Welcome to the Design Thinking podcast! I’m Dawan Stanford, your host. I’m excited to welcome Jessica Dugan to today’s episode. Jessica is a Design Principal on the Healthcare Design team at 3M Design. She has worked in the healthcare industry for over five years. In our chat today, you’ll learn about her journey as a designer into her current role, her experience as a service designer in healthcare, and the lessons she’s learned that might serve others. As Jess will explain today, she also comes from a non-traditional background. Her undergraduate degree is in writing and journalism, but she soon realized that wasn’t her path. She began getting into design, and realized that the part of writing that resonated with her was the ability to connect with people. She went back to graduate school for design, and joined a service design consulting firm. Because Jess has worked in various significantly different environments, it’s fascinating to hear her perspective on how they differ, as well as what the transitions were like. She’ll also explore her experience in the healthcare industry in general, and share some of the key lessons she took away from her experience at United Health. In addition to exploring these topics, Jess will also dive into the potential value in service design, using service design from a Scrum perspective, and what she has had to deal with in healthcare that might be invisible to people in other design fields. She’ll recommend several powerful resources that have been invaluable for her, and share some insight into topics that she recommends for future episodes. Learn More About Today’s Guest Jessica Dugan on LinkedIn @jess_dugan on Twitter @3MDesign on Twitter 3M Design In This Episode [00:32] — Dawan introduces today’s guest, Jessica Dugan.[01:55] — Jess starts things off by describing her journey as a designer. Like many of the guests on this show, her journey has been full of fascinating twists and turns. She also talks about her role at 3M Design now.[10:38] — We hear more about Jess’ transitions between the various environments that she has worked in.[16:18] — As a designer, what are some of the key lessons that Jess took away from her experience at United Health?[18:42] — Jess shares a piece of advice that she would give to someone having their first experience doing service design inside a large healthcare organization.[21:30] — Jess talks more about the role of language and its nuances across different roles, and as an indicator of experience.[22:35] — We hear more about Jess’ transition into 3M.[25:44] — How has Jess noticed her approach as a designer shift with the shift in the group of people she’s designing for?[28:24] — Jess explains how she explains what’s possible and the potential value in service design.[30:59] — Dawan expands on what Jess has been saying about connecting the aspirational to the operational.[34:23] — We hear more about the early days of taking service design into a Scrum process as is used at 3M.[37:54] — From a healthcare perspective, what kinds of things has Jess dealt with that might be invisible to designers working in other fields?[41:42] — Jess talks about how she has seen prototyping play out differently.[43:23] — What are some of the books and resources that have helped Jess along the way?[48:10] — Jess talks about whether there are any open questions she’s wrestling with, or other topics that she would like to see on the show.[52:12] — Where can listeners learn more about Jess and her work? Links and Resources Jessica Dugan on LinkedIn @jess_dugan on Twitter @3MDesign on Twitter 3M Design Communicating the New by Kim Erwin 101 Design Methods by Vijay Kumar Moments of Impact by Chris Ertel and Lisa Kay Solomon Service Design Tools Practical Service Design

Welcome to the Design Thinking podcast! I’m Dawan Stanford, your host. Jess Roberts joins me today for a conversation about the designer’s role in healthcare, problem-finding with healthcare experts, the importance of the design studio in his work, and design thinking in public health. Jess leads the Culture of Health By Design initiative of the Minnesota Design Center at the University of Minnesota. He also holds faculty appointments at the University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing and School of Public Health. After receiving a master’s in architecture, Jess found that the practice was incredibly technical and had very little to do with his education in the field. He also found that he had very little space to practice problem solving, because what he did was just responding to decisions that had already been made. He realized how much more useful what the did would be if it occurred at the beginning of the decision-making process than at the end. Jess realized that he didn’t want to be an architecture at all, but wanted to put his valuable training to good use. He stumbled across design thinking, which put a language to what he had been doing. After landing an appointment that involved human-centered design, Jess found himself surrounded by naturally skeptical epidemiologists. Tune into the episode to learn about how this worked out for him!In this compelling conversation, you’ll learn about the importance of using design at the right stage of the process. Jess will also explore one of the greatest fallacies of innovation: that great ideas just suddenly pop up. We’ll talk about the process of design (and why it is a process rather than a toolkit), what he’s most excited about working on right now, and much more. Learn More About Today’s Guest Jess Roberts on LinkedIn In This Episode [01:44] — Jess kicks things off by talking about his journey into his design practice, and explaining his struggles with architecture.