Michael Seeley, the visionary founder and CEO of Liminal Group, an umbrella organization with subsidiaries in design, innovation, new product development, and sustainability consulting, focuses on end-to-end people and planet-conscious innovative product and brand development for large and small organizations worldwide. 

Seeley Designworks stands out as an industry leader in the world of design, innovation, and branding. While Sustainnovation is pioneering a new approach to achieving purposeful sustainability through meaningful innovation practices, helping organizations realize sustainability is an opportunity for growth, not simply a target or detractor of progress. 

With a trailblazing career spanning over 17 years, Michael has left an indelible mark on the global consumer product landscape, with nearly 100 patents to his name, multiple publications, and awards. He has garnered accolades and recognition for his exceptional contributions to renowned companies such as IKEA, Walmart, Whirlpool, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, Qualcomm, and KitchenAid, among countless others. 

A true mastermind in the art of transforming industries, Michael’s accomplishments extend far beyond the mere launch of products. As a seasoned leader with a penchant for creative team management, he has orchestrated numerous groundbreaking and successful new product launches, steering companies towards unparalleled success on an international scale. His unmatched ability to envision, develop, and launch hundreds of game-changing products has solidified his position as an esteemed authority in the design and development arena. 

Beyond delivering one-off successes, Michael’s prowess lies in his long-term strategies that have propelled companies to sustained prosperity worldwide. His innovative design methodologies and development approaches have not only set new industry benchmarks but have also played a pivotal role in shaping the future of consumer product experiences across multiple industries. 

Path to Empathy-Driven Innovation and Positive Impact 

As a child, Michael always enjoyed learning about how things worked. He questioned a lot, never taking anything as gospel, and often found himself figuring things out on his own. 

In high school, a math teacher of his recognized Michael’s unorthodox way of solving problems in tests. Although his answers were right, his methods were not typical ways of achieving results. Recognizing his potential, the teacher reached out to Michael’s family to discuss an opportunity for him to pursue a career in industrial design, leveraging his ability to solve complex problems using alternative and unconventional methods. This observation aligned perfectly with Michael’s relentless childhood interest in understanding how things worked and his constant drive to improve and make things better. He always believed he could enhance how things were put together or make them easier to use, and he was often dissatisfied with the complexity and aesthetic outcomes of most things on the market, feeling that everything could be simpler and more appealing. 

Michael also has a passion for inventing new things to solve problems where existing solutions are lacking. Even as a child, he kept a little journal with him everywhere he went, jotting down invention ideas throughout his day, as this “inventor/innovator” mindset had been ingrained in him since he was very young. 

As he progressed through a deep and intense career in design leadership and new product development within corporate settings, Michael came to understand the power of building upon his relentless drive for improvement with a consumer-centric mindset and a pure empathetic approach towards helping others. 

This realization led him to broaden his career, which was relentlessly focused on identifying, developing, and delivering new innovative products, services, and brands that could improve people’s lives and achieve real market results from beginning to end. He felt (and still feels) fortunate to enjoy what he does, and with nearly 20 years of experience under his belt and over 90 patents to his name, he has no plans to slow down anytime soon. 

Currently, Michael takes pleasure in guiding other organizations and individuals on their quest to innovate and make a positive impact on the world while still achieving financial market success. His journey has been one of continuous growth and exploration, guided by his childhood curiosity and passion for making a difference. 

Charting a Trailblazing Journey 

In his exciting career journey, Michael has been at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies, collaborating with brilliant minds and innovators worldwide. His passion lies in disrupting industries and conceiving groundbreaking innovations that challenge norms and create step-function advancements. He firmly believes that incremental progress is essential, but true purposeful and meaningful impact comes from disruptive thinking and going where other companies and the competition have not yet understood. 

