The document discusses the implementation of design thinking in economic development and its impact on creating new identities for destinations, highlighted by significant increases in website traffic and recognition for best practices. It outlines challenges faced by cities such as workforce availability and job creation, emphasizing the necessity of a user-centered approach to address these 'wicked problems.' The piece advocates for collaboration, reframing problems, and co-creating solutions to adapt to the changing dynamics of urban environments.

1. CEO, Atlas CEO, Better Practice

2. Design Thinking for
Destinations

3. THE RESULTS: A new brand and position for the county, a new business identity, the relocation of Boeing to Charleston County, and
an increase in website visits by 150%. In addition this website won the best economic development website in the world in 2011.
6Countries
48States
461Places
Since 2001

4. • Co-hosting Disrupt-ED November 9-11
(Denver)
• Disseminating new white paper on impact
and influence of economic development
• offers.atlas-advertising.com/econ-dev-
white-paper-2017
• Releasing new tourism white paper in
tandem with the U.S. Travel Association
Join the Movement!
Type in “send me a copy” into your chat box

5. Poll

6. Poll Results

9. CITIES ARE CHANGING WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

10. What Are the Challenges Cities Face?
1. Workforce availability
2. Job creation
3. Demographics
4. Infrastructure
5. Water
6. Energy
7. Affordable housing
8. Crime
9. Visitor spending
10.Income Inequality
ISSUES
You start from what people, users, customers, prospects, visitors (...) need,
their motivations and the problems they are trying to solve.

11. How Are Cities Approaching Problems?
Divide and conquer (Over) simplify Force a solution
(to satisfy the most powerful players)

12. 50% 5%40%
75% 10% 10% 5%
What Matters Most?
Job Creation Workforce Demographics Visitor Spending
5%

13. WHY CAN’T WE HAVE IT ALL?

14. Solving Wicked Problems

15. Wicked problems are highly resistant to
solutions.

16. How Did We Get Here?

17. MAKE PEOPLE WANT THINGS MAKE THINGS PEOPLE WANT

18. MAKE THINGS
THAT PEOPLE NEED

19. Quality of Life
Economic
Environmental
Commercial

20. Introducing Design Thinking

21. 22

22. Earliest tools
2.5 million years ago
Specialized tools
40 thousand years ago
Urban design &
architecture in
Mesopotamia
10 thousand years ago
Development of
cuneiform in Sumer
5 thousand years ago
First citation of verb
“design”
1548
First citation of noun
“design”
1588
Industrial revolution
in Great Britain
Mid 18th century
The Practical
Draughtsman’s Book
of Industrial Design
First use of the term
“industrial design”
1853
Design Thinking,
Design Theory Series
MIT Press
2015

23. Useful
Iterative
What is Design Thinking?
Collaborative
Abstract
Creative

24. A User-Centered
Approach to
Problem Solving90%
is about reframing the problem

25. “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend
55 minutes thinking about the problem and
5 minutes thinking about the solution.”
~ Albert Einstein

26. How Design Thinking Feels
“The Process of Design Squiggle” by Damien Newman, Central Office of Design

27. What is Design Thinking?
Reframe the problem for
better outcomes

28. Applied Examples

29. Medellin by Design

31. “GM begins testing autonomous cars in Detroit.”

32. NICHE & UNREALIZED
POTENTIAL
UNFOCUSED STANDARD POTENTIAL
LEADERSHIP
High Touch
(Relationships and Knowledge)
HighTech
(DifferentiationandRelevance)
Design Thinking for Marketing Systems
• Data Visualization
• VR Experiences
• SEM
• Websites
• Social
• Mobile Applications
• Marketing Automation
• Content Marketing
• Trade shows
• Fam Tours
• Cocktails and handshakes
• Employer Surveys• Council Meetings
• Sub Committees • Elevated PR
• Digital Marketing
BROKEN.
The old
marketing playbook
is

33. CIRCULAR QUAY, SYDNEY

35. Poll

36. Poll Results

43. WHAT ROLE WILL YOU PLAY
IN THE FUTURE OF YOUR DESTINATION?

44. FACILITATING DESIGN THINKING

45. When you find yourself facing a wicked problem…

46. STOP
1

47. Take a deep, cleansing breath.
2

48. Step back.
3

49. What voices have I not been hearing?
What conversations have not been had?
4

50. 5
Go listen to those voices.
Facilitate those conversations.

51. 6
Become a new observer.
Reframe the problem.

52. Meta-collaborate.
7

53. Create new frames together.
8

54. Explore themes together.
9

55. Co-create a new possibility together.
10

56. A Design Thinking Worksheet

57. IF THE ONLY TOOL THAT YOU HAVE IS A HAMMER,
YOU TEND TO SEE EVERY PROBLEM AS A NAIL
- Abraham Maslow

58. CITIES ARE CHANGING
WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

59. IF YOU WEREN’T A HAMMER…

60. IF YOU WEREN’T A HAMMER…
WHAT COULD YOU BE?

61. Guillermo Mazier, CEO
1860 Blake Street, Suite B101 Denver,
CO 80202 USA
+913 742-1720 (Cell)
+303 292-3300 (Office)
www.atlas-advertising.com
www.blog.atlas-advertising.com
Connect With Us + Questions
Guillermom@atlas-advertising.com
913.742.1720
joe@betterpractice.com
303.941.2659