[06:38] — About two months into Jess’ appointment at his position, the only person who knew what human-centered design is left.[08:36] — We hear more about how Jess made what he does more relevant to his audience in this position.[15:48] — You should always start with what is known, Jess points out, and explains that design opens the question of “what could be?”[18:29] — Jess digs more into his experience of learning to think about design as more than just building.[22:09] — We hear about having moved into an interconnected, virtual realm of mass customization. Jess also talks about the importance of figuring out what people want or need, and three key insights into parents.[30:28] — At the end of the short engagement that Jess has been describing, the project was terminated.[31:30] — Dawan takes a minute to talk about the outcome and unpack some of what Jess has been saying.[32:09] — What was it about the new evidence that allowed for a shift and reframing of what needed to happen?[34:51] — Jess points out that too often, design is used to sell or convince stakeholders that an approach or product is necessary.[36:25] — Dawan chats about the problem space and the solution space. Jess then talks about one of the greatest fallacies of innovation.[41:08] — We hear about the three key spaces that people operate in within Jess’ line of work.[46:14] — Jess talks about the process of design.[50:46] — Dawan brings up the topic of the role of the designer, and how that role adapts itself to the context.[55:06] — We hear more about Jess’ thoughts on sharing the role of designer with the community.[58:01] — In the work that Jess is currently doing in public health, what is he most excited about?[60:22] — Where can listeners learn more? Are there any resources that Jess would recommend?[63:44] — Jess shares some closing words of wisdom for listeners. Links and Resources Jess Roberts on LinkedIn Minnesota Design Center Design Thinking 101 Episode 6: Problem Spaces, Understanding How People Think, and Practical Empathy (with Indi Young) Rethinking Design Thinking on Huffington Post by Thomas Fisher and Jess Roberts Biggest Threat to Health? Solving the Wrong Problems on Huffington Post by Thomas Fisher and Jess Roberts

Welcome to the Design Thinking podcast! I’m Dawan Stanford, your host. My guest today is Paolo Korre, Director of Service Design and User Insight for SE Health, a not-for-profit healthcare company in Ontario, Canada. We’ll chat today about Paolo’s transition from industrial design to design thinking in the healthcare space, challenges he faces as a designer working in healthcare, and his experience with being the lone designer on an innovation team. Paolo reached industrial design through a love of fine arts, drawing, painting, and crafts. He did his undergraduate degree in industrial and product design. He assumed he would be working on making furniture or other “stuff,” but soon realized that this isn’t what the world really needs. As he evolved beyond traditional design, he went back to school for further education. Eventually, he was able to bring design thinking back home. In our conversation today, he’ll dig into how his skills in design relate to his work in healthcare (and how he convinced people to give it a shot!). For example, he explains that he worked on a project around improving the experience of patients receiving private care. As a result, they ended up launching Elizz, a whole brand dedicated to supporting family caregivers. Paolo has experienced being a lone designer as well as being part of a team of designers and part of an innovation team. It’s all part of a learning journey, he explains, and speaks of trying to figure out how much design method he can apply in these various roles. Whether you’re a solo designer, part of a team, or not sure yet where your design path will take you, don’t miss this informative and insightful episode. Learn More About Today’s Guest Paolo Korre on LinkedIn Paolo Korre on Twitter Paolo Korre on Facebook SE Health Futures In This Episode [01:50] — Paolo talks about his journey into design, and how he got started.[07:35] — When Paolo went to design school, what were some of the shifts and transitions in his skillset or or approach that happened as a result?[09:25] — Dawan shares his perspective on discipline being a gateway to creativity.[11:46] — Paolo shares some of the experiences that helped him internalize the process as he was studying and training.[13:57] — When Paolo moved into healthcare, what were some of the methods or skills that he had to adjust or learn?[16:55] — What helped Paolo persuade people to give design in healthcare a shot?[22:17] — Dawan draws out one of Paolo’s points around how the stakeholder map changes as we age.