Fred Dust

A former Senior Partner and Global Managing Director at the legendary design firm IDEO shows how to design conversations and meetings that are creative and impactful. Conversations are one of the most fundamental means of communicating we have as humans. At their best, conversations are unconstrained, authentic and open--two or more people sharing thoughts and ideas in a way that bridges our individual experiences, achieves a common goal. At their worst, they foster misunderstanding, frustration and obscure our real intentions. How often do you walk away from a conversation feeling really heard? That it moved the people in it forward in some important way? You're not alone. In his practice as a designer, Fred Dust began to approach conversations differently. After years of trying to broker communication between colleagues and clients, he came to believe there had to a way to design the art of conversation itself with intention and purpose, but still artful and playful. Making Conversation codifies what he learned and outlines the four elements essential to successful exchanges: Commitment, Creative Listening, Clarity, and Context. Taken together, these four elements form a set of resources anyone can use to be more deliberate and purposeful in making conversations work.

Seven Essential Elements of Meaningful Communication

Making Conversation

IDEO

Trust one of the most inventive companies in the world to come up with an entirely fresh take on travel books. IDEO, the world-renowned design and innovation firm, shifts the attention of the traveler and everyday observer from mere sightseeing toward looking—really looking—at their surroundings. City by city, each book reveals authentic discoveriesat every turn. Culled from the experiences and observations of IDEO's designers, cultural anthropologists, and architects, this volume delves into the social, architectural, and epicurean scenes of London. Insightful, easy-to-use, packed with photographs, and presented in a convenient on-the-go format, IDEO Eyes Open rekindles curiosity and invites visitors—and residents—to see these cities with fresh eyes.

Fred Dust

Books

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