Tim Brown: The Intersection of AI and Human Creativity in Design Thinking

FranklinCovey On Leadership

FranklinCovey

Business, Management

4.9 • 851 Ratings

🗓️ 14 October 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We sit down with Tim Brown, Chair of IDEO and pioneer of design thinking, for an inspiring conversation on the future of design, leadership, and creativity. Tim reflects on projects he’s proudest of while sharing why good design must address both functional and emotional needs. Tim also dives into the intersection of AI and human creativity—how it’s currently reshaping existing designs, and where it could take us in generating entirely new possibilities. With lessons on collaboration, leadership, and the value of exploring ideas across disciplines, this episode shines light on how design is not just for art but for business. Level up skills like productivity, effectiveness, and trust to thrive alongside advancing technology. Download our guide Elevating Human Skills in the Age of AI: https://resources.franklincovey.com/c/tlg-elevating-human-skills?x=j4G37p&lb-mode=overlay FranklinCovey’s world-class learning solutions—delivered Live-Online, On Demand, or Live In-Person—are designed to build exceptional leadership skills and enrich your culture at every level of your organization. To learn more, email us at [email protected], visit franklincovey.com, or call us at: 1-888-868-1776

Transcript

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0:00.0	For the uninitiated, could you just give a brief explanation of what design thinking is and why it matters so much?
0:06.1	Those mindsets include things like being user-centered, actually trying to solve a problem for other people, not yourself.
0:13.7	It's something that often, it's funny, it's like the first step that often people stumble over when they're thinking about solving a problem.
0:20.9	It's very easy to solve a problem where you think you know the problem and you think you know
0:26.4	the right answer to the problem. And we obviously do that every day in our lives. But when we're
0:30.5	designing, we're really trying to, we're really trying to solve problem for others. So you can't do
0:35.0	that without really focusing on those others, without understanding.
0:38.7	So, you know, that includes going out and doing real research and really understanding their
0:42.8	lives and understanding how they face the problem that you might be trying to solve.
0:51.3	Hello and welcome to Franklin Covey on leadership. I'm your host, Will Hodling, Franklin Covey's head of product. In these conversations, we will meet with many of the world's greatest leaders to explore the mistakes, methods, and mindsets that help them become the impactful people they are today. We hope that their hard-earned insights accelerate you on your journey. Today's
1:13.1	guest is Tim Brown, who really popularized the concept of design thinking in the world. Tim was
1:19.1	the CEO of IDO, the world's leading design consultancy for nearly two decades. He's the author of
1:25.7	HBR's seminal piece design thinking and the book Change
1:29.4	by Design. In today's wide-ranging conversation, we'll discuss the roots of design thinking,
1:35.4	how design thinking has changed over the years, the designers and products that he admires most,
1:41.1	the lessons learned as the CEO of IDEO for nearly two decades, and what the future
1:46.3	of design in the age of AI is. We hope you enjoyed today's conversation. Tim Brown, welcome to
1:51.6	Franklin Covey on leadership. Thanks so much, Will. Great to be here. Absolutely, great to have you.
1:56.5	I'm incredibly excited about today's conversation. I'd love to start by investigating great design.
2:02.4	What is the product that you have designed in your career,
2:05.9	either personally or as part of a team at IDO,
2:08.6	that you are proudest of and why?
	...

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