[26:08] — Paolo mentions a trend involving being patient-centered, and the problem with this concept.[28:07] — How has Paolo explored the different modes of (being a lone designer, part of a team of designers, or being part of an innovation team)?[32:04] — Dawan mentions the benefits of having a futurist on a team, and his own introduction to being a futurist.[34:49] — We hear more of Paolo’s thoughts on the “MAYA” (most advanced yet acceptable) option, and how far he can push things.[38:07] — Paolo responds to Dawan’s point about wishing for a team to bounce ideas off of.[42:15] — When Paolo thinks about the opportunities to connect with peers, what are his hopes?[47:31] — Paolo recommends other resources that have been useful for him.[50:10] — We learn that Paolo has been redefining the boundaries of his practice because he’s constantly encountering new sources of understanding.[53:07] — How much does Dawan focus on design mindsets?[54:53] — Paolo talks about where listeners can find him, get in touch, and learn more about his work.[56:10] — Does Paolo have any insider scoops on Service Design Global Conference Toronto 2019? Links and Resources Paolo Korre on LinkedIn Paolo Korre on Twitter Paolo Korre on Facebook SE Health Futures SE Health Elizz Ten Types of Innovation by Larry Keeley et al. 101 Design Methods by Vijay Kumar Design Thinking at Work by David Dunne Daniel Kahneman Service Design Global Conference Toronto 2019

The Better Government Movement, Amy explains today, is built for public servants. She realized that the baton (in terms of innovation and transformation in building 21st-century government) isn’t adequately being passed on. She collaborated on research on creating change and transformation in government, and the best ways to create something that is useful and scalable across government. When Amy was getting started with the initial conversations around innovation and design in this realm, she started with the people who were leaning into the conversation. These early adopters, she explains, are the people who will help you unlock what the culture or organization should turn into. In addition to this powerful insight into getting through to the right people, Amy will dig into how to pass the torch and help to ensure that processes are passed on. Amy will also share tips and insights into how to teach and support innovators, including focusing on learning to relieve pressure, and to get comfortable with ambiguity. She’ll dig into how and why she created her own innovation toolkit, and how it stemmed from her work at the Better Government Movement. She’ll explore her personal journey (and the tendencies that lead her toward burnout), list some resources and references that might interest listeners, and offer powerful insights that I hope will help you along your own design thinking journey! Learn More About Today’s Guest Amy J. Wilson Amy J. Wilson on LinkedIn Better Government Movement In This Episode [01:17] — We hear about Amy’s innovation and design journey, from where she got started to how she arrived where she is today.[06:48] — Dawan takes a moment to talk about the pathway into design thinking.[08:24] — Amy talks about the history of the Better Government movement, where it is now, and how she’s applying her skills there.[11:48] — We learn about the plan Amy came up with to translate the information she had found into something that many people could access.[15:33] — How did Amy navigate the initial conversations around design and innovation to get people active?[17:50] — Dawan talks about the sweet spot in the double diamond, and Amy discusses ways that she provided value.[22:22] — How does Amy’s work live on today in terms of the terms and processes she used, or the impact she had?[27:12] — Amy talks about what she learned from her first cohort about what works when supporting innovators.[31:13] — We hear more about staying in the problem space, and a specific risk that comes along with it.[33:10] — Amy talks about an innovation toolkit that came out of her Better Government work.[39:32] — What are some of Amy’s recommendations for people trying to communicate around innovation with people working in government?[42:29] — We learn about some of the things that Amy has pulled from her journey in terms of change and transformation.[48:26] — Dawan invites listeners to close their eyes, imagine standing on a platform and not wanting to jump, but feeling the heat of the platform burning behind you. That, he points out, is the kind of urgency to go for.[52:12] — Amy has been on her own personal journey associated with what Dawan has been talking about, she explains.[55:58] — Dawan talks about one of the joys of prototyping.[57:04] — Are there any resources or references that have been really useful for Amy?[59:50] — How can people learn more about Amy and her work? Links and Resources Amy J. Wilson Amy J. Wilson on LinkedIn Better Government Movement GitHub Lean Startup Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore 18F Methods Design Thinking 101 episode 13: From Branding to Design + Teaching Design Teams + Leading Summer of Design with Karen Hold Design Thinking 101 episode 14: Design Thinking for the Public Sector + Building and Training Design Thinking Teams with Stephanie Wade

