Jon Kolko on How a Supportive Family Can Open Doors in Your Education and Career

In Chapter 1 of his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?" Kolko shares how his wife has helped him achieve work goals by making sacrifices so he could grow into new phases of his career. Moreover, Kolko shares how his parents always supported his education and rarely challenged his choices. As an educator, Kolko sees how students make higher education and career choices and challenges the status quo and the need for a college degree. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How to Support Your Spouse in His or Her Career

In Chapter 2 of his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Approaches Have You Found Most Useful in Supporting Your Spouse's Career?" Kolko finds he can help his wife by asking questions and carefully listening to her answer. As a design professional, he looks for problem solving approaches he can apply to help her in areas of her career such as organizational dynamics, product launches, and marketing strategies. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How Recognition Can Strengthen a Marriage

In Chapter 3 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Has Marriage Taught You About Teamwork?" As an introvert who has been married for over 12 years, Kolko finds the support he gives to and receives from his wife happens in communal settings and is built on giving and receiving recognition and appreciating one another. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How Work Life Integration Can Make You Happier

In Chapter 4 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "How Are Your Personal Experiences Shaping Your Professional Aspirations?" Kolko integrates personal and professional together into a life built around his design passion. He finds doing multiple things in design, from writing to teaching to working at a startup, aligns well with what he has seen from others: the happiest people are those who have multiple jobs and responsibilities. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Aspiring to Achieve a Creative Flow State

In Chapter 5 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "How Are Your Aspirations Changing as Your Experience Grows?" Kolko talks to the importance of achieving a flow state of mastery in his work and teaching. To Kolko, aspirations have less to do with fame or money or legacy and more about finding a flow state of productivity and mastery alone and around others. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How to Use Buckets to Manage a Busy Schedule

In Chapter 6 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Do You Find Are the Keys to Managing a Busy Schedule and Getting Things Done?" Kolko shares how he uses bucketing to break down his commitments and work through tasks. He shares how he has learned how much capacity he has to take on projects and why he needs to say no to thing above and beyond five things to do. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Finding Purpose Working at an Edtech Startup

In Chapter 7 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "Why Did You Decide to Take a Position Working at an Online Jobs Platform Helping to Employ Students?" Kolko shares why he decided to join a venture capital-backed career services startup, MyEdu. Kolko finds purpose joining the education technology or edtech startup team to help create a more scalable and relevant way for college students to market themselves and find jobs after graduation. In the process, Kolko finds a boss who challenges him to learn new skills and develop as a business manager. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Designing Products That Improve User Engagement

In Chapter 8 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Problems Are You Trying to Solve at MyEdu?" Working at an internet company focused on designing job search products to help millennial college students find meaningful employment, Kolko finds the process comes down to understanding user engagement. He compares and contrasts user engagement and experience between college student users and job recruiter users. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How Pressure Can Help and Hinder Employee Motivation

In Chapter 9 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Does It Mean to Perform Under Pressure in the Work That You Do?" Kolko finds that intrinsic motivation approaches better suit designers than extrinsic ones. He finds extrinsic factors tied to strategic goals are less tangible and can come across as fire drills and do more harm than good to design team productivity. As he grows as a leader, Kolko looks for ways to nuance both tools managing his team. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Making an Impact in an Executive Leadership Role

In Chapter 10 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "At This Point in Your Life, Where Are You Seeking Advice and Coaching?" Kolko shares how work experience in his new Vice President role is helping him learn entrepreneurial strategy and executive leadership skills from colleagues. The senior-level role and its related exposure to higher level conversations open opportunities for Kolko to champion design strategy as a company leader. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Why Confidence Matters in Creative Jobs

In Chapter 11 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Role Does Confidence Play in the Work That You Do?" Kolko notes why confidence is fundamental in a creative design career, namely that in a work environment where repeated failure is a given, resiliency is everything. Having a creative career making things depends on having the confidence to iterate past the failures to get to solutions and solve problems. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Learning the Nuances of General Management

In Chapter 12 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "How Are You Learning to Better Manage and Motivate Teams?" As he gains general management experience managing larger design teams at MyEdu, Kolko learns to handle challenging situations and help individuals and teams execute by using hands-off and hands-on techniques. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How to Improve Social Interactions at Work

In Chapter 13 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "How Are You Learning to Work More Effectively With Different Personality Types?" Kolko shares how working effectively with others, no matter what differences exist, comes down to respect. Respecting a person's point of view creates a more accepting foundation to have a discussion and to communicate more effectively. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How Student Learning Elevates Student Teaching

In Chapter 14 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "How Has Your Own College Experience Informed Your Work Innovating Higher Education?" Kolko shares how his student experience at Carnegie Mellon studying industrial design and human computer interaction or HCI has informed his ambition building the Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He embraces the best in class elements of his own education and works with his team to evolve them for modern design student needs. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on Ways to Measure the Quality of Design Education

In Chapter 15 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "How Do You Measure the Quality of Education Your Institution Provides Its Students?" Kolko shares how his school has developed assessment methods to measure design student creative learning. He shares how he teaches students to critique work and how the process develops student confidence, drive and passion. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on How to Lower Higher Ed Tuition and Enhance Curriculum

