What does a Designer have in common with Jacque-Yves Cousteau? A Designer must be willing to dive into the deep to find the truth that sustains their work.

If you have yet to see the documentary Becoming Cousteau I highly recommend it. He is a fascinating human whose passion for exploring birthed a whole industry and a lot of innovation.

Plus one of Cousteau’s quotes is in my favorite movie… Rushmore by Wes Anderson

“When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right the keep it to himself.”
— Jacques-yves Cousteau

Being a Designer is hard. We have to be curious, ask lots of questions, and continuously learn about the systems for which we are solving problems. As I have told my students and colleagues many times, a designer must always practice their curiosity and never shy away from learning more about their users, their businesses, their culture, and themselves. There is no such thing as a designer who knows too much, but by golly be aware of a Designer who knows too little.

When I was a kid, I liked to watch The Animaniacs. It is a whacky cartoon from the Warner Brothers and one of my favorite sections was Mindy — the small child who asked “why” over and over. Below is a compilation clip.

I like to think that I have a “Little Mindy” in me as I design and work through the design process. If you don’t ask “why” a lot you will likely get confused or…