Adam Royalty, founder of the Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio and long-time lecturer at the Stanford d.school, joins me today. We’ll dig into topics including reflective practices in design education, designing for learning, and connecting design thinking to change management and change leadership. Every time I’ve had a chance to talk with Adam, I’ve come away with all sorts of thoughts and ideas. I’m excited to have him as a guest on the podcast, and hope he can spark similar inspiration for you! One important point that Adam makes is the need for reflection. He’s been doubling down on having students reflect, and supporting that reflection in very intentional ways. In our conversation, you’ll hear how students respond to this, and how Adam uses it as a powerful tool to encourage and support creativity. Often when he’s teaching design, it’s to help teach students a creative process so that they can solve problems and become more innovative. I’ve been wrestling lately with the mashup between design thinking and learning design, in terms of how to help learners approach creating learning experiences and learning environments in a “designerly” manner. Adam points out that the process depends on your goal, which isn’t necessarily the same in different learning environments. In addition to all of this, Adam and I will talk about where he sees practices involving design thinking and design service going in the next several years, the ways we’ve been working with narratives and storytelling in design practice, why it’s so vital that we focus on discipline in addition to creativity, his reading recommendations for further information, and much more. Learn More About Today’s Guest Adam Royalty on LinkedIn Adam Royalty on Facebook adam@dschool.stanford.edu In This Episode [01:38] — What are some of the themes that Adam is wrestling with in his work right now?[04:10] — Adam talks about how he’s seen reflection play out in the classroom, in terms of how students respond.[07:02] — Has Adam used similar practices outside the classroom, such as with teams or organizations?[09:16] — We hear about what Adam is learning about what transfers outside the classroom into other domains.[14:00] — Adam shares his perspective on the broader conversation of design thinking pedagogy and service design pedagogy.[17:23] — Dawan has been wrestling with how to help learners approach creating learning experiences. Adam shares his thoughts on the subject.[23:31] — How does designing for learning affect Adam’s thinking and approach for synthesis?[28:22] — Adam talks about where he sees the practices involving design thinking going in the next couple of years.[35:52] — Dawan is seeing more openness to using the designer’s lens in his work, he points out.[37:22] — Adam responds to the points that Dawan has been making, then the two of them talk more about narratives.[43:06] — We hear Dawan’s thoughts on what Adam has been saying about working with other disciplines.[48:40] — Dawan talks about the role of discipline, not just creativity, in design.[53:11] — Has anything else come to mind for Adam that hasn’t come up yet in the conversation?[55:51] — What are some references, papers, or books that Adam has found to be particularly influential or meaningful to him or students he’s worked with?[58:58] — Adam talks about where listeners can learn more about him or read his writing. Links and Resources Columbia Entrepreneurship Design Studio Stanford d.school “I Use It Every Day”: Pathways to Adaptive Innovation After Graduate Study in Design Thinking by Adam Royalty, Lindsay Oishi, and Bernard Roth Acting with Creative Confidence: Developing a Creative Agency Assessment Tool by Adam Royalty, Lindsay Oishi, and Bernard Roth Design-based Pedagogy: Investigating an emerging approach to teaching design to non-designers by Adam Royalty Amy Edmondson on LinkedIn David Kelley and Tom Kelley Tim Brown Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans The Achievement Habit by Bernard Roth

Today’s guest is the remarkable Linn Vizard, currently an independent service designer based in Toronto. Linn writes and speaks frequently on service design, and has taught on the topic around the world. In today’s conversation, we’ll talk about creating customer journey maps (and other maps), implementation challenges with service design, and accessibility in service design. Linn shares her journey today, including mentioning that she found herself more interested in people than things as she was studying design. When she started bringing together the service design community in Toronto, she encountered some confusion, and she’s enjoyed the process of illuminating the topic for people and creating connections with those interested in service design. Maps, Linn points out, have become a ubiquitous tool and have become a compelling entry point for people. They’re also a powerful tool for getting people excited, and to visually create a shared understanding of the space you’re working in and where the opportunities might be. Linn will also share some powerful words of wisdom about why you should go ahead and