In Chapter 16 of 16 in his 2013 Capture Your Flag interview, educator and designer Jon Kolko answers "What Was Your Approach to Determining Whether or Not You Wanted to Pursue Accreditation for Your School and What Did You Decide?" Kolko and his team choose not to pursue accreditation. Without it, he is able to more quickly adapt curriculum to meet changing student needs, hire non-PhD graduates to teach, and keep operational costs and hence student tuition low. Jon Kolko is VP of Design at MyEdu and the Founder and Director of Austin Center for Design (AC4D). He has authored three books on design and previously has worked in design roles at Austin, Texas venture accelerator Thinktiv and global innovation firm frog design. He was a professor of Interaction and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jon Kolko on What Gets Easier and What Gets Harder

In Chapter 1 of 21 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, design educator Jon Kolko answers "What is Getting Easier and What is Getting Harder in Your Life?"  Kolko shares how mentors have taught him to pick his battles and not fight every fight.  By being more selective on what he takes on, he lowers his stress levels.  He still wrestles with an inner dialogue of the quantity, validity and craftsmanship of the work he does. 

Jon Kolko the founder and director of the Austin Center for Design.  He has authored multiple books on design, including "Wicked Problems: Problems Worth Solving."  Previously he has held senior roles at venture accelerator Thinktiv and frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).  Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What is getting easier and what is getting harder in your life?

Jon Kolko: Let's start with what's getting easier. I feel like if I say it out loud then everyone will laugh. At least people who know me will laugh because it isn’t true. But I feel like I'm less of a stressed out maniacal control freak about things. I feel like I'm able to let the little stuff go and again, maybe like everybody is, “Seriously? He’s still a total ass.” But I do feel like I’ve figured out -- like all of my mentors in the past have said in some way, shape, or form, pick your battles, and I never understood it and I never did it.

And so, everything was a battle. Anything that wasn’t going my way was always like, ok, we're going to argue about it and I'm going to get my way, and I do feel like I figured out how to just simply ignore the stuff that is irrelevant and to reprioritize what matters and what doesn’t and really emphasize – you know, fight for the stuff that matters and let everything else go to the wayside. I think my stress my level has decreased tremendously as a result of that.

What's getting harder? Staying out drinking all night long, I'm not able to do that anymore. I'm losing my hair. I don’t know if anything’s getting harder. Actually I'm in a pretty good place recently. I feel really good about the way that my work is going, my life is going, my relationships are headed. I always have that sort of inner dialogue about the quantity and validity, and craftsmanship of the work I do and I suppose that’s true about anyone who does anything creative but that hasn’t gone away. I wouldn’t say that’s harder to deal with, it's just hard to deal with it and it's always there. But I don’t think that -- it's not new, this. That is what it is.

Jon Kolko on What Makes Design Work Meaningful

In Chapter 2 of 21 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, design educator Jon Kolko answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?"  Kolko finds meaningful work in design work that is done well.  He understands all projects may not be meaningful to him but still finds meaning in the process of design and problem.  In his initiative starting a design school, Kolko pushes the conversation to understand how to encapsulate meaning in a way that makes sense for all people in a group and the social entrepreneurship methodology helping to enable it. 

Jon Kolko the founder and director of the Austin Center for Design.  He has authored multiple books on design, including "Wicked Problems: Problems Worth Solving."  Previously he has held senior roles at venture accelerator Thinktiv and frog design and was a professor of Interactive and Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).  Kolko earned his Masters in Human Computer Interaction (MHI) and BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What makes your work meaningful?

Jon Kolko: For me, meaningful work is extremely simple. It’s design work that’s done well and in a weird sort of way, I can feel that way about work that is meaningless and I feel bad about it. 

And so as an example, I can pick up contract work, and I have over the last three or four years – for let's call it like giant conglomerate company that sells ringtones or big, fat, company that sells computer parts, and screens, and LCDs and stuff. And that’s meaningless work. But I can lose myself in it as in any other design or creative sense and it will be meaningful to me. I will feel great as a result of doing it. It's only when you take that sort of step back and go, “What am I'm doing? Why is this worth it? Why is this worth my time?” 

So the larger conversation that we have at AC4D a lot is around how do you encapsulate meaning in a way that makes sense for all of the people that are part of that group? And we've come to this very simple tool that we stole from policy and fields of social entrepreneurship called “Theory of Change” and a theory of change is a logic model. It's a way of saying that the world will be better if. It's a hypothesis. The world will be better if there were no homeless people. Ok, that’s a statement. It's probably impossible for me to ever achieve that goal in my life and I don’t even try. But if we back off of that, you can say, well, in order to get to a point where that is true, homeless people need to have houses and feel empowered to get jobs and stop doing self-destructive behavior. Ok, well either -- any of those three are too big to think so let's back off of that. Alright, self-empower, how do we get there? Well, I can start to think about how design can drive something to help somebody be self-empowered. So that’s a theory of change. 

And so, I can start to vet projects within that theory of change and say do they support that logic model or not? And if they do, then that’s work worth doing and that’s meaningful. And if they don’t, then it's not.