This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access

Learn More

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Innovation Gurus: Bruce Mau and John Kao The big idea to move your company to the next level can happen, if you put in the work -- and play while you're at it.

By Joe Robinson

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The Labor of Creativity
A renowned designer of everything from carpets to soft drink packaging to planned communities says that creativity comes from going the extra miles

Method, not myth: Bruce Mau's Legacy.
Method, not myth: Bruce Mau's Legacy.
Photo© Dave Gillespie

"Creativity has been made into a mythology. Certain people have it and certain people don't. The reality is it's hard work." That's the creative wisdom of Bruce Mau, one of the world's most sought-after designers.

Mau--whose company, Bruce Mau Design, has offices in Toronto and Chicago--has made a career of challenging the sacred priesthood of creativity. He demonstrates how to meld big ideas with practical realities and consumer psychology. He is at the vanguard of a movement to transform design from an insular world of magical seers to a practice that can solve problems from sustainability to poverty.