create a map as a tool to reveal what we don’t know. In our conversation, we’ll talk about diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the realm of design. In Linn’s previous work in UX, more time and attention was paid to accessibility, she explains. This exposed her to ways of thinking about how people might be using assistive technology, for example, which has influenced her more recent work. As she transitioned into doing more service and customer experience work, Linn noticed that the conversation about accessibility was almost completely absent. Tune in to hear all about these topics, as well as the idea of double delivery, how designers can position themselves as part of a bigger team in delivering services, how to think about paying attention to soft metrics or less-tangible changes, what it means to be a leader or facilitator of a design process, which references and resources have particularly impacted Linn, and more! Learn More About Today’s Guest Linn Vizard Linn Vizard on LinkedIn @wittster on Twitter @servicedesignTO on Twitter Linn Vizard on Medium Linn Vizard on Adobe Blog In This Episode [01:18] — Linn talks about her journey as a design practitioner, and how she arrived where she is today. She also discusses how she has continued to develop and expand as a practitioner.[04:04] — What has it been like to bring together the service design community in Toronto?[05:22] — We hear about some of the common threads that Linn has seen in the Toronto service design community.[07:40] — What Linn has mentioned is one of the threads that flows into Dawan’s work at a very practical level, he points out.[09:04] — Linn talks about how maps relate to the opportunities in the service design space.[12:39] — Does Linn have any other stories of when mapping has worked particularly well in her practice?[16:33] — We learn how Linn has helped people she’s working with to make the best use of the artefacts.[21:37] — Linn talks about the question of how you’re enabling and inviting people to contribute. She and Dawan then talk about double delivery.[24:21] — We hear about a huge challenge that the design practice is facing now, and the ways it’s showing up.[27:40] — Linn discusses Paul Adams’ talk “The End of Navel Gazing.” [29:13] — We hear more about taking measurement beyond the usual suspects as part of the role of a service designer.[34:43] — This conversation goes back to what it means to be a leader or facilitator of a design process, Linn points out.[38:25] — Dawan talks about the use of silence in workshops.[40:43] — We hear about the questions and terrain that Linn is playing with in her work when it comes to the topics of diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.[45:37] — Linn talks about going to a workshop run by Rebecca Benson, and she and Dawan talk about the daily decision about which piece of the learning mountain to attempt to climb.[46:40] — What are some resources or references that have been particularly meaningful or useful for Linn?[49:29] — Where can people learn more about Linn’s work or connect with her and support what she’s doing? Links and Resources We Are Here: Designer as Mapmaker by Linnea Vizard in Touchpoint (Vol. 8 No. 3 — February 2017) Shifting Gears: Organisational Barriers to Integrated Service Design and UX by Linnea Vizard and Shannah Segal in Touchpoint (Vol. 6 No. 3 — December 2014) The Relationship Model Canvas: Designing Relationships With Intention by Elina Lawrie and Linnea Vizard in Touchpoint (Vol. 9 No. 1 — July 2017) ”There’s a Map For That! The Designer’s Cartography of Complexity” video presentation by Linn Vizard from the Service Experience Conference 2016 Visual Thinking and NeuroLeadership by Dave Gray “The End of Navel Gazing” talk by Paul Adams at UX London 2018 #a11yTOConf (accessibility conference in Toronto) On Women and “Good” Places to Work by Nora Jenkins Townson Rebecca Benson on Twitter Just Enough Research by Erika Hall Interviewing Users by Steve Portigal Rosenfeld Media books Service Design by Andy Polaine, Ben Reason, and Lavrans Løvlie The Service Experience Conference UX Week “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Give Service Design Away” talk by Jamin Hegeman Service Design Paths

Today I’m joined by the remarkable Doug Powell, a Distinguished Designer at IBM who directs the global tech company’s program to scale design and design thinking. Doug is also an award-winning designer, a thought leader, and a lecturer and commentator on design issues. In our conversation today, Doug and I will cover some tactics and strategies for growing a design practice inside your organization, thoughts on how to measure the value of design thinking and communicate that value, and talk about building design thinking capacity in design thinking studios. When he joined IBM, Doug explains, the company’s design aspect had dwindled from its heyday when it was led by Thomas J. Watson and Eliot Noyes. For a couple decades after this design heyday, design was de-emphasized in the company. In 2012-2013, the company reinvested in and recommitted to design thinking. In our conversation, you’ll learn about some of the challenges that Doug faced during the process of reviving design