Nonlinear: Navigating Design with Curiosity and Conviction

From the acclaimed designer and bestselling author of Reimagining Design, a nonlinear approach to navigating design’s nuances in pursuit of meaningful innovation.

In Nonlinear, Kevin Bethune shows us that we can reject trodden paths of digital or physical product creation by taking advantage of a nonlinear approach. To unlock meaningful innovation that breeds new and novel outcomes, he writes, teams need to embark on a journey into the proverbial forest of ambiguity, the result of a rapidly converging, dynamic, and exponentially changing landscape. The journey is less about getting it right or wrong, and more about using the information we have at our disposal to understand our choices and unlock new learning.

Nonlinear begins by taking the reader through Bethune’s professional zigs and zags. The author explains that while his interdisciplinary leaps were rare at the time he took them, these varied experiences unlocked perspectives about design and innovation that uniquely prepared him for our present moment and for the future. He then showcases the role of quantitative information to strategically frame and set boundary conditions for our creative exploration, and he highlights the role of qualitative insights to provide the substance necessary to begin crafting solutions that address unmet needs. The book also identifies accelerants (or flywheels) that will help readers as they reflect on their journey through the forest of ambiguity, with a specific emphasis on diversity, a key theme for Bethune, a Black man who has navigated new horizons. Readers will enjoy having the chance to customize the author’s perspectives and make them their own at both an individual and a team level.

Kevin Bethune is Founder and Chief Creative Officer of dreams • design + life, a think tank that delivers design and innovation services using an empathic, holistic approach. He is the author of Reimagining Design: Unlocking Strategic Innovation (MIT Press). His background spans engineering, business, and design in equal proportion, positioning him to help brands deliver meaningful innovations to enrich people’s lives.