PURPOSE
Zahler Design exists to spark creativity and equip change makers.
HOW WE DO THIS
I love bringing people together, drawing from their collective wisdom to bring exciting new futures to life. But most of all, I want you to be stronger at the end of our engagement.
Principles for working together.
Mess-making before sense-making
This is a critical step to understand the situation you’re in. What do we know? What do we need to know? Who or what does that initially suggest? Who should we talk to, and who might we have overlooked?
In sense-making, we create a whole out of the fragments. This is where having a systems-mindset shines! Defining the boundaries of the system will help us see the factors that are important and where the connections are.
Build in order to learn
Build quickly! An idea does no good if it’s stuck in imagination or discussion. However, this is not the same as jumping too quickly to a solution before we understand the opportunity.
Even simple sketches can be used to try out assumptions and ideas, validating whether it meets objectives. More often than not, by simply making an early prototype, we’ll learn how to make our idea even better.
Co-creation
We will be partners together. I will encourage you and your team to draw out the creative powers and skills already in your organization, guiding you to be even more capable of figuring out and bringing new solutions to life.
We will get a lot done together, in a short amount of time. But more than an extra set of hands, I will be a coach, educator, and facilitator enabling your team to use design in their daily work. These skills will outlast our engagement, leaving your organization in an even stronger position moving forward.
Craftsmanship outweighs novelty
A well-crafted but otherwise ordinary solution beats out a novel one that fails to account for context.
We’ll focus on doing the fundamentals of design well—understanding the customer, documenting our rationale, and testing our assumptions.
People first. Technology second.
Technology should support the needs of the users, not the other way around. A new piece of software (or AI) won’t immediately solve all your problems.
Technology acts as an amplifier to human systems. Focusing first on human dynamics, needs, and potential biases will mean a better result when a tech solution is introduced.
Mistakes aren’t the enemy. Not trying is.
“It was when I found out I could make mistakes that I knew I was on to something.” –Ornette Coleman, jazz musician
Don’t let fear or overwhelm get in the way of doing good work. Treat each mistake as a learning opportunity. Becoming a learning organization means exploring and trying new things, not all of which will turn out as expected.
Design Leadership workshop at World IA Day Pittsburgh (2019)
Learning Experience Design workshop at LXDCON Amsterdam (2019)
Human-Centered Design workshop (2017)
I want you to not need me by the time we’re done working together.
— Kimberly Zahler
HOW I GOT HERE
A prelude in music.
Designer. Artist. Musician. Systems Thinker. Strategist. In every phase of my career, I have focused on empowering individuals and organizations to build self-sufficiency, confidence, and deepen their impact.
Before entering the world of design, I started my career as a classical musician. Performing with orchestras, teaching multiple instruments, and starting a school of music equipped me with a powerful metaphor for collaboration and achievement.
Music took me around the world, planting the seeds of empathy and broader perspectives. It ignited a passion to see the world in new ways and hear the voices and stories of people everywhere.
Because of my love for working visually, I moved from music into visual design. Print design was my first focus, before I explored interactive digital design and site-specific installation art. These allowed me to combine my experience in music with visual design and a new love for technology.
Now, I focus on systems behavior, human decision-making, and adult learning. Bringing these themes together allows me to help teams define their unique contributions, harmonize together, and chart the journey to create new things that are bigger than any one individual. I emphasize cultures of collaboration, fostering growth and new challenges.
SAY HELLO!
Let’s Work Together
I am interested in opportunities to further design equity and extend the impact of social enterprises. Don’t have a project right now? Drop a line to say hello, or start a conversation about meaningful design work in the world. I’d love to meet you!