cash flow and creativity, the balance, and the enemy to innovation

I don't care if you are a company with 5 team members or 500. I don't care if you have a budget of 10,000 dollars or a MILLION! There should never be a compromise to creativity.

Creativity, the seat to innovation, is the single most valuable asset you have when it comes to innovation and true market leadership. Pushing forward to always conceptualize and develop breakthrough ideas for new products, services and brands, will continue to be the most dynamic way to business stimulus.

SO, when thinking about buying that new copier OR prototyping the next "pretty thing" may it be a gadget, fresh new way to do things, or a voice the marketplace will trust, think seriously on the investment at hand, the end result, and the possibilities attached to each.

Never let your cash flow hinder your forward momentum towards innovation, keep things firmly in perspective, and create value that will ultimately increase your bottom line...

norio fujikawa: rocket girl

Rocketgirl

Yet ANOTHER clever design by Norio...
Designer: Norio Fujikawa
Complete Project: http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Rocket-Girl/430246

inspiration from above: time

"God is the perfect designer of time... Stay the course. Be confident in this truth and let the Visionary of Visionaries do what He is more than enough to do..." V.A. Hunt 1972™

For the past few months I have been confronted by people about "time". In most cases, people feel like they are always running out of time, and when it is in relationship to their careers, they totally despise the "course of time".

This is what I have learned... 

We have a "jacked up" interpretation of time. Most of us feel that if we have not obtained our life's goals at a certain age, and this age is usually somewhere in the 30 - 40's range, then we are totally our of the game. THIS THINKING Is false, and it's usually generated by the idea that retirement is the ultimate goal in life, when in fact, the idea of "retirement" is a taught one, and totally subjective. If you ask 20 people, you will find them racing a clock they have no control over. God is in fact (OR AT LEAST this is what I believe) the perfect designer of "time", and unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you view things, His time is not like our time. 

SO... Stay the course, do not give up, stay true to your passions!! BLAH, BLah, Blah, blah. Seriously... Let God be God, and you concentrate on doing YOU. Everything has it's season and your life only needs one rainfall to take it to another level. 

designing the right team. matters.

Footballteam

In all my years of design and innovation, there is one thing that never seems to change. There is one things that no matter how far along we get, no matter how advanced the technology becomes, this one thing never seems to shift or "change"... The dynamics of designing the right team.

No matter what the design initiative is, it's success and or failure is about 100% of the time contributed to the dynamics of the team that is set charge over it. As design thinking shifts, we are discovering that the clients role in this "team design" paradigm is becoming increasingly important, and the addition of the designs end user is making things even MORE complicated, however; none of this changes the fact that the teams design is quintessentially the most important part of the design process. Wrong people, bad results, GREAT people, an increased chance of great results.

Design great teams, do great work, design,

vincent hunt: what do I do

Wow... I get this question quite a bit, and rightfully so. Because what I do is primarily a "behind the design scenes" role, UNLESS I am somewhere ranting about the importance of design (at every level) or innovation (do this, or die), it's really kind of hard to put a finger squarely on what I do using the naked eye.

I managed to get this question... "What is it that you do exactly?" again today, I thought I would post my response to this individual so that I can lessen the amount of times I get this question... 

Q. Vincent, what is it that you do actually? 

A.  I am a Designer  Ideamaker Design Thinker. On the "front-end" I help my clients conceptualize and develop breakthrough ideas for new products, services and brands. After uncovering fresh new ideas, I help them assemble the talent that they need to accomplish the ideas, and if needed I manage the talent to accomplish the task at hand to insure optimal results.  On the "back-end" I lecture (speak) on and write about design and innovation. SO in most cases I am hired for one of two reasons basically, 1. I am to help my clients innovate, or 2. I am giving them insight on how to become healthier innovators.

Q. I understand that you are working at WFXL FOX31 right now, what's that all about?

A. Right now I am working with WFXL FOX31 to help in the area of Interaction Design as it pertains to their website http://mysouthwestga.com - The role is: Interactive Managing Editor. We have managed to develop ideas like "Common Thread" and "Social News Lifecycle". We have taken a site that would get an average of 60 - 70k page views, to now we getting about 150 - 165k page views... We have also heightened it's visibility within the Social Media Ecosystem (SME), building conversation around the news in fresh new ways. On the visual design side, I have worked closely with Josh Boutwell (Marketing Director) ( @JoshBoutwell ) and Ben Mcleod (Motion Graphics) to rethink and redesign the on-air presentation, along with the core brand. 

NOW - The above is how "I" see it... Here is how some of my clients and colleagues see it... 

"Vincent Hunt is one of the most creative-thinking people with whom I've ever had the privilege of being involved. His mind makes me quiver! His spirit is effervescent!" Gary Patton - Managing Partner, Patton Associates, People Development Coaches & Consultants

"The art of innovation or creativity is being able to take known ideas and and re-image them in a uniquely new way. This is facilitated by asking the tough “why” and “what if” questions; being able to see beyond traditional paradigms of thought and then bring them into reality by execution. This is Vincent Hunt - the creative innovator. Boldly challenging the status quo mentality of the masses." ~Martin Schmaltz, Executive Director, Apostolic Missions Inc. 

"Part creative strategist, part consultant, part stand up comedian..." S. Proctor, Renegade CEO's

"Vincent is one of the most imaginative, creative and intelligent designers I’ve come across this lifetime! Vincent does not simply design. He has an intuitive ability to see beyond an initial idea through to the potential impact and legacy of a project, and brings that to the design table. Vincent creates not only a beautiful, amazing, one of a kind design; he captures the essence of a person and the vision. He does not just create with his head, he creates with his heart and soul, with passion, bringing concepts to life!" Staci J. Shelton, Speaker, Relationship Builder, Communications Strategist, Coach
In Conclusion

I have basically found a way to leverage over 17 years of design and innovation experience in a way, where I can get up-close and personal with my clients needs and act not only as a Advisor/Strategist, but I am able to help them design the teams, gather the resources, and connect the dots in a way that helps them continue to stay relevant as it pertains to their design and innovation goals. Kinda like a "outsourced Chief Design Officer". 

I am passionate about what I do. It's what I am designed to do.