Video: Michael Conforti, PhD, and Dave Kuehler
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Filmed on: October 24, 2008
About this video
Michael Conforti, PhD, asserts that every image is an
inherent expression of its cultural connotations. As a result, the most
natural and coherent presentation of a brand resonates with an audience
because it is in tune with this historical knowledge. Designers need a
deep understanding of that imagery in order for their brands to be
considered trustworthy and authentic. Dave Kuehler talks about the
real-world application of Conforti’s ideas. Drawing on his work with
P&G think-tank The Clay Street Project, Kuehler explains why
innovation is a byproduct of healthy, multidisciplinary teams and
identifies the threshold conditions that must be present for those teams
to innovate.
Speaker bio
Michael Conforti, PhD,
is a Jungian psychoanalyst and the founder and director of the Assisi
Conferences. Dr. Conforti is actively investigating the workings of
archetypal fields and the relationship between Jungian psychology and
the new sciences. He maintains a private practice in Vermont, where he
also serves as a state-appointed advisor to the Board of Psychoanalysts.
He has worked for the last 25 years in fine-tuning an archetypal
approach to images and now brings this specialization to the film
industry, where he works as a script consultant, addressing issues of
imagistic and archetypal coherence. He has presented his work to a range
of national and international audiences, including the C.G. Jung
Institute in Zurich and Jungian organizations in Venezuela, Denmark,
Italy and Canada. He authored the books, Field, Form and Fate: Patterns in Mind, Nature and Psyche and has written articles that have appeared in Psychological Perspectives, San Francisco Jung Library Journal, Roundtable Press, World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution and Spring Journal.
Dr. Conforti has been a faculty member at the C.G. Jung Institute in
Boston and the C.G. Jung Foundation in New York, and has also served as a
senior associate faculty member at Antioch New England Graduate School.
David Kuehler currently leads the Clay Street Project, a
global innovation program at Procter & Gamble. Kuehler’s background
encompasses more than 15 years in the design and entertainment fields.
Prior to joining Procter & Gamble, Kuehler was the director of
Project Platypus, a groundbreaking product development initiative at
Mattel Toys. Before joining Mattel, Kuehler was the director of creative
development and programming for Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Centers.
At the Walt Disney Company, Kuehler was instrumental in the design
development and rollout of Club Disney, a location-based entertainment
concept for families. Kuehler founded an entertainment design company
and has developed television shows for Nelvana Communications and Britt
Allcroft productions. As an instructor and speaker at Art Center College
of Design, he developed a new curriculum focused on experience design
and product development. Kuehler is a contributing author to the recent
books The Change Champion’s Fieldguide: Strategies and Tools for Leading Change in Your Organization and Best Practices in Leadership Development and Organizational Change.