EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE

“(ELEVEN), a Place
Where Anything Is
Possible.”
by Glen Walter

f innovation is about thinking out-

I side the box, then Glen Walter’s
reflections are right on the mark.
Influenced by Eastern philosophy, he
urges design managers to immerse
themselves in the bounty of ideas around them, to listen to their inner voices, to
understand failure as learning, to lose their egos, to nurture passion, and to trust
their intuition and spirit—pathways that generate exciting revelations and new
directions.

For almost 25 years, I have immersed
myself in design. And at the same time,
like many other people, I have increas-
ingly felt the need to uncover the deeper
meaning in my life. I have taken com-
fort and inspiration from philosophers,
such as Rumi, the thirteenth-century
Glen Walter, Co-Founder Sufi poet, and Lao Tsu, the author of the
and Managing Member, Tao Te Ching, and I have added to my
Design (ELEVEN) knowledge with the help of Wayne Dyer,
Caroline Myss, and Eckhart Tolle, who
specialize in translating ancient Eastern
theories into palatable accounts for
those of us in the West. As (ELEVEN)
evolves and my perception of an inno-
vative design culture matures, I increas-
ingly draw on the principles and
practices of Eastern philosophies to
guide our studio.
I have sought to apply the concep-
tual building blocks that are the foun-
dation of Eastern philosophy to
life—and to business, which is an inte-
gral part of life. I have found that the
time-tested truisms of Eastern philos-
ophy create circumstances and envi-
ronments that are conducive to
creativity and abundance. (ELEVEN)’s
mission has always been highly
focused on creativity and innovation,
and our passion for problem solving
has led us to develop and participate
in a variety of unique business models
and a multitude of product types and
brands. However, to embrace such
diversity requires a flexible manage-
ment approach utilizing instinctual
precision and balance. It became

Design Management Review Winter 2005 17

Innovation by Design

immediately obvious that a unique set of Unlimited potential is a captivating

dynamics was necessary in order to achieve the formula for success.
level of excellence to which we aspired. The universe offers an abundance of solu-
How do the ideas tions. Peer into the vastness of space and experi-
Given the immense and practices of
Eastern philosophy
ence the feeling of infinity. It is spatially
inconceivable. If one were to travel at the speed
untapped resources relate to extreme free- of light (300,000 kilometers per second), it
dom of thought, would take only one second to leave the earth
available, do not expression, and creativ- and reach the moon. Andromeda is our neigh-
ity on organizational, boring galaxy. Traveling at the speed of light, it
allow yourself or as well as individual, would take 2.3 million years to reach
your staff to have levels? I would like to Andromeda. There are billions of galaxies like
discuss a basic set of ours in the universe.
low expectations of principles that, once We cannot comprehend this vastness. We are
understood and prac- but a minuscule speck suspended in a cosmos
what you or they ticed, are extremely with no boundaries. The possibilities of new,
are capable of empowering. They are exciting solutions are in scale with the abun-
enormously effective dance of the universe. Where does your mind
creating. tools for exploring cre- start and end? What are its boundaries? Try to
ativity both personally envision the vastness of resources from which it
and professionally. draws its energy. An open mind can achieve
“All IS ONE” is a universal truth at the center whatever it can imagine. It allows you to discov-
of Eastern philosophy. The omnipresent energy er, conceive, and develop.
that spins the earth and aligns the universe also Given the immense untapped resources avail-
holds our atoms together. This thread of energy able, do not allow yourself or your staff to have
is present in everything we see, feel, and imag- low expectations of what you or they are capable
ine. We are all connected. Innovation is truly
about making new connections.
Building an organization that has creative
energy begins with a basic belief that anything is
possible. You must open your mind and let go of
your ego. Wayne Dyer advises, “I urge you to
open your mind to all possibilities, to resist any
efforts to be pigeonholed, and to refuse to allow
pessimism into your consciousness.” Always strive
to be positive as a leader, as well as a citizen.

Immerse yourself in the bounty that

surrounds us.
Creativity does not coexist with negativity. How
can anyone create and be a pessimist? We live in
a world in which our knowledge base is embry-
onic at best. Consider the beauty of nature in
the spring. Look for a seedling emerging from
the ground. Sense the wonder of what you are
examining. You are witnessing life. What is the
origin or creative spark that moves the universe “All IS ONE” is a universal truth at the center of Eastern philosophy. The
to play with form and stirs life to sprout? No one omnipresent energy that spins the earth and aligns the universe also holds our
on earth has even the slightest idea. atoms together. This thread of energy is present in everything we see, feel,
and imagine. We are all connected. Innovation is truly about making new con-
nections.

