This is a fascinating topic because I consider myself both a "hacker" and a "designer"... as of lately I've been coining the term "creative engineer" to represe

This is a fascinating topic because I consider myself both a "hacker" and a "designer"... as of lately I've been coining the term "creative engineer" to represent the two. Anyways, here are my thoughts from my observations as a creative individual. Good design is a by-product of an individual's relentless pursuit of solving one or many problems. Very rarely do you have more than one of these individuals on a design team because they are stubborn and idealistic. But they have to be. They are leaders that excel at providing a collaborative environment for everyone on the team. They listen to every good or bad idea without dismissing that person's energy or intent behind it. They respect the person above all else. They inspire those around them into new directions and encourage people to let go of all their preconceptions. They protect against all the conscious and subconscious biasses that influence our design decisions. They embrace mistakes and experiment with the unknown. They check their ego. This individual realizes that their quest towards great design is filled with a lot of failures, hard work, and loneliness. But the reward of seeing good design first-hand is worth it. They do it because they care and it's worth doing right, not because they are told to do it. Anyone can be creative; it just requires looking at the world differently. Pick up a rock, what do you see? Is it just a rock? What are all the ways that you could use that rock? Now place the rock in your pocket, and throughout the day ask yourself about that rock. If you do this just for a single day, you might just find something that could benefit from a rock. Cheers.