Creativity Central [Marty Baker]

Richard Saul Wurman walked onto the stage at the Trinity Rep Theater wearing a pair of ultra-hip MBT sandals (The anti-shoe).  He wears comfortable shoes and he's equally comfortable being a provocateur and master story teller.  The author of 81 books and counting, Wurman has a singular passion for making information understandable.

Nearly 30  years ago, he  coined the term 'information architect' and has found the perfect metaphor for his personality, the Tango.  "The tango is a  seductive dance where the partners do not touch. Curiosity is one partner and the other is   ignorance. I'm driven by my curiosity to help me understand what I don't know."

At this year's BIF Collaborative Innovation Summit,  Wurman talked about his most ambitious project to date 19.20.21, which he created with his four partners:  Larry Keeley, Jon Kamen, Michael Hawley, and Robert Friedman. “19.20.21."—is an attempt to standardize the information available on 19 cities that are expected to reach 20 million inhabitants in the 21st century, giving readers an unprecedented tool to easily compare and contrast them.

"19.20.21 is a multi-media initiative to collect, organize and better understand a population's effect on urban and business planning and its impact on consumers around the world.  The 5-year initiative will deliver results through five key channels -- web, television, print, exhibits and seminars," says Wurman. 

In an interview with Dirk Knemeyer, Wurman talked about why he's so passionate about creating materials that are a catalyst for understanding.  "What is critical to understand is what it is like to not understand. My definition of learning is to remember what you are interested in, If you don't remember something, you haven't learned it and you are never going to remember something unless you are interested it.  These words dance together. 'Interest' is another holy word and drives 'memory.' Combine them and you have learning."

Wurman believes that a lot of information providers have the "disease of familiarity."  They assume that the reader or learner has similar reference points.  19.20.21 will be formally introduced at a March 2009 event with the mayor of New York City and hopefully, the leaders of the other cities studied.  "This project is not a polemic on overpopulation or bad slums.  Action will probably be taken as a result of what we do, but we're not taking action or suggesting it," Wurman says. "You can't take action until you understand something."

"I'm  just plodding along trying to make things understandable," he adds with a knowing smile. "That's the only God I serve and my only passion.  I take things I don't understand and try to make them understandable."

He left the stage to applause and pointed to his MBT sandals.  "I don't have a dime invested in this company, but these are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn."   

Richard, thanks for helping us understand. 

www.wurman.com