18 Design Management Review Winter 2005


of creating. As psychologist Abraham Maslow
once said, “If you deliberately set out to be less
than you are capable of, you will be unhappy for
the rest of your life.”
Set an example for others to follow. Be recep-
tive! Get your people to believe.
Open your mind to everything that is positive.
Be aware. What you think about multiplies in
your life. If your thoughts are predominately
negative and you have a closed mind, you will
experience indications of your thinking. If you
think positively and you make a conscious deci-
sion to open your mind to everything that is
positive, then you’ll act upon that universal
energy. You will be the creator, as well as the
beneficiary, of phenomenal results. Nothing
manifests itself in the man-made physical world
without a thought to get the ball rolling.
I am consistently amazed by the people at
(ELEVEN). They have such a high level of open-
ness to what is feasible. The ability to participate
in miracles happens when you open your mind
to its limitless potential. We have a sign in our
conference room that reads “(ELEVEN), a place
where anything is possible.”
Open your mind to everything that is positive. I am consistently amazed by
the people at (ELEVEN). They have such a high level of openness to what is
feasible. The ability to participate in miracles happens when you open your
mind to its limitless potential. We have a sign in our conference room that
reads “(ELEVEN), a place where anything is possible.”
(ELEVEN), a Place Where Anything Is Possible
Attach yourself to nothing…. Lose your ego.
“A mind that is open to anything must also be
attached to nothing.” Your attachments can be
the basis of your problems. The need to be right,
to win at all costs, to possess something or
someone, or to be viewed
as a cut above the rest are
all forms of attachments.
Reward
Let go of the need to be kindness and give
right. If you are right, then
others must be wrong. Give people the chance
up the need to be superior.
Wayne Dyer articulates,
to be right. This
“True nobility is not about type of behavior
being better than another,
but being better than you allows positive
used to be.”
Reward kindness and energy to flow.
give people the chance to
be right. This type of behavior allows positive
energy to flow. Positive energy is creative energy.
It will escalate throughout an organization. A
venue that minimizes ego and self-importance
gains momentum and allows creativity to grow
exponentially.
Design is a funny thing. The need for design-
ers to possess an oversized ego is ultimately
false—as well as seductive. This delusion is lead-
ing our profession down a very self-destructive
path. When our ego views the world, it creates
illusion. We must strive to shed that ego and
move closer to the truth around us. The individ-
ual ego intensifies the collective ego, which seeks
more, better, and bigger in order to enjoy this
false success.
More and more is being designed and pro-
duced irresponsibly. If we as designers do not act
in a responsible manner, there will ultimately be
a reaction to this behavior. Ego thrives on con-
sumption. It fools us into believing that we must
have more in order to achieve peace in our lives.
“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the
whole world belongs to you,” says Lao Tsu.
Management through intuition and spirit.
(ELEVEN), LLC and Eleven point five, LLC are
establishments that carefully balance creativity
and business on a daily basis. Between them,
they are involved with creating products and
brands in three distinct areas: fee-for-service
Design Management Review Winter 2005 19
Innovation by Design
consulting; intellectual-property-based licensed
products; and a new partnership, with creative
input, in an exciting consumer-products compa-
ny targeted at mass merchants. Each type of
business arrangement requires assorted results in
varying timeframes, so maintaining a finely
tuned equilibrium of available talent and finan-
cial stability has been a key to entrepreneurial
leadership and living our creative dream.
I would venture to estimate that 98 percent of
business is performed systematically, operating
under a preconceived set of management
ground rules and litmus tests. However, if we
were to identify the most creative business lead-
ers, we might find that they maneuver through
life utilizing a set of resources that is unique to
them. They tap into a natural yet refined set of
instincts some might label as a sixth sense. They
have learned to banish doubt from their mental
vocabularies. This leads them to a place of
“knowing.”
By knowing I mean the type of knowledge
that feeds one’s intuition. This type of knowing
allows for the confidence and self-esteem that
gives one the ability to learn and expand one’s
knowledge. It’s very different from the type of
Learn to listen to your inner voice. Stop and point to yourself.
Chances are your finger is pointing at your heart, not at your brain.
This may be the portal of awareness. It is intuitive. It comes out of
nothingness but is vast and capable of producing the highest levels of
conceptualization.
20 Design Management Review Winter 2005
knowledge that accrues to a know-it-all. When
one truly knows, without question, the solution
or outcome one achieves can be truly inspir-
ing—far beyond what one initially believed was
possible. What if you had never been asked to
accept your limitations? What if you had always
been encouraged to exercise the power of your
mind without boundaries?
Most business are managed and operated on
beliefs. There are endless streams of belief-driven
data, from checklist performance reviews to
hierarchal reporting charts and reams of statisti-
cal graphs, spreadsheets, and focus-group
results. Great leaders transcend beliefs and enter
into the realm of knowing. Knowing lives within
you, free of doubt. Learn to use and trust your
intuition by leaving doubt behind and expand-
ing your borders. When you are listening to
intuition and you are in a position of knowing,
the fear of failure, condemnation, anguish, seclu-
sion, looking foolish, or even success will not
factor into your quest for a solution.
Buckminster Fuller once said, “Everyone is born
a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses
them.”
Steve Jobs changed the way the world thinks
about information. Why is he worth billions of
dollars to a corporation? Is it his ability to read a
spreadsheet, or is it his ability to connect himself
to the abundance of the universe and deliver
that energy through actionable ideas? He has
learned to take notice and become an observer,
thus allowing his senses to work for him in
extraordinary ways. Is Job’s mind filled with
constant chatter, or does the genius emanate
from the silence spaces between his thoughts?
Do ideas and images float together and connect
in a magnificent, choreographed dance of
awareness?
Learn to listen to your inner voice.
Stop and point to yourself. Chances are your fin-
ger is pointing at your heart, not your brain.
This may be the portal of awareness. It is intu-
itive and comes out of nothingness, yet it is vast
and capable of producing the highest levels of
conceptualization. Eckhart Tolle tells us,
“Knowledge achieved by realization is of a much
higher order than intellectual reasoning.” An
ancient Eastern philosopher said, “It is the space
 (ELEVEN), a Place Where Anything Is Possible

