Design Thinking 101

David Staley is an associate professor in the Department of History at Ohio State University. He teaches courses in digital history and historical methods. He also holds courtesy appointments in two departments, the Department of Design, where he has taught courses in digital history and design futures, and the Department of Educational Studies, where he has led the forum on the university. We talk about the future of higher education and learning, remote learning, and explore some of the ideas in David’s latest book, Knowledge Towns. Listen to learn about:>> AI and its potential impact on education >> How will we define a “university” in the future? >> Remote learning >> David’s book, Knowledge Towns Our Guest David Staley is an academic, writer, designer, futurist and journalist.  He is an Associate Professor in the Department of History and (by courtesy) the Departments of Design and Educational Studies at The Ohio State University. He is the author of "Alternative Universities: Speculative Design for Innovation in Higher Education", the co-author of "Knowledge Towns: Colleges and Universities as Talent Magnets" and author of "Visionary Histories", a collection of futures essays. He is an Honorary Faculty Fellow at the Center for Higher Education Leadership and Innovative Practice (CHELIP) at Bay Path University, and a fellow at the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University. In 2022 he was awarded "Best Freelance Writer" by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists for his "Next" futures column with Columbus Underground. Show Highlights[04:32] David starts off the conversation by talking about how AI will impact and change the future of higher education. [05:12] The Interface. [06:10] One of the top design problems for the remainder of the 21st century. [09:11] What our relationship with AI might look like. [09:40] David gives a few hints on a book idea he’s working on. [10:19] The importance of knowing the level of dialogue a learner needs at any given moment. [11:26] David believes that AI will become a pretty important part of the classroom system. [14:01] New forms of knowledge. [14:46] Preparing students for a world of dynamic change. [18:01] David asks Dawan if he thinks students will come to university to solve problems rather than to learn a discipline. [21:26] A Miro Moment. [23:28] David discusses the epistemic culling phenomenon happening in higher education.[27:40] Will we be redefining what a university is? What might that look like? [32:41] Dawan asks, What is higher learning, and how does it serve us? [33:39] David takes us back to the early pandemic years, and the remote class experience. [34:39] Using the experience as a teaching opportunity. [34:53] The generic feeling of taking classes remotely. [35:32] The idea of Place. [36:43] The value of learning together. [37:20] Where will the location of teaching and learning be in the future? [38:07] Will the numbers of remote students continue to increase? [38:41] The emergency nature of online learning during the pandemic, as opposed to designed online learning. [42:26] How does a university bring what is unique about them into the online learning experience? [43:30] David contemplates future online learning looking like tutorials and one-on-one learning. [47:51] David believes that the best teaching and learning happens one-on-one. [49:35] Colleges and universities are talent magnets. [51:29] Place does matter when it comes to universities, but mostly from an economic development standpoint. [53:37] When remote working and learning can happen anywhere, workers and learners will have the choice in where they live, learn, and work. [56:04] Universities and colleges need to rethink their relationship with the place they are located. [57:32] Moving beyond survival to thriving. [59:18] Graceful endings in higher education spaces. LinksDavid on LinkedIn David’s articles on Educause David on ResearchGate Associate Professor David Staley Discusses Digital History and the Future Voices of Excellence from Arts and Sciences Creative Mornings Columbus Books by DavidHistorical Imagination Alternative Universities: Speculative Design for Innovation in Higher Education Knowledge Towns: Colleges and Universities as Talent Magnets Computers, Visualization, and History: How New Technology Will Transform Our Understanding of the Past History and Future: Using Historical Thinking to Imagine the Future Brain, Mind and Internet: A Deep History and Future Book RecommendationsThe Next Rules of Work: The Mindset, Skillset and Toolset to Lead Your Organization through Uncertainty, by Gary Bolles The Future of Cities, edited by Joel Kotkin and Ryan Streeter DT 101 Episodes A Design Thinking Practitioner’s Shift into Higher Education and the Potential for Design Thinking in Higher Education with Fred Leichter — DT101 E4 Learning Design + Designing for How People Learn with Julie Dirksen — DT101 E42 5.5 Things Every Designer Should Know About: The Future of Higher Education with Bryan Alexander — DT101 E97

