What kind of employees did Skunk Works hire during the Cold War?

Skunk Works had developed a unique culture—one that motivated employees to develop remarkably creative products. The employees worked on projects that were personally interesting to them and they had a clear design goal. Major technical decisions were quickly provided by [management] as required, to maintain the flow of development. Lockheed management would rarely challenge these decisions and designers did not worry about backtracking or nefarious political consequences.

The designers worked in an environment where paper work was shunned, sketches were preferred over time-consuming, detailed drawings, and small groups eliminated major communication problems. They were isolated from the Lockheed parent company’s bureaucracy, and worked with the esprit de corps of an organization entrusted with vital government needs. The designers were generalists who were selected because they had a wide range of experiences within technology. Skunk Works managers tried to avoid people who viewed all problems through their own field of specialization.

Kelly Johnson defined the organization that he created as “a concentration of a few good people solving problems far in advance—and at a fraction of the cost—of other groups in the aircraft industry by applying the simplest, most straightforward methods possible to develop and produce new projects. All it is really is the application of common sense to some pretty tough problems” (Johnson 171). Gary Ervin, a vice president of Skunk Works, corroborated the concept of a critical mass of suitably talented people. Ervin claimed that the Skunk Works’ creative and productive environment resulted from small groups of scientists and engineers who were selected based on their propensity to be “free thinkers, creative, and don’t let conventional boundaries get in their way” (Sawyer 2). A critical mass of talent can be a powerful force, as is demonstrated by such collections of talent ranging from the artists in Paris during the 1860s to the engineers in Silicon Valley during the 1970s.

This is an excerpt from my new book:

"Intense Design: Product DesignLessons From Cold War Era Skunk Works" 

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Why study Skunk Works during the Cold War Era?

We all seem to share a universal goal to be successful. We want to succeed in the arena we have entered. We want to develop a vision, execute the vision and see it become successful. This human ambition is a noble thing and it takes many forms, from matters related to faith, family, experiences and even inventions. Moreover, the definition of success takes on many forms, all of them uniquely personal.

My motivation in selecting Skunk Works is that their products have a beginning and end. They were designed, built, operated, and retired. This complete cycle of product existence gives us the unique insights such as can be gained by the short-lived adult mayfly, where you see the life cycle at a glance. This long view is different than the metamorphosis of a caterpillar. With a flurry of flapping wings and color the butterfly flies off followed by photographers and poets. When something germinal happens in your lifetime, like the internet and smart phones, it can be hard to place it in context, critique its merits, and cast an historical eye on it. Rather, we tend to gush with emotional stupor at what may be a development that creates unintended consequences and an uncertain future….

This initial investigation into Skunk Works isn’t intended as a love fest or adulation of its leaders. We need to understand that during the Cold War Blackbird era, they worked in a unique environment where global war was a profound concern. Therefore, product performance was often more important than cost. Moreover, the top manager of Skunk Works would have access to high government officials. This association would elevate and reinforce the Skunk Works manager’s authority and the importance of the Skunk Works projects. Furthermore, they had patriotic motivations and accepted some loss of life during testing, which are atypical of most commercial businesses.

Critically read this presentation of Skunk Works and the guidance generated from their experience. Take what you like, discard the rest. This investigation into a remarkable organization during the Cold War does provide helpful lessons to the designer, but we must be careful citing it as if it is an ultimate authority on how to design products. It provides valuable lessons. Lessons that need to be moderated by contemporary issues and technology. Moderated by the beautiful creativity of young designers who dream of designing wonderful things.

 This is an excerpt from my new book, "Intense Design: Product Design Lessons From Cold War Era Skunk Works" 

Check out my YouTube Channel too!

Please visit my Author Page at: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JS0EUI

21st Century Sketching

The role of drawing skills in 21^st century design is contentious. Are pencil sketching skills still important? We love the look and the theater, but do we need these abilities?

One long term study I conducted with students sought to find the relationship between work environment and creative expression. (1) The survey instrument inquired about work environments that promote creative design and the preferred rendering medium for developing a design concept…

About 70 percent of designers preferred pencil and paper over CAD for ideation. This value has remained in the same order of magnitude over the last eleven years even under the swell of technological innovations in file sharing, projection, and digital interfaces. The ancient rendering method of hand drawing has remained surprising resilient.

Twenty-one percent of students specifically stated silence in their environment was conducive to creative design work. This is a large proportion in light of students’ typical musical immersion. The preference for silence has been virtually unchanged in the last eleven years. Moreover, this assertion of the importance of silence is contrary to the rapidly increasing musical exposure during this same time period….

Smartphones and their propensity to isolate do not seem to have worked against creative design environments. However, the internet has motivated students to pursue image searches as the first step in the design process. This design approach provides instantaneous visual exemplars that can’t be forgotten and therefore could reduce radical departures from past designs and provide a broader global material culture through shared images and social media. Perhaps removing access to smartphones (or other internet devices) can inhibit this rush to view search engine-based popular designs. This digital valley of darkness can subsequently provide relief from external visual influences upon the creative process.

