Adam M. Forrest

Whatever strengths I bring to design are fed by curiosity and play. Curiosity helps me dismantle my assumptions. It makes me ready to experience insight, and I’ve observed that insight often resembles surprise. Questions like, “What have I been taking for granted about my customer?” get me one step closer to surprise and insight.

Play shows up in my design practice in several ways. Here’s one: when trying to generate new ideas, I often get stuck. One technique I use to get unstuck is listing bad ideas—ridiculous ideas, which come easier than good ones. I recommend you try that for fun. You may be surprised how quickly and suddenly you’ll land on an idea that's unexpected and strong.