thinking and creating a new class of workspaces where design could thrive. Doug points out that design thinking has a branding problem, since the word “design” can be confusing for people outside of the industry. People think of visual design, product design, fashion design, or interior design. He then defines design thinking as, “a way of solving complex problems in a collaborative, multidisciplinary way, with a focus on the user.” It’s about collaboration and cross-disciplinary work, not making anything pretty. This, he explains, is how he would describe the value of design thinking to someone not familiar with the concept. In addition to all of this, Doug will talk about trying to help people get the essence of design thinking in an online learning environment when design usually relies on being so hands-on. He’ll also dig into the value and impact of design thinking at IBM, including some of the less-obvious results. You’ll hear about whether Doug’s process is right for everyone, what a design studio is and why it’s valuable, how his bootcamp is structured, and much more! Learn More About Today’s Guest Doug Powell on LinkedIn @douglaspowell1 on Twitter IBM Design In This Episode [01:33] — We hear about Doug’s design career, and how he arrived at the point where he is now.[08:00] — Doug talks about the state of design and design thinking at IBM when he arrived, and touches on the history of design thinking at the company.[10:31] — What were some of the initial challenges that Doug and his team faced at IBM?[15:08] — We learn more about the non-designer connection challenge that Doug mentioned a moment earlier.[19:33] — Doug shares some thoughts on how his strategies, and the ways that he has pursued them, have developed over time.[25:33] — What are the keys to making the online learning environment, content, and approach effective in Doug’s program?[27:11] — We hear about Phase 4 of Doug’s process, which they’re just getting into now. He also talks about the interest being fueled by recent work around measuring the value and impact of design thinking at IBM.[32:09] — How does Doug talk to potential clients about whether they’re ready to implement design thinking at their company in the way he’s done it at IBM?[34:51] — Doug offers advice for how to answer the question of what design thinking is.[36:48] — What is a design studio? And how does Doug help people find their own magic people?[40:56] — We hear about how Doug sees the future, in terms of challenges on the horizon and how he might tackle them.[43:17] — Doug talks about where the designers at IBM came from, and the choice to invest in emerging designers.[46:30] — How is the boot camp experience that Doug has been describing structured?[49:51] — We hear Doug’s thoughts on university learning experiences.[54:00] — Dawan shares one of the reasons that he was excited about doing work at Elon University.[55:55] — Where can listeners learn more about Doug’s work and what’s happening at IBM with design thinking? Links and Resources Thomas J. Watson Eliot Noyes Paul Rand Charles and Ray Eames Eero Saarinen Doreen Lorenzo Elon University

Julie Schell is the Executive Director of Learning Design, Effectiveness and Innovation at the University of Texas at Austin, and an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Design and the College of Education at UT Austin. Julie and I met a while back, and we did some work together at a fantastic convening at the University of Texas at Austin. I’m thrilled to have her on the show, especially given her focus on teaching and learning design thinking and human-centered design. Design thinking has hit a peak this year based on Google searches, Julie explains, which demonstrates that there’s a lot of interest in the field. Most of the people who are making these searches are unlikely to be formally trained designers, but instead are probably individuals outside the field who are looking for opportunities to innovate. Julie is enthusiastic about these people being able to learn design thinking, and digs into how to go about that in the right way. For example, she points out that when you’re working with someone who doesn’t have a prior knowledge basis for what they’re trying to learn, you can’t expect long-term, sustained, deep learning to occur after learning in an accelerated model. She also emphasizes the importance of humans (and human contact) in learning human-based design. Julie also believes that we have a responsibility to democratize education and strip the elitism from design, and sees part of her role at UT Austin as being exactly that. She talks in our conversation about how she does this and her practice with self-regulated learners who don’t have the privilege of enrolling in graduate programs at the university. Tune in to learn more about all of these topics, as well as what a self-regulated learner is (and why that matters), some ways to facilitate self-regulated design thinking, the importance and four key sources of self-efficacy, and some great resources related to all of these ideas. Learn More About Today’s Guest Julie Schell Julie Schell at the School of Design and Creative Technologies at the University of Texas at Austin Julie Schell on LinkedIn @julieschell on Twitter In This Episode [02:09] — What’s happening in Julie’s world in terms of teaching design to non-designers and human-centered design pedagogy?