(1) Ask, Thomas. “Creative Environments in the Age of the Smartphone.” Spring 2015 Mid-Atlantic ASEE Conference, April 10-11, 2015 Villanova University, 2015.

This is an excerpt from my new book, "Intense Design: Product Design Lessons From Cold War Era Skunk Works" 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1986573974

Stop Sketching?

“Sketches are misleading. The digital process is liberating. In one week I can have a well-resolved design based on a data set, not just a drawing.” (1)

This is according to Sasha Selipanov, designer of the Bugatti Chiron and now chief designer of Genesis Advanced Design.

The role of software in design will be an ongoing discussion. However, MotorTrend had an interesting presentation on the issue comparing Silipanov view with a couple of designers who were fond of physical media and concerned about computer involvement in the creative process.

“The seductive speed of the computer makes people think they can make soup from scratch in 15 minutes. But the soup you get sucks.” opined Jerry Hirshberg, founder of Nissan Design. (1)

This may sound like a generational battle but there is more to it. These debates encourage humility. You don’t find unity in what great designers love and hate as far as design tools. There is no “best” design method and no “best” design tool.

We are fortunate to have a number of digital and physical tools available that allow the designer to pick what works best for the application. You don’t make colorful paintings without a full palette. The artist blends, tints, shades, and glazes to get the desired effect. The same is true with design tools.

Don’t let anyone tell you what the best conceptual development tool (or method) is for you!

1. Rechtin, Mark. “The Human Touch, Does CAD software dream of electric cars?” MotorTrend, July 2018, p. 25.

Jungle Rivers

I have spent a lot of time overseas and in varied environments but jungle rivers always fascinated me. When I was working in Venezuela, I had to cross an area where vegetation had grown over a slow moving river. I had to walk on roots while getting swarmed by mosquitoes and ants. The trees had long spines so I had to use a machete to catch myself. If you slipped off a root you plunged into the black water. It inspired me to write a short poem that captured my battle with nature:

Jungle River

The confluence of elements made it known,

That this was a world all onto its own.

No man will pass without our scar,

A vision of hatred to be carried far.

Leave us alone for you cannot prosper,

In the overgrown river we will conquer.

 

In contrast, there was a time during this Malaysian study when my family was swimming in the Lemanak River in Sarawak, Borneo and I appreciated that it was a perfect time. When my kids wanted to be with me and the brown, jungle river flowed with adventure. Poetry is often where I park my most important memories and this experience prompted me to write the following:

Lemanak River

Vine wrapped ceiling

Giant timbers reach

Palette of greens

Sticking to the sky

Muddy river droning

Current always on

Moving melody

Licorice magma flow

Far from home bed

Sliver of web’s reach

Swimming with the children

They trust my steady legs

Laughter blends with:

Water gushing,

Insect buzzing,

Primordial smells creeping,

Wet air washing,

Sunlight straining.

My arms pull Elayna and steady Eric

And these moments rage

Down the river flowing.

Is this the perfect time?

Traditional Fishing Boats of Malaysia

I have always loved boats. I love sailing them, rowing them, building them, drawing them, and studying them. When I first encountered the strikingly beautiful boats of Southeast Asia over 30 years ago, I was impressed at the use of sail and wood in commerce. Now the sails are largely gone but boatbuilders and fishermen’s intimacy with trees and traditional knowledge remain.


The construction of these boats is fascinating. Traditional Malaysian boats are normally built without drawings and from the shipworm and rot resistant hardwood chengal. The keel, stem, and stern are made from massive timbers into which are carved receiving surfaces for the rest of the framework. The planks are bent either by the simple application of force using clamps or by heating them with fire. The planks are fastened to internal frames. 

 
On the east coast the planks are connected using trunnels (wooden dowels) typically made from iron wood. This joining technique is also coupled with a traditional method of sealing the planks in which a layer of melaleuca tree bark is pushed over the trunnels. Adjoining planks are hammered over these trunnels. In contrast to this traditional technique, plank sealing is produced on the west coast and some areas of the east coast, by pressing rope between the planks. The boats have distinctive bow and stern features as well as a myriad of delightful idiosyncrasies that make them special.

I emailed it to you....

I used to travel a lot for work. One day I received a beautiful envelope from USAir. Inside was a letter and booklet. This was not junk mail -- these were extraordinary documents.

The letter was on textured, thick paper, with embossed letterhead and golden letters. It looked and felt important. The booklet explained how I had earned “gold” frequent flyer status and all the benefits that came with it. Inside the booklet, along with superfluous tissues, were beautiful golden cards for my luggage and wallet. This packet of information made me feel important. It made me feel good. What a remarkable accomplishment for a faceless company that just flew me around. I could be swayed by artfully presented paper and plastic.

I now receive documents, even important ones, as attachments to poorly labeled emails. There seems to be a sense of disrespect when given an email rather than a document that has been carefully prepared both in terms of content and presence. This feeling of disrespect seems silly perhaps, but it is real. Presentation is important.

I try to look past this and focus on content. But I am still a bit sad when I hear, “I emailed it to you” rather than, “here it is” and feel the paper and experience the care in the presentation of the content.