This is a Design Thinking 101 episode in the Ask Like a Designer series. Ask Like a Designer helps people explore creating services and solutions by thinking and solving like a designer. You’ll learn about design thinking, service design, learning design, leading and building high-performing teams, and ways to achieve better outcomes. This episode is based on this article: ALD014 // 5 Ways Nobody Cares About You and How They Make You a Better Designer. Read the article and others like it on Fluid Hive’s Ask Like a Designer. What did you think of this episode? Please send your questions, suggestions, and guest ideas to Dawan and the Fluid Hive team. Cheers ~ Dawan Design Thinking 101 Podcast HostPresident, Fluid Hive Show Highlights [00:51] Your tiny narcissist. [00:55] The five ways nobody cares about you. [01:52] Nobody cares what you create. [02:13] Nobody cares about the problems you solve. [02:35] Nobody cares what you know. [02:56] Nobody cares about your experience. [03:19] Nobody cares if you win. [03:51] Fluid Hive’s free thinking tool has all of the questions you need to answer to keep your inner narcissist in check.  The Design Thinking 101 Podcast’s Ask Like a Designer series Ask Like a Designer — DT101 E61 Design, and One Question to Rule Them All // ALD 002 — DT101 E63 There Are No Problems Worth Solving — Only Questions Worth Asking // ALD 003 — DT101 E65 Your Good-Life OS: Designing a System for Living Well and Peak Performance // ALD 004 — DT101 E67 The Swiss-Army Lives of How-Might-We Questions // ALD 005 — DT 101 E69  Designing Facilitation: A System for Creating and Leading Exceptional Events // ALD 006 — DT101 E73  The Innovation Saboteur’s Handbook // ALD 007 – DT101 E77  Three Little Words for Better (Business) Relationships // ALD 008 — DT101 E79  The 30-Minute Solution Matrix: How to Think and Solve Under Pressure // ALD 009 — DT101 E87  Protect Your Solutions with Transformation Stories: Part 1 — Crafting Well // ALD 010 — DT101 E89  Protect Your Solutions with Transformation Stories: Part 2 — Telling Well // ALD 011 — DT101 E92  Want Better Outcomes? Find Better Problems. // ALD 012 — DT101 E99  Designing a Learning System for the Good Life // ALD 013 — DT101 E108

Julie Dirksen is the author of the books Design for How People Learn and Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change. She is a learning strategy consultant with a focus on incorporating behavioral science into learning interventions. Julie was my guest for episode 42 of the show. In this episode, we talk about her latest book, ways to motivate learners and workshop participants, designing learning experiences for skill development, and more. Listen to learn about:>> Julie’s latest book, Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change >> Behavior change challenges >> The biggest challenge when creating virtual learning experiences >> Motivating and engaging learners >> AI in education Our Guest Julie Dirksen is the author of the books Design For How People Learn and Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change. She is a learning strategy consultant with a focus on incorporating behavioral science into learning interventions. Her MS degree is in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. She’s been an adjunct faculty member at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and is a Learning Guild Guildmaster. She is happiest when she gets to learn something new, and you can find her at usablelearning.com. Show Highlights[02:02] Julie gives a quick summary of her first book and how Talk to the Elephant is its natural sequel. [02:42] The new book tackles the challenges in actually changing behavior. [04:26] On learning experiences. [05:21] Julie is starting to organize a third book, which will be on skill acquisition. [05:34] The evolution of behavioral design. [06:21] The COVID-19 pandemic is the biggest behavior change experiment in the history of the world. [07:06] The book’s audience are those in the learning and development field — people who design learning experiences. [08:00] The Change Ladder. [08:54] Julie offers one case study she uses in the book to demonstrate the challenges around behavior change. [14:17] The importance of communicating and working with the people you serve when it comes to changing behaviors. [14:58] Julie tells a story illustrating the importance of talking to and understanding the people you serve and their needs. [17:57] It’s important for people to participate in their own behavioral design. [20:15] Creating the conditions for learners to motivate themselves. [21:22] Making things as easy as possible for someone to do. [22:42] A Miro Moment. [25:27] Creating learning experiences that engage learners. [26:14] The biggest challenge in designing virtual workshops. [27:55] Why Julie is interested in Virtual Reality. [29:34] The top two challenges Julie sees in almost every behavior change. [34:55] Immediate impact and immediate rewards help learners stay motivated. [37:21] Helping learners see what they will be able to do with this new skill or new knowledge. [42:53] Julie shows appreciation for how video games onboard players as a great example of guiding people along the learning curve. [45:11] Designing learning experiences to make your learner feel smart and capable as they acquire new skills and knowledge. [48:42] Julie talks about research on self-directed learning by Catherine Lombardozzi. [49:20] Julie and Catherine will be doing a webinar on the key behaviors seen in good self-directed learners. [52:05] Julie ponders how systems thinking and design fits into behavior change. [52:54] Dawan and Julie talk about AI and its role in education. LinksJulie on LinkedIn Usable Learning Designing for how people learn Book RecommendationsDesign for How People Learn, by Julie Dirksen Talk to the Elephant: Design Learning for Behavior Change, by Julie Dirksen Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman Nudge: The Final Edition, by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein How Change Happens, by Cass Sunstein Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things, by Dan Ariely Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, by Dan Ariely DT 101 EpisodesLearning Design + Designing for How People Learn with Julie Dirksen — DT101 E42 Learning Design with Yianna Vovides — DT101 E58 Adding System Awareness to System Design to Your Innovation Stack with Julie Guinn — DT101 E43

