My father -a veteran programmer- once said to me, “back then, not only didn’t we think that having a computer at hand would be possible, but even the thought of living in the 00s sounded like madness.” Now, he very much enjoys his laptop and his brand new smartphone. We are in 2021, fighting a pandemic with everything we’ve got, and we’ve got A LOT! Great technology, great science, great minds… Imagine what’s more to come… 

Reading about the dozens of Lenovo projects awarded with a GOOD DESIGN this year, my interest in the “faces of Lenovo” is growing. Who’s better to discuss the evolution of technology and the “what’s more to come” that’s been sauntering through my mind than Brian Leonard, Vice President at Lenovo Experience Design.

Leader of a global design team for years, has created many successful and fabled user-popular and awarded designs, is responsible for all consumer, commercial, and SMB personal computing and smart device offerings in Lenovo, Brian is living proof that if you love what you do, you are on your way to the top.

He holds multiple degrees in industrial design, has years of experience working in the world’s best tech companies (Dell, Alienware, Latitude, to name a few), and -most surprisingly to me- he reveals that he’s not much of a gamer.

Brian Leonard believes in people -users/costumers and his team- and invests in good human relationships. 

After all, all good things come from respect, companionship, and teamwork. 

“My love for making things has always been a huge part of who I am… As a child and teenager, I learned to create things to sell which developed my passion to create an emotional connection with people through my work.”

Elizabeth Soufli: Every year, numerous Lenovo designs are being awarded the prestigious GOOD DESIGN award; ThinkBook Plus, IdeaPpad Slim 5 series, Lenovo Legion T550, Yoga Duet 7… just to name a few of this year’s winning projects. What are for you the qualities of a “GOOD DESIGN”? And in Lenovo’s case, what makes its products stand among the crowd?

Brian Leonard: At Lenovo, design is strategic problem-solving that drives innovation, builds business success, and leads to a better quality of life for people through beautiful and purposeful experiences.

By combining beauty and purpose, we avoid getting caught up in the history of form vs function – a phrase that can easily be misinterpreted and debated. We believe that design should not be limited to form or function, as Frank Lloyd Wright stated, “Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.”

Taking it a step further, through conversation and observation we are able to empathize with peoples’ needs, wants, and desires. It gives us the ability to go beyond aesthetics and create meaningful experiences that impact their lives in a positive way. 

E.S: We discussed the qualities of a GOOD DESIGN from your point of view as a designer; now, there are also the users, the people who actually are going to buy the product. From your experience and the feedback you get, what do users seek in a new design? What do they appreciate the most?

B.L: As designers, it’s imperative we understand we’re not designing for ourselves. Designing for a kid at school is entirely different than a gamer, mobile traveler, or a power user. The diversity of need and desire is why it’s so important for us to build deeper customer relationships, truly understand and empathize with our end-users long before we put pen to paper. Our discoveries, combined with our informed intuition, serve as a leaping-off point to create these meaningful experiences. We believe that customers respond to meaningful experiences, especially those that result in an emotional connection. Creating those is harder than it sounds because it’s the small moments that bring the most joy. These are often the things that are not product requirements but as designers, these are how we can build stronger connections. Things like the red illuminated dot in the ThinkPad logo, an integrated phone holder, a rotating soundbar, and my favorite, the camera privacy shutter. 

For years, we observed people putting tape, small stickers, and even a Band Aid over the camera to avoid embarrassing moments when the camera was unknowingly on. Our concept for the camera privacy shutter was a small slider that physically covers the camera and creates a sense of privacy and security when necessary for the user. The pandemic has brought even more value to this solution because of our need to have deeper connections with others within a virtual world.

Our team’s working mantra is “we design for people”.

E.S: When did you catch yourself starting to fall for design? The moment when your passion for design started growing.

B.L: My love for making things has always been a huge part of who I am, I grew up in a family of crafters. As a child and teenager, I learned to create things to sell which developed my passion to create an emotional connection with people through my work. These items I created at the time were very different than what I do today, but the process of creating and making still excites me every day.

As designers, it’s imperative we understand we’re not designing for ourselves. Our team’s working mantra is “we design for people”. We design our products for people to touch, feel and use, so our process is rooted in creating things with our hands.

E.S: As an award-winning industrial designer with many patents, publications, exhibitions in your career after all those years of designing thousands of objects, do you recall your very first project that got your name on the market?

B.L: My first notable design for mass production was a commercial service cart, this was what really excited me about my future in industrial design.

You can see the tools we had at that time were very different than today, but the value of design has always been about solving problems for people. Since then, I have seen the cart in institutions, labs, restaurants, and even movies. The cart went into mass production in 1994 and it is still in production today exactly as it was originally designed. 

I use this as an example with young designers to explain that we must be aware of the footprints we leave on the world when we create. I still enjoy seeing the cart in the wild all over the world and even recreations by other companies – they always make me smile.

E.S: I read in one of your former interviews, “For me, industrial design is a way of not only making one but making millions.” Have you always been this committed to industrial design? Have you ever thought of choosing another path?