[04:00] — Julie addresses some of the responses she’s seen and how they’re working (or falling short), as well as some ways that non-designers can learn about design thinking.[10:36] — We hear about Julie’s thoughts on the forms that deceleration can take in learning design thinking and human-centered design.[16:25] — What are some things we can do to satisfy the demand for a boot-camp experience but help with the problem of experiences that set people up to implement poorly?[21:22] — Julie shares her thoughts on how we can set people up to have a deeper learning pathway and talks about self-efficacy, including its four sources.[30:42] — What would Julie’s advice be for a faculty colleague who will be teaching in this space for the first time?[32:35] — Dawan talks about one of the things that he stresses with new learners: the emotional moments that he’s seen, and the normalcy of those feelings.[36:59] — Julie points out how making the struggle visible can be refreshing for students.[37:38] — Julie shares her recommendations for someone looking to make a career shit and build skills in this area.[40:26] — We hear about the importance of finding what the self-interested and self-transcendent purposes for learning are.[43:53] — What are some books, links, or references that Julie recommends to learn more about design thinking pedagogy or self-regulated learning?[46:45] — Where can people go to find out more about Julie and her work?[47:36] — In closing, Julie points out that all design has an element of learning to it. Links and Resources Self-efficacy Albert Bandura David Yeager Lynda Design Thinking Has a Pedagogy Problem at SXSW EDU Design Thinking Has a Pedagogy Problem… And a Way Forward by Julie Schell, EdD Julie’s Design Thinking Pedagogy Reading List Mindset by Carol Dweck Why Don’t Students Like School? by Daniel T. Willingham Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown and Henry L. Roediger III Desirable Difficulties to Create Learning by Veronica Yan Creative Confidence by Tom Kelley and David Kelley The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman Hidden in Plain Sight by Jan Chipchase Change by Design by Tim Brown Prompt by Tamie Glass The School of Design and Creative Technologies at the University of Texas at Austin Extended Education at the School of Design and Creative Technologies at the University of Texas at Austin

Stephanie Wade, my guest today, leads the Innovation Teams program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. She helps cities around the world develop and implement innovative approaches by using design, data analytics, and behavioral economics to deeply understand complex problems. She has applied design thinking at the federal, state, and local levels. Stephanie is an artist in multiple mediums. She got to where she is as many designers do: via a meandering and non-traditional path. Now, she’s at a point where she sees a clear thread running through all the work that she’s done to lead her to exactly where she is now. She believes that strong designers put their whole selves into their work, and that’s what makes them good in so many ways As a “design activist,” Stephanie believes in the power of design to be transformative. As a result, she explains, she’s also protective of design, thanks to having seen the pitfalls and consequences of doing design wrong. If you screw up design at an organization, the people there who aren’t interested in change will look for ways to fault this new thing, meaning you don’t have a lot of leeway to keep trying if you don’t do well from the beginning. As a first step toward succeeding rather than messing up, it’s important to have a strong team. Stephanie believes that a good team should have diverse people from different backgrounds, even beyond design. At least one of the people on the ideal team should come from inside of the organization in question. In our conversation, Stephanie will also dig into what she sees as the traits of an effective team leader in the field. Other topics we focus on in today’s episode include training design teams for projects, building design thinking capacity inside organizations, and some of the unique leadership challenges that both of these activities present. Stephanie will also talk about where she sees her work heading in the future, lessons and insights that she’s learned during her time in design, and much more. Learn More About Today’s Guest Stephanie Wade on LinkedIn Stephanie Wade on Twitter In This Episode [02:03] — Stephanie starts things off by talking about her trajectory, how she got started and learned, and what’s been fueling her passion.[12:46] — What are some of the lessons that Stephanie has picked up along the way as she has worked in capacity-building?[15:32] — We hear about some of the characteristics of what it looks like when capacity-building and design is done well.[18:22] — Stephanie talks more about the kind of team she would like to see to really make things work.[21:21] — What are some of the characteristics of a more mature successful team?