Our dependence on technology is changing how creativity is developed and promoted. Traditionally, artists worked alone but now an extroverted, celebrity-like personality is valued over independent thinkers. This document proposes that a model embracing introverted qualities could lead to more innovative design by allowing solitary, deep thinking without peer pressure. It questions if we are losing creative work by overvaluing the extroverted ideal.

1. THE
PERSONALITY
OF
DESIGN
Friday, April 20, 2012

2. Our dependence on technology to share and
cooperate is radically changing the traditional
framework of how we develop and promote
creative solutions.
In the mid-20th century, creative services were
often provided by artists working in isolation who
produced works of beauty and pragmatism
without the friction of a group atmosphere.
Today’s creative business model overvalues highly
visible, technology interdependent assertive and
celebrity-like behavior, thus marginalizing more
autonomous thinkers.
This thesis presents the hypothesis that a re-
invented model for the “introvert” will lead to a
nonconformist, innovative, resonating and
therefore more successful designer ideal.
Friday, April 20, 2012

3. NOW TECHNOLOGY
INTERDEPENDENCE
JUSTIN BIEBER
AGE: 17
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Music
KLOUT Score (Standard of
Online Influence): 100
out of 100
TWITTER FOLLOWERS:
20 million (3% of total twitter traffic)
FACEBOOK LIKES: 42 million
YOUTUBE LIKES: 2 billion
(first ever to pass 2 billion)
Friday, April 20, 2012

4. 1950s and 60s CULTURE OF SEMI ISOLATION
PAUL RAND
SOURCE OF WEALTH: Design
DESCRIBED AS: AN INTROVERTED,
FORMAL MAN
MODEST (I’m certainly not the only guy at
IBM...there are lots of us), a
PERFECTIONIST (...because he knows...),
a stickler for DETAILS
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5. NOW OVERVALUING THE EXTROVERT
(dependents)
EXTROVERT
sociable, gregarious, excitable, dominant, assertive, active, risk-taking,
thick-skinned, outer-directed, lighthearted, bold, comfortable in spotlight
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6. “We want to attract creative people,”
the director of human resources at a major media company told me. When I asked what
she meant by “creative, she answered without missing a beat.
“You have to be outgoing, fun
and jazzed up to work here.”
WHAT ARE WE
LOSING?
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7. HENRY
FORD
ROSA
PARKS
GEORGE
ORWELL
STEVEN
SPEILBERG
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8. What is? vs What if?
extrovert introvert
() )(
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9. STAN BRACKAGE
FILM MAKER / ARTIST
INTROVERT
The artist in the studio lives a life of
intense isolation, yet one which by
its very nature produces work that
resonates with broader meaning and
relevance. By conjecture, this kind
of work benefits immeasurably from
the imposed solace of the studio, an
environment that begets its own
fierce concentration.
JESSICA HELFELD, DESIGN OBSERVER
Stan Brakhage
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10. SOLITUDE IS A
CATALYST FOR
INNOVATION
SUSAIN CAIN
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11. MATT PYKE
DESIGNER/ONLINE
COLLABORATOR
INTROVERT
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12. Friday, April 20, 2012

13. • 1 more?
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14. Isolationists:
requires less stimulation to do more
do not rely on instant gratification (reward limits creativity)
not affected by peer pressure, not people pleasers
process environment unusually deeply (physical and emotional)
highly empathetic
more careful, digest information thoroughly
sensitive
work more accurately
as leaders, more likely to let other peoples do what they do best and work alone
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15. AWAKEN
DISTURB
COMMUNICATE
COMMAND
INSTIGATE
PROVOKE
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16. Personality defines us as much as
gender or race.
We are living in a time of an
idealized, unfair perception of
what a creative thinker should be.
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17. proposal
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