As the saying goes, “if man was supposed to fly, we would have been born with wings.” Ha! Instead, the feather in our cap is that we were given bigger brains to think critically and develop skills to design and build an aircraft that can fly over countries and land on ships. But hey, that doesn’t change the fact that for centuries we have been envious of the bird’s abilities.  

  

Flying, navigating, migrating, and nest building are skills our feathered friends have inherently. As humans we have been trying to emulate birds for centuries. DaVinci tried to build flying machines, but it was hundreds of years later before the Wright Brothers got us off the ground. And even today, with all that technology that allow our fastest jets to mimic the maneuverability of a falcon on the hunt, we are still challenged by gravity, speed, and elements of nature. So, we keep trying. We just need to think harder, try more ideas; we just need to create even more advanced technologies to get there, right?  

Furthermore, as we move to a more sustainable approach to building, Architects are focused on constructing with sustainable materials that stand up to natures forces, and don’t exasperate our resources. Again, birds can instinctively build a sustainable nest without a single nail or tube of industrial strength glue that can take a 70 mph gust, your average down pour of rain, and pretty much whatever mother nature throws at it. 

When it comes to navigating, we can’t compete. While we use Google maps just to get us out of the driveway, wrens, swallows and bluebirds to name a few, glide from treetop to treetop, travel hundreds of miles as the seasons change and somehow are able to return to that same leafy green tree to nest year after year.  

The good news is that these winged creatures continue to inspire us to develop new ways of flying (rockets cool, the wingsuit, yikes), building, and finding our way. To get there we are utilizing faster computers, 3D modeling, and AI in hopes of becoming more bird-like. But to utilize those tools in a new creative way will require a new mindset, and complex problem solving and digital skills.  

While some birds can nap in the air, you don’t want to sleep through this shift into deeper digital skills. AI is a game changer and developing the skills to capitalize on its abilities is crucial for every organization. To remain sustainable, organizations will need to focus on upskilling and finding new talent.  

At the College of Innovation and Design we often hear “I’m not sure this is for me”. To that we say “that’s for the birds”. We can custom design a hands-on approach, that will help you soar to new heights with courses designed to grow your innovation, digital and leadership skills, and expand your digital mindset. You just need to take that first step. 

  

Check out our courses and what skills are emphasized within them here

 

 

Think Big.
Take Risks.
Make It Matter.