B.L: From a young age I was fascinated by architecture and the craft of drafting. As a college student, I designed a few homes for my parents, which got me excited about creating and specifying something that others would actually build. This passion turned into a small business selling those plans and modifications to people that would knock on my parents’ door inquiring about the design of the home.  

E.S: With such a long, fruitful, and successful career, you are undoubtedly one of the influential figures in the field, but which are your influential figures? Who are the people who played an important role in becoming who you are?

B.L: I have had some amazing creative people in my life and each inspired, informed, and guided my development in their own unique way. I learned the art of making from my family, problem-solving while in school, and as a professional, the ability to “see” and develop a perspective.

The most impactful person in my career was Richard Sapper. He was an influential designer and storyteller – rarely does a day go by that I don’t lean on the lessons he taught me over many years. I once asked Richard “What is the most important aspect of design?”, expecting a lesson in form, balance, or proportion and he surprised me with one word, “relationships.”

It took me a while to understand that to be successful designers we must cultivate strong relationships with those around us and the people we aim to delight. Relationship-building is one of the key skills that I consistently encourage designers to develop.

I have been extremely blessed by working with great designers and design leaders that have helped educate me, grow my career and ultimately expand my influence.

E.S: What are the challenges in your current position at Lenovo?

B.L: One of the biggest challenges as I have transitioned from designer to a design leader, is the change in focus from designing individual products, to brands and then to a large portfolio of products with multiple sub-brands. To do this effectively, you have to develop a design strategy and culture that inspires, informs, and educates teams to do great things while putting controls in place to drive consistency and build brand recognition.

E.S: After having seen countless designs coming to life in Lenovo, can you form a top 5, let’s say, of your favorite projects of all time and share the reasons why?

B.L: The Yoga 9 series convertible, designed in 2017, really embodies a sense of purpose with the rotating sound bar hinge that always directs great audio to the user, regardless of the orientation of the product (notebook, tent, tablet, or display mode).

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a product I love to design as we continue to make meaningful improvements in the design and experience in every generation. It is rooted in the foundations of ThinkPad with trusted quality, relentless innovation, and purposeful design.

As is the ThinkPad X1 Yoga which I use everyday to create sketches, markup designs, and collaborate with my team using the stylus. This was also the first ThinkPad that challenged the value of weight vs material qualities of CNC aluminum.

The Lenovo Go Wireless Split Keyboard and Lenovo Go Wireless Vertical Mouse, announced this year, is a new ergonomically designed keyboard and mouse combo that incorporates cork to provide comfort and grip to both devices. I love using unexpected materials and crafting designs that are quite a departure from all of our other offerings.

The ThinkPad X1 Fold is a product that had a long journey of nearly 5 years from my original sketch. The concept of the device is inspired by small leatherbound sketchbooks that have captured ideas for generations of designers.

And of course, my absolute favorites are the new designs we are working on right now… stay tuned.

E.S: My father is a veteran programmer. When the first laptop entered our home, he couldn’t stop but story-telling how he started working with a computer the size of a room, and now computing design came to… THIS! What’s the next big thing to expect in computing design? Is there anything left to surprise us?

B.L: I’m an optimist, I believe there will always be things left to surprise us. It’s funny to think that the first computers were a room, then a place we visited, then on a desk, a lap, and then our hands. I believe our next big step is for computing to be around us, immersing us in experience to be enjoyed but not necessarily seen. 

E.S: Let’s talk gaming… Lenovo’s cutting-edge and revolutionary approach to the user’s experience is indisputable. While AR/VR is among the biggest gaming trends, what the company has to offer next in terms of design? 

B.L: There is plenty of new technology coming down the pike, but in terms of design, we have learned through deep engagements with our gaming community, that not everyone wants to be identified as a gamer all of the time. This informed our Legion gaming design strategy which enables professionals and students alike to be discrete until it’s time to game. Understanding this shift in behavior, allowed us to maintain a refined appearance but incorporate tunable features and functions so the experience can be customized to match the gaming vibe.

E.S: Are you a gamer?

B.L: I am not, I’m more of an analog guy when it comes to games. This is why it’s so important to engage and build relationships with gamers so we can fully understand their needs, wants, and desires. However, the designers that work on our Legion products are in fact passionate, competitive gamers themselves. Whenever possible, it helps to have target users on the design teams for a relevant perspective. 

E.S: What fascinates you the most in computing design? And actually, are you having fun?

B.L: Technology is advancing at such a rapid pace! The things we couldn’t achieve last year will be commonplace next year. That also means the computing paradigm is constantly changing with an influx of new capabilities that will drive improvement in our user experiences. We have fun every day, we love why, what, and who we design for …  

E.S: Today, kids from an early age are familiar with smart devices. What’s Lenovo’s approach to children’s products? Is there a plan for innovative computing series for kids?

B.L: I love working on our education products because kids at school or learning from home have different needs than their parents. Students all over the world have been impacted by the pandemic and have adapted to new ways of learning. This gives us a great opportunity to create out-of-the-box design. Additionally, kids adapt so well to their environment and learn faster, however, things like cost and durability are constantly challenged so the unique constraints make those products really fun to design.