University of Toronto business-school dean Roger Martin on how Milton Glaser and Massimo Vignelli think about design and its relevance to business.

1. they don’t confuse what they presently see with reality, and therefore don’t see the present state of a thing as immutable.
2. they don’t fear the ambiguity that’s created by models or concepts that conflict with one another. Rather, they see the benefits of such conflict and ambiguity in spurring their creative juices.
3. they believe that there’s always a better design out there…
4. they’re confident that they can always find a design solution that meets their high standards.
5. they’re unconcerned about wading into the necessary complexities that one must grapple with before coming to an elegant design solution.
6. they refuse to rush to choose one side or the other of the conflict inherent in their task, or to race through the difficulties without giving themselves a chance to develop a new and better insight.

This six-part mental stance propels its adherent along a positive spiral. A person with such a stance naturally develops tools for handling ambiguity, complexity, and conflicting models, and is inclined to garner experiences that deepen skill and sensitivity.

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