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Nonlinear: Navigating Design with Curiosity and Conviction
From the acclaimed designer and bestselling author of Reimagining Design, a nonlinear approach to navigating design’s nuances in pursuit of meaningful innovation.
In Nonlinear, Kevin Bethune shows us that we can reject trodden paths of digital or physical product creation by taking advantage of a nonlinear approach. To unlock meaningful innovation that breeds new and novel outcomes, he writes, teams need to embark on a journey into the proverbial forest of ambiguity, the result of a rapidly converging, dynamic, and exponentially changing landscape. The journey is less about getting it right or wrong, and more about using the information we have at our disposal to understand our choices and take steps to unlock new learning.
Nonlinear begins by taking the reader through Bethune’s professional “zigs and zags.” The author explains that while his interdisciplinary leaps were rare at the time he took them, these varied experiences unlocked perspectives about design and innovation that uniquely prepared him for our present moment and for the future. He then showcases the role of quantitative information to strategically frame and set boundary conditions for our creative exploration, and the role of qualitative insights to provide the substance necessary to begin crafting solutions that address unmet needs. The book also identifies accelerants (or flywheels) that will help readers as they reflect on their journey navigating the forest of ambiguity, with a specific emphasis on diversity, a key theme for Bethune, a Black man who has navigated new horizons. Readers will enjoy having the chance to customize the author’s perspectives and make them their own at both an individual and team level.
In Nonlinear, Kevin Bethune shows us that we can reject trodden paths of digital or physical product creation by taking advantage of a nonlinear approach. To unlock meaningful innovation that breeds new and novel outcomes, he writes, teams need to embark on a journey into the proverbial forest of ambiguity, the result of a rapidly converging, dynamic, and exponentially changing landscape. The journey is less about getting it right or wrong, and more about using the information we have at our disposal to understand our choices and take steps to unlock new learning.
Nonlinear begins by taking the reader through Bethune’s professional “zigs and zags.” The author explains that while his interdisciplinary leaps were rare at the time he took them, these varied experiences unlocked perspectives about design and innovation that uniquely prepared him for our present moment and for the future. He then showcases the role of quantitative information to strategically frame and set boundary conditions for our creative exploration, and the role of qualitative insights to provide the substance necessary to begin crafting solutions that address unmet needs. The book also identifies accelerants (or flywheels) that will help readers as they reflect on their journey navigating the forest of ambiguity, with a specific emphasis on diversity, a key theme for Bethune, a Black man who has navigated new horizons. Readers will enjoy having the chance to customize the author’s perspectives and make them their own at both an individual and team level.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published February 4, 2025
3 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Kevin G. Bethune
2 books15 followersKevin Bethune is the Founder & Chief Creative Officer of dreams • design + life, a "think tank" that delivers design & innovation services using a human-centered approach. Kevin's background spans engineering, business and design in equal proportion over his 25+ year career, positioning him to help brands deliver meaningful innovations to enrich people's lives.
His work represents creative problem-solving that brings multidisciplinary teams together to see the future through an open aperture, and a deep industrial design approach to inform and influence desirable, feasible and business-viable design outcomes.
Kevin began his career as a mechanical engineer in the nuclear power industry. This chapter gave him deep product experience working with high performing teams across 14 nuclear reactor upgrade campaigns. After his MBA, Kevin joined Nike, Inc. in a business capacity, but quickly navigated to the Global Footwear product engine to drive advanced digital product creation capabilities, discovering the world of design in the process. After solidifying his creative foundation through further studies at ArtCenter College of Design, Kevin co-founded distinct design & innovation capabilities at two Tier 1 management consulting firms in Booz & Co. and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). As Vice President of Strategic Design at BCG Digital Ventures, he led a large cohort of designers that would influence and shape every corporate venture spun out from the incubator. Kevin left BCG Digital Ventures to carve his own path under the banner of dreams • design + life, focusing on unlocking human potential through strategic design, industrial design and the building of new ecologies.
Kevin also serves as a Board Trustee for ArtCenter College of Design and a Board Director for the Design Management Institute (DMI).
His work represents creative problem-solving that brings multidisciplinary teams together to see the future through an open aperture, and a deep industrial design approach to inform and influence desirable, feasible and business-viable design outcomes.
Kevin began his career as a mechanical engineer in the nuclear power industry. This chapter gave him deep product experience working with high performing teams across 14 nuclear reactor upgrade campaigns. After his MBA, Kevin joined Nike, Inc. in a business capacity, but quickly navigated to the Global Footwear product engine to drive advanced digital product creation capabilities, discovering the world of design in the process. After solidifying his creative foundation through further studies at ArtCenter College of Design, Kevin co-founded distinct design & innovation capabilities at two Tier 1 management consulting firms in Booz & Co. and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). As Vice President of Strategic Design at BCG Digital Ventures, he led a large cohort of designers that would influence and shape every corporate venture spun out from the incubator. Kevin left BCG Digital Ventures to carve his own path under the banner of dreams • design + life, focusing on unlocking human potential through strategic design, industrial design and the building of new ecologies.
Kevin also serves as a Board Trustee for ArtCenter College of Design and a Board Director for the Design Management Institute (DMI).
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July 10, 2025
I just finished reading the book, NonLinear authored by Kevin Bethune. If you are seeking ways to challenge or stretch your own design or business thinking, this book is for you. I took my time to thoroughly read NonLinear which is densely comprised of strategic insights, innovation tactics, and career reflections. Moreso, NonLinear suggests its more than ok to take risks, fall forward, and break down conventions to identify new innovations that should improve our human experience. The book will motivate you to think differently and especially act on non-linear innovation!
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