Notes on "Making Ideas Happen"

[kelleyP]

Notes for June 23 // Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky
Next book // Smashing Book (July 28th)

Thanks to everyone who made the meeting tonight, and to Kirsten for
taking the notes!

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Things We Liked //
- "what do we need to start doing, stop doing, continue to do to
website" worked well for Kelley on a recent project
- Getting other people involved - SCORE helped Kelley
- regularly checking in with business coach and industry peers helped
too to keep focused
- action items: make sure you like it, you
- references
- Back-burner items
leadership: shut up as a leader to get the most out of the people that
are there with you. As for yourself, make sure you lead yourself in
the same way by noticing how you might get in your own way.
- aspire to better practices, not the best
- disney: 3 rooms (tape off the sections if lacking space, or bring in
different tools per each phase), 1)rampant idea gen, 2)crazy ideas
from room 1 to organize 3)sweatbox [how do you know when you kill a
good idea?]


Things We Didn't Like //
- can't change color in action item app author wrote - funny because
he said you should visually like your action item list
- nothing earth shattering, nothing totally new - kind of like other
process books. Not blown away, but good solid advice.
- not the most riveting writer
- did not carry a project example through the book

Notes //
Book: Rework from 37signals talks about meetings and how they split up
your day/make you think :)
Fun thing to view: USC's volumetric display is cool

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Favorite Childhood toys //
Kelley - legos, fashion plates
Kirsten - homemade design swatch books made by mom
Matthew - legos
Michael - atari 2600
Zac - chemistry set & capsella (plastic modules)
Matt - plastic crane with clamp & hook
Mike C: sit-n-spin just kidding, legos