspires people. Bill Johnson is a senior principal and the design principal for HOK’s Kansas City practice. Recognized as a leader in the design of sports and entertainment facilities and Kansas City infrastructure, Bill Johnson’s portfolio of work includes professional, workplace, civic, mixed-use, and collegiate facilities across the country. His approach is defined by his ability to develop integrated solutions that achieve the unique objectives of each client.