Steven KlimekHi, I’m Steven.

I guide teams to solve problems through human-centered design

This website will show you a few examples of what that means, and I have a sister website, IDspiration, where I will occasionally publish new content. While I reserve the right to dive into any rabbit hole of my choosing, these typically hover around the intersection of culture, systems design and psychology. This means I talk quite often about things like EQ, second-order effects, adaptability, and the value of discomfort.

BIO IN 3 BULLETS

  • I’ve worked in 5 countries on 5 continents; currently in Tokyo by way of the mid-Atlantic, California, New York, Dubai, Amsterdam and São Paulo (fun fact: In Japan, my name is クリメク スティーブン).
  • Most of my work has been focused on digital innovation (although I believe human-centered design can be applied just about anywhere on the org chart).
  • I’ve traveled to about 75 countries and flown more than 2.6 million miles (4.2 million km). I still stare out the window for every takeoff and landing (and silently judge people who close the shade while we’re below the clouds).

I GEEK OUT ONKlimek Website Venn Diagram with Bitmoji

  • Don Norman (“A challenge to the designers of the world: Make signs unnecessary” 🤯).
  • Harold and the Purple Crayon (yes, my all-time favorite book was written for 5-year-olds).
  • Reframing problems (we so often scramble for technical optimizations without exploring psychological solutions that often turn out better).

🔥HOT TAKES🔥

  • EQ is the most valuable yet least recruited skill in the working world.
  • Fluency in human-centered design is as valuable as any kind of language (programming or otherwise).
  • Failing a business, getting fired from a job, being stranded abroad or facing some similar adversity will make anyone’s life richer by virtue of stretching their comfort zones.

Thank you for stopping by. Leave your email address below to get some occasional interesting thoughts from me, or drop me a line to connect!

A list of companies I've worked for