Change is inevitable, especially for larger organizations, akin to massive ships that take time to turn. Michael helps these companies become more agile and proactive, foreseeing challenges and opportunities ahead. In today’s competitive landscape, adaptability is crucial, especially with more and more agile start-ups posing a significantly increasing competitive challenge. Michael believes, now more than ever, that companies must earn the right to exist and either disrupt or be disrupted. With so many ambitious individuals, organizations, and hungry start-ups on the playing field, the days of following what has always worked before are over, and he finds many organizations needing to transform and reinvent their way of thinking to avoid becoming extinct. 

With dedication to innovation and adaptability, Michael continues to shape the future of various industries. Each new experience fuels his growth as he collaborates with diverse individuals and experts across different clients and initiatives. 

At Seeley Designworks and Sustainnovation, Michael and his teams similarly prioritize “Getting the House in Order” during their Clarify phase. Where they ensure organizations are equipped with everything they need before engaging in the innovation process. It is critical that everyone understands the main goal and their role within it, along with having the proper foundational knowledge and awareness to inform decisions moving forward. This phase is what creates a strong foundation for successful innovation and ensures proper internal traction and “buy in” needed within an organization. Michael finds fulfillment in helping organizations and individuals discover their potential and foster an innovative mindset. His commitment to driving meaningful change remains unwavering as he makes a positive impact on the world around him. 

Putting People First 

According to Michael, design plays a critical role in enhancing the overall customer experience, and the reason behind its significance is often overlooked in professional business discussions. Design is unique in its primary focus on the consumer, or end-user. While many other roles in a corporate environment prioritize “the business” and its financial success or internal efficiencies. Designers and development strategists like Michael always start with the end user in mind. 

By putting the end user at the forefront of their work, designers understand that addressing people’s problems and needs in the right way ultimately leads to increased sales, profitability, and customer loyalty. This customer-centric approach ensures that the solutions they create resonate with the target audience, resulting in positive business outcomes. 

Michael acknowledges that balance is essential within organizations. Some professionals are primarily concerned with cost savings and internal efficiency, while others are focused on creating captivating and desirable solutions and optimized experiences for customers. Design and innovation strategists aim to strike a harmonious balance between these two perspectives. They seek to be efficient and consider internal efficiencies, but their starting point is always the ultimate solution that meets customers’ desires and needs. 

It’s a delicate dance of compromise that designers and product innovators are all too familiar with. They navigate the intricate interplay between business viability and customer desirability, understanding that success lies in finding the sweet spot that satisfies both the company’s goals and the customers’ expectations. 

Through this approach, Michael and his team of industry experts contribute significantly to elevating the customer experience and driving business success. They champion the importance of understanding and empathizing with end-users, ultimately shaping products and services that emotionally connect with people and leave a lasting positive impact. 

Simplified Innovation 

Over the years, Michael has dedicated himself to streamlining and simplifying the innovation and development process, making it efficient and accessible to a wide range of clients. He understood very early on in his career that innovation could sometimes be intimidating to many, so he and his team aimed to remove the “scary,” intimidating, and overwhelming aspects wherever possible. Through their efforts, they developed a robust framework that catered to the needs of large corporate entities while remaining adaptable and simple enough for agile startups and entrepreneurs to execute quickly and easily. 

A unique strength of Michael and his organizations is their ability to embrace and thrive in the upfront ambiguity that often accompanies product or brand development. He recognizes that ambiguity can be unsettling for many individuals and groups, so he works diligently to simplify and educate teams in the innovation process. By breaking down complex challenges into manageable steps and providing clear guidance, he aims to help others feel more at ease with the process, ultimately leading to better results and a more repeatable process in their future innovation endeavors. 

Michael’s approach to innovation centers on prioritizing the end user’s needs and aspirations. Rather than accepting project briefs or competitive challenges at face value, he delves deep into understanding his clients’ business needs, aligning them with what people are currently doing or will be doing in the future. Key to his strategy is comprehending the wants and needs of end users and finding ways to complement his clients’ business objectives or leverage those needs to benefit their businesses. 