between the bars that restrains the tiger.” The finest professional athletes can respond
Why do solutions come easier when one is at instantaneously to any game situation because
peace, close to nature, or ready for sleep in a they are no longer thinking about how to
near-dream state? Our ego-driven civilization achieve anything. They have transcended
resists the fact that most of the knowledge thought by evolving into a confident instinctual
mankind strives so hard to understand originat- awareness. Their fundamental movements are as
ed not from a human mind but from some natural as breathing, allowing them to keep their
other source of energy. full attention on that particular moment in that
Physicist Max Planck said at his Nobel particular game.
acceptance speech, “As a man who has devoted At (ELEVEN), we often participate in high-
his life to the most clear-headed science, to the level client meetings with many disciplines and
study of matter, I can tell you as the result of my levels of management. We specialize at seeing
research about atoms this much: There is no through the myriad of opinions and the reams
matter as such! All matter originates and exists of positive knowledge that are often presented.
only by virtue of a force which brings the parti- We look for the threads of brilliance that weave
cles of an atom to vibration and holds this most themselves through the ideas that are discussed.
minute solar system of the atom together…. We Living in the now and seeing beyond the chaotic
must assume behind this force the existence of a mist into the clarity of a singular realistic and
conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the winning vision is one of the most exhilarating
matrix of all matter.” Learn to listen to the part and valuable gifts we can give our clients.
of you that is connected with this universal
intelligence. Listening to the voice of passion.
Do you fit into life comfortably? Do you live by
Living in the now. the book? Whose book is it? Your life may look
In order to live at higher levels of awareness, you right, but does it feel right? Are you doing what
must be present and “live in the now.” I have you came here to do? The answer is in your pas-
heard the past described as “the wake of the
boat, which does nothing to propel you for-
ward.” Your personal history is composed of
beliefs about yourself that fill your inner space
and shape how you act in the present. Leave the
past behind. Empty your inner space and collect
new, more positive energy that is unbiased and
open and thus closer to creativity.
If you live in the now, you are no longer in a
reactive relationship with events in the past and
the future. You yourself become a “participant of
form.” And form can only exist in the present.
The past is gone, and the future does not yet
exist. Being consciously aware of your place in
the now slows down the chatter in your mind
and focuses your attention on the interaction
around you. All that is left is the simplicity of the
moment. You become clear and receptive,
enabling you to perform at higher levels of
understanding, conceptualization, and vision.
Your ability to weave solutions from a complex Living in the now. If you live in the now, you are no longer in a reactive rela-
array of input becomes enjoyable and natural. tionship with events in the past and the future. You yourself become a partici-
Your appreciation for life becomes deeper and pant of form.
more gratifying.

