The Zebra in The Room

I brought a five-foot zebra with me to a conference. Here’s what happened…

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Let me just say this: bringing a five-foot zebra to the RGD DesignThinkers conference was not a random decision. I didn’t wake up one day and think, You know what would be great? A giant zebra. It had a purpose - two, actually.

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First, it’s about alignment with my message. What’s your message? You ask? My message is stop looking for zebras. In other words, stop overcomplicating things - especially in communication. So, here’s a zebra, now you can stop looking for them.

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Here’s the deal: when we communicate, especially as creatives, we tend to make it about self-expression, originality, or creating something award-winning. That’s not going to connect with your audience. What we need is simplicity, clarity, and relevance.

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There’s this thing they teach medical interns in their first year: If you hear hoofbeats, don’t think zebra; think horse. It’s a reminder to not overthink or assume the rarest, most complicated answer. Nine times out of ten, it’s not some strange bacteria from the Amazon; it’s bad sushi.

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And it’s the same in our industry. We’re not designing for other designers; we’re designing for the general public. My book, Stop Looking for Zebras, is all about managing creativity in a business context. It’s about keeping it simple.

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That’s why I brought BC - the five-foot zebra. BC? Yeah, BC, short for Barcode. Because it’s all in the lines.

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Why a Full-Sized Zebra?

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Let’s face it, conferences are noisy. Not just literally, but visually, conceptually. A sea of 10x10 pop-up booths with table skirts, cheap chocolate, and people sitting behind desks waiting to “take orders.” Yawn. That’s just volume, not impact.

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I wanted disruption. Something unexpected, something that gets people curious. But it wasn’t just disruption for disruption’s sake. The zebra tied directly into my message. People saw it and went, Oh, you wrote a book called Stop Looking for Zebras. Got it.

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So yes, BC was a giant lightning rod for attention. But more importantly, he was aligned with my message, and that’s what made him effective.

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The Reaction?

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Honestly? The reaction was wild, better than I expected. Word spread fast. People were talking about the zebra at the conference, but they assumed it would be some tiny tabletop prop. When they saw the real deal, a life-sized zebra, they were stunned.

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People wanted pictures, group shots, selfies. BC even got interviewed. He was the celebrity of the conference, and he did exactly what I needed him to do: get people to stop and engage. One might say, “he stole the show.” Actually, the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) said that. Facts.

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What Conversations Did It Start?

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The zebra wasn’t just there for visibility. It was a gateway to meaningful conversations.

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Next to BC, I had a huge banner that said, You are so much more than your resume. That’s a message creatives need to hear because this isn’t an industry where your resume does the heavy lifting. If you’re creative, your resume is proof, not bait. If you can’t grab their attention before they even see your resume, you’re going into a black hole.

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So people would stop for the zebra, see the banner, and then the real conversations would start:

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• Why the zebra?
• What do you do here?
• How can you help me?

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Those questions gave me the chance to talk about what I offer: one-on-one coaching, group sessions, in-house workshops and training. And people wanted to engage. They WANTED to improve their careers, their teams, their focus.

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Lessons from the Conference

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I learned a lot from those two days. First, I barely stopped talking the whole time, which was the point. I didn’t even look at the agenda because I knew I wasn’t there to attend sessions, I was there to engage with people.

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Would I do it again? Maybe. But probably not the same way. I’m not an again person. Next time, it might be a white horse with projected messaging on it. Something new, something unexpected, but still aligned with my message. I once brought an edible chair to a furniture design event. My biggest competitor is myself.

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How It Ties to My Coaching

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This approach - disruptive, curious, engaging - ties directly to my coaching style. Coaching is about connection, just like finding the right doctor or therapist. It’s about working with someone who challenges you in the right way.

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By being at the conference with BC, I gave people a chance to experience me, my voice, my energy, my approach. They knew exactly what they were signing up for, and that’s key.

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At the end of the day, the zebra wasn’t just a prop. It was a symbol of curiosity, simplicity, and creativity. And it worked.

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Feeling curious? Reach out. Send me a DM or email me at robert@think-smith.com. Let’s start a conversation.

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