Dick fosbury ux design lessons

What Designers and Strategists Can Learn from Dick Fosbury

Who the heck is Dick Fosbury?

Here’s Dick setting an Olympic high jump record with a height of 2.24 meters (7’ 4.25”) at the 1968 summer Olympics in Mexico City.

His technique became famous and was named the “Fosbury flop”

“The Straddle Technique”

But how does any of this relate to Designers and Strategists?

Fosbury’s success had a lot to do with innovation.

Dick’s coach replaced the sawdust with foam rubber.

By cushioning his landing, Fosbury could radically change his approach and movement over the bar.

Within a few years, almost every high jumper had adopted his style.

His innovative approach to a sport that seemed to have reached its limits was ridiculed at first.

”…Fosbury is the world's Laziest High Jumper."

”…he looks like a fish flopping in a boat."

As designers and strategists, it’s our role to follow trends and innovations, and to ask questions.

Crate & Barrel, 2003

Crate & Barrel, 2008

Crate & Barrel, 2013

Crate & Barrel, 2018?

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Buttons and Gesture

Voice

Video/Motion

Ambient systems

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