Design Management Review Winter 2005 21

Innovation by Design

sion. What is it that stirs your soul and makes Acknowledgement

you feel that you are totally in harmony with Photo illustrations by Keitero Yoshioka.
your purpose for being here? Kahlil Gibran
wrote: “When you work, you are a flute through Contact Information:
whose heart the whispering of the hours turn to Glen Walter
music. To love life through labor is to be inti- Managing Member, Design
mate with life’s inmost secret. All work is empty (ELEVEN)
save when there is love, for work is love made 179 South Street
visible.” Boston, MA 02111
The feelings you sense inside you, the ones (617)-204-1100
pushing you to take risks and follow your (617)-204-1103 (fax)
dreams, are your intuitive bond to the purpose glen@eleven.net
in your heart. When this inner connection to
your purpose is in harmony with what you were Suggested Readings
meant to do or be, creativity flows, with prolific Wayne W. Dyer, The Power of Intention: Learning
results. to Co-create Your World Your Way (London: Hay
This often requires change and can be a scary House, 2004)
proposition. Put fear in perspective and realize it
is an illusion. No one ever fails. Failure is only a Caroline Myss, Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven
result to be learned from. Love and respect for Stages of Power and Healing (New York: Three
yourself and your purpose will transcend your Rivers Press, 1996)
fears and allow you to laugh when you trip up
along the way. Ancient wisdom says, “Fear Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now: A Guide to
knocked at the door. Love answered, and no one Spiritual Enlightenment (Novato, CA: New
was there.” And Rudyard Kipling wrote, “If you World Library, 1999)
can meet triumph and disaster, and treat those
two impostors just the same… yours is the earth Lao Tsu, (Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English,
and everything that’s in it.” Translators), Tao Te Ching : 25th-Anniversary
Edition (New York: Vintage; 25th anniversary
Conclusion. edition, 1997)
Nothing in the preceding words is new or
unique. I have only assembled a few thoughts
that have been handed down through the ages.
At (ELEVEN), we have found that these princi-
ples hold the key to building an incredibly capa-
ble organization that feels good about itself. We
are open to evolution and change, for each day
brings new faces, experiences, and energies. It is
not an easy proposition. We often lose our way,
but we try very hard to find our center again.
Our natural instincts led us down this path
originally. Letting the passion shine through the
beliefs lead to a “knowing.” To begin the process
of reading and studying these philosophies and
principles validated our journey even more. If
there are others out there who feel there may be
better ways to approach business management, I
encourage them to begin their own journeys.
Jump into the abundance the universe has to
offer!

