What Buddhism and Design Have in Common

In our first conversation of 2021, we speak with designer and architect James Ludwig, VP of Global Design and Product Engineering for Steelcase Inc., the world’s leading designer of office furniture. He’s also been practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism for a very long time.We discussed what design and Buddhism have in common, which is a lot, and how, at the beginning of a new year and new decade, we can think about designing our lives and solving big problems.Cheatsheet1:52 The design he's most proud of3:42 What he does day to day5:46 Growing up in a farm town 7:41 How he started practicing Buddhism8:53 How he found a path to industrial design10:03 What industrial design is11:22 Uncovering problems to solve through design13:46 Design example: reducing medical error15:35 How pain points can become opportunities16:27 What design and Buddhism have in common18:01 Iterating your way toward big goals19:09 How to work with other people better20:29 What "human revolution" means in Buddhism21:10 The three keys to breaking through in life and design23:24 How to think about "the now, the near and the far" 25:58 Designing for the future when the present is stressful29:11 James' experience developing a team through care35:35 Curiosity is more valuable than knowledge in approaching life37:40 How to generate options in your life through your own transformation38:49 Advice for anyone who feels like they haven't tapped into their full potential yet40:48 The difference between being bold and courageous42:22 How to set intentions or goals at the beginning of a year43:50 Envisioning yourself as one part of an ecosystem45:57 Advice for anyone who is ready to design their life47:10 A final thought on creating what's never been created before