David Lemus is an independent design strategist with engineering roots working with organizations to empower teams to be customer obsessed and have a culture of iterative learning. He has designed and facilitated dozens of design thinking workshops across Fortune 500 companies, non-profit and government organizations. David is also currently an adjunct professor at the University of Portland's Pamplin School of Business and leads the Portland Design Thinking Meetup community. Listen to learn about: >> Team facilitation >> Human centered-design: mindsets over methods >> [Re]Building human connection  Our Guest David Lemus is an independent design strategist with engineering roots working with organizations to empower teams to be customer obsessed and have a culture of iterative learning. He has designed and facilitated dozens of design thinking workshops across Fortune 500 companies, non-profit and government organizations. David was in-house at Capital One on the Design Thinking and Strategy team. That team focused on changing the way the enterprise worked by empowering all employees with the mindsets and tools of design thinking. His team scaled practitioner and senior leadership programs throughout the risk-averse organization. Prior to Capital One, David was a senior consultant at Peer Insight, a service design and innovation firm where he led service design projects with Fortune 500 and non-profit clients. David is also currently an adjunct professor at the University of Portland's Pamplin School of Business and leads the Portland Design Thinking Meetup community. David has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland. Show Highlights [02:10] How David went from engineer to design strategist. [02:59] The two experiences as an engineer that led David into design thinking. [04:46] Experimenting to find the right career path. [06:54] The challenges of experimentation and risk-taking in the workplace. [09:07] Teaching human-centered design and creativity at Capital One. [11:16] David’s focus is on mindsets, not methods, when it comes to teaching design thinking to others. [14:08] Helping non-designers to understand and use human-centered design in their work.[17:04] A Miro Moment. [18:53] Breaking down silos. [20:29] The lack of skilled facilitators for collaboration at work. [21:20] Finding ways to make meetings productive and fun. [22:40] Do you really need a meeting? [24:47] Designing meetings. [26:09] Practicing active listening during meetings. [27:26] Cultivating the right energy in the team and creating the right environment in the room for the work you’re doing. [27:26] Designing the right activities for your meeting in order to achieve the meeting’s goals. [30:46] David and Dawan talk about why people’s design thinking expectations are often not met in reality. [33:23] What David is working on now: Connection. [38:37] Where to learn more about David’s work. LinksDavid on LinkedIn lemus&co David’s website Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Public Sector Design + Outcome Chains + Prototyping for Impact with Boris Divjak — DT101 E26 Designing for Healthcare vs Sick Care + The Emergency Design Collective — DT101 E52 The Experimentation Field Book with Natalie Foley — DT101 E123

Learn about teaching and applying design thinking in higher education with Liz Chen, Design Thinking Lead at Innovate Carolina and co-author of The Experimentation Field Book. Topics include Innovate Carolina, The Experimentation Field Book, design thinking and public health, design thinking in strategic planning, and more.

Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel, Afro-Trinidadian design educator, discusses her approach to design thinking with a focus on equity and social justice. They explore the significance of design studies and the power of individuals to make change, as well as the concept of dreaming together to create gradual change.

Victor Udoewa, who works at the CDC, discusses radical participatory design, civic design, relationships in complex systems, and the fallacy of problem solving. He highlights the importance of involving communities in design, recognizing their skills, and incorporating the 'peopleness' of organizations into the process.

