Growing by Design

Simple Things to Set the Conditions for Co-Creation
In my last blog, I suggested that the Strategist and Tactician needed to co-create/collaborate (or, as you might have hummed it, 'should be friends'). In fact, we are often faced with collaborating with people different from ourselves in many ways--how...
Oh! The Strategist and the Tactician Should Be Friends!
(Sung to the tune of "Oh! The Farmer and the Cow-man Should Be Friends" from the musical Oklahoma!) Oh! The Strategist and the Tactician should be friends! Oh! The Strategist and the Tactician should be friends! One likes to imagine the f'ture now, The other likes to...
The Arc of Innovation
They did what? Yogurt from a Fashion Magazine? Salty Snacks launching a Lemonade? Lighters extending into Perfume? Toothpaste launches Frozen Foods? How does innovation like this make it out the door? I think it happens more often than we like to admit....

Just Yell LOUDER!!! (I don’t think so!)
"If John doesn't listen to you the first time, you just have to keep going back to be heard and yell louder!" Advice from one experienced traveling businessman to his younger colleague as I travelled behind them in the queue for security at the airport. I...
Is design thinking strategic or tactical? YES!
Is design thinking strategic or tactical? The answer is YES. It all depends on how you use it as to whether or not it is strategic or tactical. The most common use of design thinking is to solve a tangible, specific problem with a specific solution....
Alphabet Soup Lessons
Some clues on how to be successful in business, sports, human centered design, life.... C.O.G. B.C.D. E + R = O As 2016 begins, I have been reflecting on these letters of the alphabet to consider how to engage in this year of discovery, growth and joy. I thought you...

A Very Good Year
This year was a very good year and I am so appreciative. I built my business (Cindy Tripp & Company,LLC) and enjoyed working for other businesses (LPA Associates and UC Lindner School of Business) and with awesome clients and Boards. I had meaningful...
The Purist, the Pragmatic and the Principled
The Purist, the Pragmatic and the Principled…(walk into a bar? No...this is not the start of a bad joke). There are two primary stances in design thinking—Purists and Pragmatics. The Purist believes that design thinking must be done perfectly every time, with all...
Remembering and Dreaming
This fall has been so action packed it has been 2 1/2 months since my last blog. While the writing has been on hold, my mind has been full of thoughts. I thought I would share one of those with you in this post... My work recently has been focused on...
And…
It is all about the "AND" today in business.You have to consider your target audience as consumers AND peopleYou need your employees to bring their subject matter expertise AND their humanity to their workYou need to resolve business challenges without the...