A valuable lesson he helps guide and educate clients on is not to blindly follow the competition or industry leaders. Michael encourages businesses to pause and consider if their rivals are truly optimized. Surpassing competitors often involves thinking first about the box, then outside the box, and discovering what they haven’t yet realized. Michael believes there’s an advantage in learning from adjacent and parallel industries as well as competitors, strategically building or adapting to “leapfrog” their positioning, achieving a better position before it becomes apparent to others. 

The Power of Diversity 

At a human level, Michael recognizes that people across borders and cultures share more values than most might think. Understanding both the similarities and differences is crucial. To gain comprehensive insights, he combines what consumers know they are missing (articulated needs) with what they don’t know they’re missing (unarticulated needs) through observational, ethnographic research. 

For larger international initiatives, Michael employs a unique process called “Regional Investigation for a Global Understanding.” This method involves a deep, focused exploration of cultural habits, behaviors, and beliefs, aiming to grasp the distinct characteristics of any specific region. By understanding cultural intricacies, his team identifies regional variations and discovers common human needs that transcend cultural boundaries. 

This meticulous analysis allows them to discern where cultural differences impact certain behaviors and processes and where universal human needs intersect. With this knowledge, large corporations can make better/ more informed decisions and investments based on a solid understanding of what large investments can ultimately be commonized, and what modularity investments most cater to more localy specialized needs.  

Michael emphasizes that this approach applies not only to physical products but also to brands, messaging, or any element shared across multiple regions internationally. By customizing offerings to cater to cultural nuances while understanding common human needs, businesses can prioritize critical investments, establish a stronger regional presence, and make meaningful connections with diverse global audiences. 

Strategy for Harnessing Creative Superpowers 

In Michael’s experience, creative teams are undoubtedly the most powerful in any organization. However, effectively harnessing their diverse talents and skills requires a thoughtful approach. Creative individuals often share certain traits like ambition, strong personalities, and varied perspectives. While these qualities can lead to outstanding outcomes, they also present challenges in fostering efficient collaboration. 

Michael’s key strategy is to help each team member identify their unique “superpower” – their individual expertise or magical ability that sets them apart from others on the team. By encouraging team members to recognize and embrace their strengths, Michael creates an environment where collaboration flourishes and everyone’s contributions are valued. 

To achieve this, Michael first focuses on inspiring and empowering others to lead and own their results. He emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives and how they can be leveraged collectively for a greater outcome. By helping team members understand their roles in the big picture and the value they bring to the team individually, he fosters a sense of collective understanding and cohesion. This approach not only empowers individuals to embrace their strengths but also supercharges team productivity by reducing questions and confusion throughout the creative process. 

Michael applies these same leadership techniques when preparing organizations for innovation. He further states that fostering the proper internal alignment and environment(s) for innovation and creativity is half the battle when trying to achieve internal traction and tangible market results with innovation. 

The Power of Preparation 

Michael recognizes the vital role that emerging trends and technologies play in establishing core foundations before delving into innovation activities. These foundational insights are crucial in guiding proper decisions throughout the innovation process, making them a matter of utmost importance. However, Michael observes that some leaders or groups tend to underestimate this stage, assuming they already know the market and what they need to do next. He believes that the more foundational insights any organization has on technology, consumers, and emerging trends, the more informed, more comfortable, and more accurate they will be in making decisions during the innovation and development journey. 

One critical aspect of this stage is understanding whether people are ready for the technological advancements being considered. Michael has seen numerous examples of technologies and inventions being introduced prematurely to the market, leading to disappointing outcomes or, as he calls it, “dying on a poster.” Timing plays a significant role in determining whether people or organizations will embrace and adopt the needed change. While Michael is an advocate for progress and change, he believes that forcing change without considering market readiness can lead to resistance and rejection, ultimately leaving the innovation opportunity unsalvageable and nearly irretrievable in later years. 

In Michael’s view, technology has to be simple and intuitive, providing a service or benefit to the end user without unnecessary struggle or inconvenience. Complexity and difficulty in adoption can become obstacles, even for the most enthusiastic supporters of a technology. 