Pinar Guvenc is a partner at the award-winning global design studio SOUR, where she leads design innovation strategy. Pinar is also a member of the faculty at Parsons School of Design, and she serves on the Board of Directors at Open Style Lab, a National Design Award-winning nonprofit organization initiated at MIT, with the purpose of making style accessible to people with disabilities. Today on the show, we talk about inclusive design, and making collaboration and co-creation meaningful. Listen to learn about:>> What it really means to collaborate >> Inclusive design and designing for inclusivity >> Teaching the next generation of designers Our GuestPinar Guvenc is a Partner at SOUR — an award-winning global design studio with the mission to address social and urban problems — where she leads design innovation strategy. Prior to SOUR, Pinar co-founded various ventures where she helped set up and grow them through incubation, achieving international recognition and funding from innovation centers and accelerators such as Plug and Play and Climate KIC. Pinar is a member of the faculty at Parsons School of Design, MS in Strategic Design and Management program, author and instructor of the "Inclusive Design" course at School of Visual Arts, and the author and facilitator of the workshop series "Strategic Collaborations" at Pratt Center for Community Development. She serves on the Board of Directors at Open Style Lab, a National Design Award-winning nonprofit organization initiated at MIT, with the purpose of making style accessible to people with disabilities. Pinar is a frequent public speaker and host of the podcast "What's Wrong With": a series of discussions with progress makers and experts to diagnose problems in industries, ideate solutions, and raise awareness among the general public. Show Highlights[02:25] Pinar’s design career began in industrial engineering and finance. [02:57] Becoming an “accidental entrepreneur” and discovering design along the way. [04:10] Pinar’s frustration with the word “collaboration.” [05:43] Designing collaborations. [06:50] What is collaboration? [07:07] Start with the people, then move to process. [10:17] Processes help us stay focused when things are rushed. [11:02] Recognizing our biases and sharing power when collaborating. [11:37] Fully integrating design into an organization. [12:44] Storytelling is part of the design process. [14:51] Our work leadership style needs a fundamental change. [15:37] Adults need to create and learn, just like children. [16:16] A Miro Moment. [18:06] Knowing what you don’t know is an asset. [20:49] How SOUR works inclusivity into the design team and project. [22:12] Pinar gives a shout-out to David Dylan Thomas (DT101 Ep 112). [22:19] Thomas’ Red Team-Blue Team exercise. [22:41] SOUR’s Co-Creation Panel. [23:51] “Design spies!” and just doing the work of co-creation. [24:55] How Pinar brings inclusivity into her teaching. [25:07] Guest lecturers and keeping it real. [27:11] Inclusivity begins during the research stage. [27:52] Generative AI is great for showing us our prejudices and biases. [31:13] The importance of being better, active listeners. [32:28] As designers, we always need to be mindful of our responsibility for what we’re putting out in the world. LinksPinar on LinkedIn Pinar on The New School Parsons SOUR Open Style Lab What’s Wrong With podcast A SOUR Perspective on design Bringing Design Closer: Understanding Architecture's role in designing inclusive spaces Book RecommendationsDesign for Cognitive Bias, by David Dylan Thomas Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Cognitive Bias + Ethics + Dreaming the Future of Design with David Dylan Thomas — DT101 E112 Designing Your Team + Teams in Design Education + Coaching Design Teams with Mary Sherwin and David Sherwin — DT101 E49 Designing Facilitation: A System for Creating and Leading Exceptional Events // ALD 006 — DT101 E73

Justin is an internationally-renowned design leader, author and speaker from Chicago. You'll often find him at AIGA's speaking events, he’s been interviewed in Forbes magazine and Medium's "Forge" publication, and he writes articles for Aquent, CEO World Magazine, and A List Apart. He speaks internationally on culture and design, and today on the show, we talk about values, aligned design, nurturing teams, and design leadership. Listen to learn about:>> Discovering and leveraging our core values >> Why humility is the most important trait for a designer>> Building and nurturing teams >> Justin’s latest book, In Fulfillment: The Designer’s Journey Our Guest Justin is an internationally renowned design leader, author, and speaker from Chicago. You'll find him often engaging with the AIGA's speaking events, interviewed in Forbes magazine and Medium's "Forge" publication, and penning articles for Aquent, CEO World Magazine, and A List Apart. He speaks internationally on culture and design, including keynotes at the UXPA International conference, Midwest UX, and St. Louis Design Week. Justin is also the writer of the celebrated book "Creative Culture," a former VP of Design at bswift (a CVS Health company), and the founder of design leadership consultancy Anomali. Show Highlights[02:11] Justin’s design “Eureka!” moment in high school. [03:12] The Art Institute of Chicago and teaching himself how to code. [05:24] The most important part of being a designer. [05:50] From Me to We. [07:10] Justin talks about the writing of his latest book, In Fulfillment. [08:02] Transitioning from hands-on fulfillment toward mentorship and leadership. [09:46] Identifying the core set of values that lead us to feeling fulfilled. [10:29] Humility and design. [11:39] How Justin helps people find their core set of values. [12:03] Using the Make Meaningful Work platform. [12:55] What drives us to do what we want to be doing? [14:04] Knowing our core values helps create a healthier work environment. [14:55] Our core values are portable, no matter where we may work throughout our career and in any field. [15:50] Why humility is the most important trait for a designer. [17:25] Our energy pool is a finite resource. [19:06] How an organization’s website implicitly shines a light on what they value. [23:11] The best teams are diverse, inclusive teams. [23:52] Dawan talks about empathy theater and taking the next steps beyond empathy. [26:15] A Miro Moment. [27:44] Justin talks about nurturing teams. [28:15] Allowing for time to pause and connect within the workspace. [29:06] Dawan talks about the benefits of not being 100% occupied 100% of the time. [30:43] Supporting “real life” in our work environments. [33:26] We need to adjust how we work and our expectations about the “right” way to work. [34:57] Justin offers thoughts on how to make the hiring and onboarding process better. [40:05] How to design and nurture a better work culture. [42:22] Justine talks about some of the work being done by his company, Anomali by Design.[46:43] Justin offers some last words of advice for all of us about taking time to pause with intent. LinksJustin on Twitter Justin on LinkedIn Justin on Medium Justin on Instagram Anomali By Design Anomali on Twitter Practical Design Leadership podcast The Essential Fusion of Culture & Design with Justin Dauer Make Meaningful Work   Book Recommendations In Fulfillment: The Designer’s Journey, by Justin Dauer Cultivating a Creative Culture, by Justin Dauer   Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Employee Experience by Design: How to Create an Effective EX for Competitive Advantage with Belinda Gannaway — DT101 E75 Designing Your Team + Teams in Design Education + Coaching Design Teams with Mary Sherwin and David Sherwin — DT101 E49 Healthcare Design Teams + Wellness + ScienceXDesign with Chris McCarthy — DT101 E24

