Guest Post: Stephen Riley // @stephenriley

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A lot of things inspire me; an important part of being creative is being interested in the world around you.

But one inspiration really stood out for me today - the (too few) leaders who truly put design first, in the face of tremendous risk.

And this is not just aesthetic design, this is total experience, crafted to feel a certain way.  Not how something looks, but how it feels.

Naturally Jobs came to mind as an icon of this inspiration; and what struck me about his resignation last week was the eulogy-like tweets,
as if he died.  Normally, when someone quits, people fight over their stuff.  But the tributes to Jobs were heartfelt and touching, something I've never quite seen before in this context.

Why? Because he never compromised.  He took huge risks.  He failed sometimes but clearly learned from it.  And the end result are a brand
and products that went to the heart.  I was asked recently if I preferred PC or mac, and why I preferred mac.  It was an easy answer, "because I like how it feels."  It's like he took the individually-crafted deliciousness of a Specialtys cookie and turned it into a mass-produced Keebler cookie that everyone could access and enjoy.

And that, to me, pretty much perfectly captures what the intent of design should be.