Warren Berger, a longtime contributor to the New York Times Magazine and Wired, has a provocative new book on design coming out this fall called Glimmer. It looks to be an extended discourse on the many possibilities and meanings that design can play in business and our world. The excerpts we’ve read so far have been excellent, and we’re quite pleased that he realizes design is just one part of the story.

In a new post to his blog, Berger notes that it’s imperative to “Tap Into the Power of Empathy,” sharing stories of design success that sprung from a willingness to walk in someone else’s shoes:

“Empathy can also be a tool used for innovation outside the workplace, too. In your community, volunteer work provides a great opportunity to observe local needs that might need filling. Meanwhile, just having a keen eye open around the house can help you spot opportunities to innovate and improve. The best-selling OXO potato peeler came about because a husband noticed that his arthritic wife was having trouble using a conventional metal peeler. And the ClearRx medicine bottles now used at Target stores originated when a young woman observed the mix-ups her grandparents were having with conventional pill bottles in their medicine cabinet. So many times, the best ideas don’t come from thinktanks or lab research; they’re inspired by someone watching, listening—and empathizing.”

He also speaks to the aspects of organizational design and culture that we discuss in detail in Wired to Care, making a neat connection to our work in the process:

“After spending time observing people, they should bring that outside learning back and share it—plaster the walls with pictures of potential customers, along with artifacts and stories of how they live. “Create an office that looks like a shrine to the people the company serves,” the designer Dev Patnaik says. (OXO does this by having employees collect lost gloves from around the world, which are then displayed on a wall at the company’s New York headquarters—to serve as a constant visual reminder of all the different hands that the company’s products need to accommodate.) It’s also a good idea for managers stay in touch with customers by taking rotations on frontline jobs.”

It’s a great post and a promising look into what should be a much-discussed book in design circles.

Check it out!