The Synergy of Captivating Brands and Compelling Products 

Michael understands that one of the most crucial aspects of a company’s success is the seamless combination of a captivating brand and a compelling product or service offering. However, he notices that many organizations, both large and small, often fail to grasp this concept and either neglect or avoid addressing it. 

He believes that to achieve significant success, a company needs to have both a strong, authentic, relatable brand and a desirable product or service. It is not enough to have just one of them. Michael observes numerous cases where companies have a compelling brand image but fail to deliver products that live up to consumers’ expectations. Conversely, there are also outstanding products on the market that lack a compelling brand identity, hindering their ability to gain consumer trust and continue investment in the marketplace. 

For long-term and scalable success, Michael stresses the importance of combining both a captivating brand and a compelling product. They have to work hand in hand, complementing each other in a way that resonates emotionally with consumers. 

When developing new products and experiences, Michael believes that identifying or strengthening the brand’s values, position, and narrative in relation to the target consumers’ needs is absolutely critical. He emphasizes the need for a deep understanding of the target consumers’ psychographics and preferences (beyond typical demographic criteria) before even beginning to develop a product for them. Especially in today’s diverse global marketplace, certain psychographics can span multiple demographic segments and can help organizations reach a much larger audience over the long term. 

At Seeley Designworks, Michael and his team follow a thorough 3-phase approach to aligning a brand’s values, company intent, and people’s needs into a cohesive narrative. This approach helps create a unified foundation that supports all brand and product development moving forward. 

By focusing on 1. “Who you are,” 2. “Who you are speaking to,” and 3. “How you speak to them,” Michael ensures that the brand’s messaging and offerings resonate with the target audience authentically. This comprehensive approach to brand and product development is instrumental in creating meaningful connections with consumers and establishing a strong foundation for long-term success. 

Optimism in the Age of AI and Quantum Computing 

Michael eagerly looks towards the future with excitement, particularly when it comes to the potential of AI and quantum computing. Despite the discomfort and uncertainty felt by many professionals in design, branding, and innovation due to this technological insurgence, Michael fully embraces the step function shift it brings to the approach to innovation. He sees it as an opportunity to share and build ideas faster than ever before, ushering in a new era of possibilities for society. 

Michael acknowledges that humans are naturally wired to mitigate risk and tend to shy away from new and unknown territory. AI, being a relatively new and ambiguous field, has sparked fear and hesitation in many individuals. However, he firmly believes that this initial opposition and criticism are typical of most new innovations. Michael views this resistance as a necessary stage in the evolution of thinking and a stepping stone towards progress. 

At the same time, he recognizes the ethical gaps and concerns that come with some of these technological advancements in the wrong hands. He remains empathetic towards those impacted by these changes and is committed to supporting them. While acknowledging that there will always be individuals who misuse technology, Michael is more concerned about people who want to exploit systems than the technology itself “taking over” on its own. 

Insights on Success and Growth 

Michael’s continuous pursuit of understanding successful individuals and companies led him to a glaringly common mindset: the belief that “it’s all about people.” Throughout his personal experiences and by observing other accomplished professionals, he recognized that treating people with respect and empathy was a cornerstone of success. 

For Michael, the key to building strong relationships and thriving as an individual or organization lay in valuing and respecting others. Being conscious of people’s individuality and being empathetic toward their perspectives created a culture of understanding and collaboration. He emphasized the importance of humility, recognizing that no matter how successful one becomes, staying humble and treating others with kindness and respect should always remain a priority. 

In Michael’s view, embracing change rather than fighting it was essential for personal and organizational growth. By learning, adapting, and embracing change, individuals and organizations can and will continue to thrive in dynamic and evolving environments. 

His advice to emerging leaders was profound and simple: treat people better than you expect to be treated and help others without expecting anything in return whenever possible. He believes that adopting this mindset will not only lead to personal growth but will also bring positive change to their professional lives. 

Website: https://www.seeleydesignworks.com/