I tend toward introversion. When I tell people that, they usually don’t believe me. I like being on stage: giving talks at conferences, performing in local community theater productions, singing as a jazz vocalist with a small ensemble. So when I tell people I’m an…

Before you continue in this chapter, I’d like you to do a short exercise. Do not read ahead. Do Step 1 first before reading any further: Step 1: Get a pen or pencil and a piece of paper, and take up to 30 seconds to…

A lot of my work involves activities for which I need a very quiet environment, but when I’m writing, I’m more creative and more productive when I have some amount of visual and/or auditory stimulation. For example, I found that when writing this book I…

You’ve learned about the positive effect that daydreaming has on creativity. The same is true for sleep, but it works on the brain in a different way than daydreaming. Boost Your Creativity By At Least 33 Percent If I told you that there’s a way…

Now that you know about the three brain networks that are involved in the creative process, there’s some related research to be aware of. Some of this research focuses on daydreaming. Daydreaming refers to the thoughts and images people have when their attention turns inward—when…

We’ve all had the experience: you’re trying to solve a problem or come up with a new idea. You’ve been sitting at your desk, or discussing it in meetings, but you haven’t come up with a solution or the right idea. Then you step away—go…

You’re at work, it’s after lunch, and you realize you’re sitting at your desk, staring into space, and not thinking about anything in particular. Your brain is, relatively speaking, at rest. Your mind is wandering. What would your brain activity show at this moment?The default…

These are not the only things to think about when designing, but these 5 are some of the most important principles: Remember: the more you know about people the better you design.