Jay Naduvilekunnel

September 4, 2015
ENGR 498: Systems Design
Video Lecture 1 Notes: Lighter, Faster, Cheaper by Lindsay Kinkade

Speaker: Lindsay Kinkade

o Background: Artist/graphic designer/urbanist at Design RePublic, journalist by
education
o Audience: JMU Industrial Design and Engineering students
o Catered more to design students, but relevant for whole audience

Move to Phoenix change in scale

o Much larger than former town (Providence, RI)
o Infrastructure built for modern times
Larger roads with more lanes
Bike lanes relatively new

Work centered around inviting new relationships

o Trying to build intimate connections with the citizens and their city
o Porch project
o Mobile bike garden workshop
o Promotion of events in downtown Phoenix
Excellent for economic development
Creation of a sustainable ecosystem
Street stencils for Phoenix

Crowd sourced design as a learning tool

o Learning about citizens, city; what works, what doesnt
o Roosevelt Row Artists District example
o Creative Commons shared map
Aimed at the pedestrian
o Sharing a collaborative culture
Phoenix Center for the Arts
Outside gallery that changes with the times
Old model for art: Individual _____; center breaks this model
Importance of brainstorming/communication
Bike-tastic future project with direct input from the community

Reflection
1. Design thinking is representative of the work Ms. Kinkade does for the city. This is most
apparent in her collaborative approach to planning. She works directly with Phoenix citizens
to gather information and brainstorm different ways of improving the city, both aesthetically
and practically. Moreover, she is always willing to experiment with new ideas and to explore
means of improvement from entirely new perspectives.
2. Ms. Kinkade may not share the same view of systems we know from an engineering
perspective, but her approach to understanding their complexities and designing systemic
solutions are very much the same. She takes the time to appreciate and understand the
conditions at play in a given situation, and then innovates by suggesting solutions and
executing a vision that benefits all stakeholders involved. The inspiration, ideation,
implementation cycle seems to be the basis for her approach to work.
3. Takeaways from the lecture:
Successful planning is contingent on good communication.
Empathy is, in many cases, the biggest driver of change. A good designer is insightful
and uses this trait to meet the needs and wants of his/her client(s). This is evidenced
in Kinkades willingness to learn about Phoenix, what is important to the citys
culture, and how it can be modernized without disrespecting its history.
Effective work is inspired by
o the places around you.
o the people you meet.
o the things you care about.