[23:43] — Stephanie talks about some of the challenges that she has faced in leading design teams in various contexts.[27:45] — We hear more about the work that Stephanie is doing now, and how the various teams at Innovation Teams come together.[33:32] — What are some of the things that are consistent across the different teams that Stephanie directs?[36:32] — Stephanie talks about how she’s helping people get their heads around combining design thinking and system-level thinking.[38:33] — Where does Stephanie see the work that she’s doing now heading in the future?[43:48] — We hear about whether there are areas in which Stephanie would welcome ideas or support.[45:31] — Are there any other resources that Stephanie has found particularly useful?[47:38] — Is there anything else that Stephanie has on her mind or wants to talk about? Links and Resources Innovation Teams Bloomberg Philanthropies Michael Bloomberg Exposing the Magic of Design by Jon Kolko Jeanne Liedtka’s books Observatory of Public Sector Innovation Nesta

Tune into today’s episode to hear my conversation with my friend and colleague Karen Hold, an innovation strategist who helps individuals and organizations build cultures of creativity and collaboration using the language of design thinking. Our conversation today will cover her path from brand management at Procter & Gamble into design thinking, her leadership at Summer of Design and Design Thinking DC, how she works with individuals and teams as they learn and practice design thinking, and much more. Karen is the daughter of a lawyer, and points out that she grew up in a home that used auditory language to communicate. She married into a family of visual communicators, and discovered that she’s more of a visual communicator than an auditory communicator. This opened up a learning journey for her about how people communicate, and how some learners can be lost in conversations because they don’t communicate in the language that is being used. Design thinking gave Karen a framework to find an intersection where various learning styles can be optimized. She became a voracious reader on the subject, digging into books such as Designing for Growth and The Experience Economy. She has since focused her career on equipping others with the tools to do this kind of work using alternate communication styles. In our conversation, Karen digs into the process of leading people through their first encounters with design thinking. She points out that communication and helping people to organize their thoughts clearly is a big part of the process, and explores the importance of collaboration and the role of a leader in helping to develop it. Tune in to hear more about all of these topics, as well as the warning signs of a struggling team (and some strategies for getting them back on track), the trend toward virtual collaboration with teams, the relationship between community partners and the design teams at Design Thinking DC, the role of peer coaches, and other fascinating and valuable topics. Learn More About Today’s Guest Karen Hold at the Design GymKaren Hold on LinkedIn @KarenHold on Twitter dckarenhold@gmail.com In This Episode [01:42] — We hear about Karen’s learning journey, and how design thinking has been involved in her career.[07:31] — What were some of Karen’s aha moments in the early reading and learning that she did?[09:27] — Karen talks about what Design Thinking DC is, and what she’s doing there.[12:42] — Dawan takes a moment to unpack some of what Karen has been saying about design leadership. Karen then talks more about leading people and teams through their first encounter with design thinking.[16:36] — We hear about warning signs for team dysfunctions, and ways that Karen has helped teams to get back on track.[20:39] — Karen talks about virtual collaboration, and what you lose when you sacrifice the face-to-face experience.[23:37] — We hear about how Karen has evolved her practice of aligning people’s expectations with what’s possible in Summer of Design.[26:26] — What are some of the things that Karen has done to keep the relationship with community partners healthy?[31:34] — Karen goes into more depth about what’s attractive about Summer of Design to sponsors and partners.[34:56] — We learn more about Karen’s work for her own clients, which she explains is the same as what she offers through DT:DC.[38:04] — What are some simplifications that Karen has done to ease the introduction to design thinking?[41:21] — Karen talks about her workarounds when she encounters resistance with students or clients.[45:20] — How can peers become peer coaches?[46:29] — We hear about patterns that Karen has seen across her work that give insights into where design thinking is headed.[50:36] — Are there any big questions that Karen is wrestling with, or challenges or ideas she wants to share with the community of listeners?[53:18] — Karen recommends that people follow her on Twitter, or email her at dckarenhold@gmail.com. Links and Resources Summer of Design Design Thinking DC Designing for Growth by Jeanne Liedtka The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine and James H. Gilmore The Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland