first day at NeoCon

We spent the first day at NeoCon focused on continuous learning and looking at where the design industry is headed.

The panel discussion, IIDA Collective Design: The Future of Your Big Idea, provided an excellent framework for navigating growth and innovation. Thank you to the moderator Mark Bryan, IIDA, and panelists Adi Goodrich, Karli Slocum, and Carrie Buse for sharing their perspectives.

A few key takeaways that resonated with our team:

- Design for the problem first. Real innovation starts by focusing deeply on the core challenge rather than jumping straight to aesthetics.

- Follow genuine curiosity. Approaching the subjects that truly interest you is what ultimately creates standout work.

- Be open to the pivot. Embracing failure is simply part of the growth process. If you are unwilling to pivot from your original concept, you might miss the actual big idea.

- Direction over absolute certainty. You do not need to be confident about every single variable. Success comes from knowing your path and where you are headed.

We look forward to bringing these insights back into our ongoing projects at Design Seedling.