Ambidextrous—A project of Stanford University’s d. school, this quirky magazine explores the craft of design and the nuances of design thinking. (More info: www.ambidextrousmag.com)

Metropolis—With a strong emphasis on construction and materials, this magazine offers tremendous insight into the built environment. I also like its coverage of sustainable design. (More info: www.metropolismag.com)

High concept involves the capacity to detect patterns and opportunities, to create artistic and emotional beauty, to craft a satisfying narrative, and to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into something new.

the left hemisphere handles what is said; the right hemisphere focuses on how it’s said—the nonverbal, often emotional cues delivered through gaze, facial expression, and intonation.

They’ve created an SAT-ocracy—a regime in which access to the good life depends on the ability to reason logically, sequentially, and speedily.

“Drawing is not really very difficult,” she said. “Seeing is the problem.”4 And the secret to seeing—really seeing—was quieting the bossy know-it-all left brain so the mellower right brain could do its magic.

(A sign of these new times is a young venture in Alexandria, Virginia. When routine legal research goes overseas and basic legal information is available online, what’s left for the litigious? High-concept work like that done by Animators at Law, a graphic design firm staffed by law graduates that prepares exhibits, videos, and visual aids to help

tackle far more complex problems and those who can provide something that databases and software cannot—counseling, mediation, courtroom storytelling, and other services that depend on R-Directed Thinking.

And they must become adept at analogy