Creative Production
Monday, August 14, 10:45-11:30 AM
by Chris Conley
The way teams work has a huge impact on their ability to create successful new products and services. And while there are well-known business processes for many of a company's core activities like product development or supply chain management, there is not a well-articulated model for working on initiatives aimed at innovation. In this talk, Chris Conley will highlight how they work at Pixar Animation Studio and highlight principles that can provide companies in more "serious" businesses a similar level of success.
About Chris Conley
Chris Conley's teaching, research, and consulting is focused on a creative, multi-disciplinary approach to business innovation called Integrated Definition. This way of working integrates research and design to create meaningfully differentiated products and services that drive business growth. He practices what he preaches as a Director of Gravity Tank, a rapidly growing consulting firm that delivers Integrated Definition to Fortune 500 clients including Unilever, Goodyear, Samsung, Office Max, Motorola, and McDonalds.
As an Associate Professor and head of the Human-Centered Product Design track at the Institute of Design, Chris has taught product design, planning, and user-centered methods to design and business students over the past 14 years. He is routinely rated as an outstanding instructor for his ability to relate advanced theories to professional practice. Chris is a regular contributor to design conferences and competitions worldwide and is the 2006 Chair of the IDEA/BusinessWeek Awards.
Prior to Gravity Tank, Chris was Director of Global Design Planning for Motorola where he established a global experience research process that enabled the company to better understand users' wireless experience in key regions around the world including Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
He holds a Master of Science of Design degree from ID and an engineering degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology.