IRVINE, CA—When it comes to design projects, it's our responsibility to question the status quo in order to get to the heart of the matter and the root of the challenge, Taylor Design's strategies practice leader Jen Leonard tells GlobeSt.com. Leonard, who recently joined the firm, will focus on bringing her human-centered design experience to the architecture, environments and strategies company, collaborating across its Irvine, San Francisco and San Diego offices and inspiring new ways of approaching design challenges.

Leonard brings to her new role more than 10 years as senior design lead and creative strategist at global design and innovation firm IDEO. During that time, she honed her skills across a wide range of projects—from retail and finance to hospitality and healthcare—for clients such as Nike, Marriott, Visa and AT&T. Her background also encompasses radio broadcasting and print journalism, as well as co-authoring the award-winning book, Massive Change: The Future of Global Design with Bruce Mau, a modern, illustrated primer on the new inventions, technologies and events that are impacting humanity worldwide. Leonard is also the host and producer behind Brand New Ways, an interview-based podcast about change making and rule breaking.

We sat down for a chat with Leonard about rule breaking in regard to CRE design and how she applies a creative approach to solve big challenges.

GlobeSt.com: When does it make sense to be a rule breaker?

Leonard: I'm naturally inclined to be a little bit of an instigator, so I'm biased. But I do believe creative people tend to question how things are done and ask “Why” a lot—which gets at the rule-breaking thing.

When you ask, “Why are you doing something a certain way?” and the answer is, “That's the way it's always been done,” it's incredibly frustrating; it doesn't show creativity.

Design is about curiosity, change and questioning why certain rules exist. We need rules in life of course, but when it comes to design challenges, I feel that it's our responsibility to question and probe, so we can get to the heart of the matter and the root of the problem. It's about approaching things with fresh eyes, which helps us innovate.

In life, we too easily forget that the only constant is change. We get stuck in our day-to-day routines or we get limited by industry constraints. But if a system is broken, we as designers have the unique opportunity to change that for the better—upholding standards and staying true to what does work, while recognizing what no longer works and then adjusting it.

GlobeSt.com: What has your experience been so far in design, and how do you intend to bring that experience to Taylor?

Leonard: Before Taylor, I was at global design and innovation firm IDEO as senior design lead for 10 years, where we practiced human-centered design across a wide range of industries. Being human-centered is to start with desirability, uncover latent needs, and then identify insights to inform design.

My charge at Taylor is to “energize the design process” and bring this human-centered design approach to solving challenges for the built environment. Additionally, I'll be encouraging engagement across the organization in the strategic upfront work, while inventing new ways of gathering feedback and testing design concepts later in the process.

GlobeSt.com: What are some of your favorite methods for upping the creative approach when solving big challenges?

Leonard: I was a journalist before I entered the design world, so I'm a big fan of getting out from behind the computer and into real conversations with people. I also love analogous research: looking outside of the industry you're designing for, to see what might inspire innovation. Empathy research is fun too, where you put yourself into the shoes of the end users. We need to remember we're designing for human beings with bodies and feelings and habits and histories. Empathy research is a great reminder of that.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about your role with Taylor Design?

Leonard: I was a rock critic, a full-on music journalist. I did an internship at Rolling Stone in New York while I was in grad school. That, and maybe the fact I wrote an award-winning book on “the future of global design” after I graduated from design school. These experiences have shaped the way I look at design: I see it as a legitimate process for solving the most critical problems facing our world today.

We sat down for a chat with Leonard about rule breaking in regard to CRE design and how she applies a creative approach to solve big challenges.

GlobeSt.com: When does it make sense to be a rule breaker?

When you ask, “Why are you doing something a certain way?” and the answer is, “That's the way it's always been done,” it's incredibly frustrating; it doesn't show creativity.

GlobeSt.com: What has your experience been so far in design, and how do you intend to bring that experience to Taylor?

GlobeSt.com: What are some of your favorite methods for upping the creative approach when solving big challenges?

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about your role with Taylor Design?

Instant Insights /

When Does It Make Sense to Break the Rules?

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