Scott Shigeoka is an internationally-recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and the author of SEEK: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. He is known for translating research into strategies that promote wellbeing and connected relationships around the globe, including at the University of California Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and through his groundbreaking courses at the University of Texas at Austin. Today on the show, we’ll talk about Scott’s book and the power of curiosity. Listen to learn about >> Why curiosity matters >> Shallow vs. deep curiosity >> Scott’s book, SEEK >> Ways to cultivate and practice using your curiosity >> The power of “I don’t know” and “Tell me more” Our Guest Scott Shigeoka is an internationally-recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and the author of SEEK: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. He is known for translating research into strategies that promote positive well-being and connected relationships around the globe, including at the UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and through his groundbreaking courses at the University of Texas at Austin. Scott implements his curiosity practices in the public sector, Fortune 500 companies, Hollywood, media organizations, education institutions, and small businesses. Show Highlights [01:59] How Scott’s love of stories and storytelling brought him to where he is today.  [02:50] Majoring in journalism and psychology, and working in Iceland. [04:20] Designing and storytelling at IDEO and in Hollywood. [05:00] Scott’s response to the 2016 election and the polarization of America was a 13-month road trip around the country. [07:29] What is curiosity? [08:20] Shallow vs. deep curiosity. [11:22] How Scott approached talking with people at Trump political rallies. [13:44] The big lesson Scott learned during the road trip. [15:42] Curiosity is listening. [18:01] People want to feel that their stories, their lives, matter. [18:52] Scott talks about predatory curiosity. [21:36] What readers will find in Scott’s book, SEEK. [22:16] Curiosity can help us bridge our differences. [23:15] SEEK offers practical exercises and advice on how to exercise your curiosity. [25:07] The world needs more curiosity. [25:40] The four core “muscles” of deep curiosity. [31:20] Working with the three cardinal directions of curiosity. [34:40] A Miro Moment. [36:45] Scott offers up one way we can all practice more curiosity. [40:33] Challenge your assumptions. [43:42] Practice intellectual humility. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know the answer. [44:36] Effective leaders practice curiosity. [45:29] Use “Tell me more…” [48:15] Creating boundaries when it comes to practicing curiosity. [52:08] Embracing discomfort. [53:00] Curiosity is about understanding.[55:12] Where to find out more about Scott and his work. Links Scott on Twitter Scott on LinkedIn Scott on Instagram Seek the Book Perspectives in Design Scott Shigeoka Rural Assembly: Drawing Resilience: Scott Shigeoka Hachette Interview with Scott Audium: Scott Shigeoka – Bridging Divides Book Recommendations Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, by Scott Shigeoka The Karma of Success: Spiritual Strategies to Free Your Inner Genius, by Liz Tran Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Humble Design Leadership + Design Agency and Experience Design Evolution with Aleksandra Melnikova — DT101 E33 Three Little Words for Better (Business) Relationships // ALD 008 — Ep79 User Research + Asking Better Questions with Michele Ronsen — DT101 E88