As designers, our skills and knowledge are as much a curse as they are a blessing.

We are used to apply what we learned, what we’re good at, to our everyday work. That’s what our colleagues and clients expect, we assume, and where we contribute to reaching success. Over the years, we have established a repertoire of design principles and patterns to tackle the problems we face. We imagine the need to cope with “the real world”, answering with “common solutions” for “common people”.

But the real value we should bring to the table is our mindset and our point of view. The actual design challenge usually starts when entering unknown ground, when we leave our comfort zone. When we move beyond our skills and our knowledge, immerse and evolve in this infinite loop of learning and creating. When we need to think and act differently.

Matthew Milan has written a must read article about the importance of thinking differently — about our unique mindsets and perspectives being the most precious contribution we can make. And how this means many of today’s “creative agencies” need to revisit their approach, challenge their culture and alter their business models.