CHARLES EAMES (1907–1978) // RAY EAMES (1912–1988) The husband-and-wife team gave design a cultural and social importance that energized post-war America and shaped the twentieth century. What a team from hell to manage, but what divine discontent. From a converted garage in Venice, LA, Charles’s mechanical mind and Ray’s avant-garde leanings transformed the abstract into beautiful yet practical design. As Charles said: “The details are not the details. They make the design.” An early boss of mine used to repeat: “Remember, God is in the details.” At the time, I never knew why. Charles and Ray are the UX team. 2. You have to be a collaborator, because nothing anymore is really apart: no man, but now no business, is an island. Some managers pretend theirs is, jealously guarding work they believe to be their proprietary skillsets. That “proprietariness” is a delusion. In the interconnected world, even if it did exist, it would be largely useless. I always identify two types: the crocodiles, who are snarkily concerned with how big is their slice of pie; and the lions, who grow the pie. If you have IP it will be enhanced and empowered by collaboration, not diminished. And if you are ambitious, you can harness the skills and assets of others. Profiting from but actually enjoying ambiguity is what makes you great. Certainty is the barbiturate of small minds. 3. You have to be curious, because, if you aren’t, you just won’t attract the people