Bestselling author Scott Berkun on design

On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, bestselling author and speaker Scott Berkun engaged a packed audience of over 30 students, faculty, and staff in the Global Innovation and Design (GID) Lab with themes from his latest book, "Why Design is Hard." The event was hosted by Dr. Emma Rose, and sponsored by the GID Lab and School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

Berkun opened with one of the book’s central arguments: design is hard because of people. It’s not the crafting or the research that proves most difficult—it’s the messy, human-centered realities of team dynamics, communication, and power structures. Berkun described how even the best ideas get buried under poor collaboration or a lack of influence. In a fast-paced, story-rich style, he shared that while designers are often trained to perfect their craft, real effectiveness lies in navigating relationships, persuading decision-makers, and understanding how organizations actually function.

He pointed to the "ego trap" (where designers assume their view is the most important) and outlined a powerful shift in mindset: if you're not the decider, you must become an effective influencer. That requires embracing roles not typically emphasized in design education such as educator, translator, and advocate. Berkun challenged attendees to treat the human problems of design as design problems themselves that can be prototyped, tested, and refined with creativity and empathy.

Student engagement was strong throughout, with thoughtful questions and reflections peppering the conversation. Berkun’s warmth and humor encouraged dialogue and transformed the event into more of a lively discussion than a formal lecture. Conversations continued after the talk, with students lingering to chat amongst themselves and with Berkun. The afternoon session didn’t just leave students informed—it left them energized and ready to rethink their role in shaping the systems they’re a part of.