22 Design Management Review Winter 2005


Symbol Technologies and (ELEVEN):
The Women-First Project
(ELEVEN)’s relationship with Symbol
Technologies began in fall 1999. Symbol is a
leader in the world of mobile computers and
other enterprise mobility solutions. Alistair
Hamilton, the director of Symbol’s industrial
design and human interface department, was
busy moving the organization beyond award-
winning form into a functional aesthetic cen-
tered squarely on the user experience.
Hamilton focused instinctively on a product
position in need of low-cost innovation. He
knew that Symbol lacked creative point-of-pur-
chase scanning solutions for the majority of
their big-box customers. His initial objective for
(ELEVEN) was to develop a series of conceptual
observations in order to pinpoint consumer
needs and desires. This valuable information
would theoretically improve all of Symbol’s
products moving forward.
Instead of engaging a firm that specialized in
product research to analyze the untapped uni-
verse of bar-code reading, he asked (ELEVEN).
We were to observe and gain understanding of a
panorama of retail personalities and landscapes.
At the time, we knew very little about scanning
in general and/or that magical point-of-sale at
retail, and we were completely open and honest
with Hamilton about our naïveté. We explained
to him that at (ELEVEN), we do not have a sep-
arate research department. We believe designers
“Integrate Female Preferences: We found that a vast majority of the people handling the
retail transactions were female. Women first became our mantra.
(ELEVEN), a Place Where Anything Is Possible
must form an empathetic bond between the user
and the product the designers are working on.
Such first-hand experience assures that the con-
clusions the designers and engineers unearth
will be present as value-added features in the
products they design and build. This premise is
crucial to us, and Hamilton agreed, giving us the
latitude to learn and explore.
The first thing we did was to re-define the
problem from a business viewpoint to a user
viewpoint. For instance:
• Business viewpoint: “I need low-level,
value-based scanners to fill out my
product line.”
• User experience viewpoint: “These new
products offer essential new features that
make it easier for retail workers to do
their jobs with fewer mistakes and less
fatigue. My customers will find them
absolutely necessary.”
We began to observe the retail purchase process
by taking a digital video camera, embedding it in
an architect’s drawing tube, and discreetly
sewing it into a computer laptop bag (luckily, we
were working with Tumi Luggage at the time).
We then proceeded to inconspicuously video-
tape more than 1,400 retail transactions. Each
The LS1900 was the final embodiment of our journey. It is a smooth wand that extends the
user’s reach and sets the scan angle at a comfortable position in a wide range of motion
Design Management Review Winter 2005 23
Innovation by Design
retail category was represented, from mass mer-
chants such as Wal-Mart to boutique shops on
Boston’s posh Newbury Street. We covered
Home Depot and other outlets that sell large
objects; we also covered CVS and other stores
that sell a tremendous number of small items.
We visited department stores, chain stores in
malls, and mom-and-pop stores. After reviewing
all we observed, we felt we understood users’
attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, routines, and pat-
terns of behavior. We also understood issues of
store layout, checkout counter/aisle, furniture,
and fixturing. (ELEVEN) became obsessed with
identifying product opportunities while illustrat-
ing potential areas for Symbol to capitalize on in
the future.
We intuitively boiled this tremendous
amount of data down to one very relevant point:
Integrate female preferences.
We found that a vast majority of the people
handling the retail transactions were female.
However, Symbol’s product line projected a
“male” aesthetic. The existing scan guns,
although beautiful to look at, were geared
toward men. The design language was strong,
intense, and positioned at a male audience. We
recommended that Symbol explore a more func-
tionally feminine aesthetic: Women first became
our internal mantra.
Of course, “women first” was not to be found
on a spreadsheet. However, it was recognized
instinctually as a core idea, and it eventually
proved to be correct. Women were the ones
doing this work, and they should be honored as
(ELEVEN) took the research information and began a series of blue-sky sessions, rapidly visual-
izing on the fly.
24 Design Management Review Winter 2005
such. We took this essential information and
began a series of blue-sky sessions, visualizing
on the fly and exploring new product configura-
tions and value-added features associated with
the retail point of purchase. Here are a few of
our favorite methods:
• Brainstorm.
• Applied imagination: adapt, modify, magni-
fy, minify, substitute, rearrange, reverse, and
combine.
• Bionics ideation: applying nature to man-
made things.
• Synectics: making the familiar seem strange.
This avoids repetitive solutions in a con-
scious attempt to take a new look at an old
world. Synectics distorts, twists, transposes,
or in some other way changes the manner
in which we normally look at problems.
• Projection: Change our point of view;
become the other person or object for a
while. Learning to see problems from
another point of view often results in a
solution to the problem.
• PAG PAU (problems as given, problems as
used): Attempts to manipulate creative
thinking. During brainstorming, all ideas
are accepted without comment, question, or
challenge.
We have been told that our journey with Symbol Technologies has made a lasting impact.
 (ELEVEN), a Place Where Anything Is Possible

The first part of our journey ended with the Alistair Hamilton’s vision and willingness to take
design of the LS1900 scanner. Working collabo- a chance allowed (ELEVEN)’s talent to benefit
ratively with Symbol’s in-house design team to Symbol Technologies. Both parties were deeply
refine the final form, (ELEVEN) developed a satisfied, leading to a long-standing relationship
smooth wand that ergonomically fits a women’s of mutual respect. We relish the opportunity to
hand and extends the user’s reach while setting be involved with such talented people!

the scan angle at a comfortable position in a Reprint #05161WAL17
wide range of motions. The LS 1900 has sold
extremely well. During its tenure, it led all scan-
ner sales.
The initial research results turned out to be
useful in many ways. The information
(ELEVEN) uncovered went far beyond the
LS1900 to make a lasting impact. The overall
research has had an effect on Symbol’s product
approach moving forward. Our retail studies are
still in circulation, and our hidden video camera
has become part of Symbol’s folklore. Symbol’s
extremely competent design department has
taken the findings and run with many of them.
Some of the other design issues we uncovered
are as follows:

• Focus on the urban apparel/accessory retail

market

• Explore customization opportunities

• Explore interchangeable and modular scan-

ner systems for adaptability

• Cable management

• Docking rechargeable scanner

• “Tidy cash register” accessory system

• Articulating scanner holder

• Mobile POS scenario

• Customizable scanner

• Presentation/hand-held scanner with “true”

ergonomic features

Design Management Review Winter 2005 25