Design Thinking 101

Jennifer Rittner is a design educator and writer. We talk about design, education, ethics, social justice, system design, and design joy. Listen to Learn About >> The current state of design education >> Human-centered design methodology >> Important designers working at design’s cutting edge >> Designing with and for marginalized populations >> Smaller scale design >> The empathy problem >> The power-design ecosystem Our Guest Jennifer is a writer, educator and communications strategist who has taught at Parsons School of Design, the School Visual Arts, and SUNY FIT. In Fall 2021, she was a visiting lecturer at the California College of Art. She has been published in The New York Times, Eye on Design, DMI: Journal, and Core77; and recently guest edited a special issue on Policing & Design for the Design Museum Everywhere. She frequently writes and lectures about design and social justice. Show Highlights [01:00] Jennifer talks about starting her career as a museum educator before finding her way into design. [01:56] Jennifer’s career teaching design, and some of the courses she taught. [03:26] How design shows up in the world and how it shapes our reality. [04:22] An important a-ha moment some of Jennifer’s students had about design. [08:52] Human- and community-centered design. [09:29] Dawan and Jennifer talk about design education and learning design as a never-ending process. [10:44] Technical skills versus soft skills in design. [11:50] Jennifer’s thoughts about human-centered design as a methodology. [13:15] The need for a more critical thinking approach to how we teach design. [14:06] Designers who are doing the work of critiquing current methodologies and offering alternatives. [16:08] Something Jennifer would like to see design schools teach about methodology. [17:45] Jennifer talks about her background and some of her current struggles in the design space. [21:43] The concept of “inappropriateness” and design. [24:51] Design on a smaller scale and designers whose work Jennifer admires. [25:03] Design and technology. [25:33] How design often marginalizes disabled people. [27:09] The importance of design in helping the people being served find their own voices to speak on their own behalf. [28:37] Advice for designers who are looking to move into work that is more socially impactful. [32:41] Jennifer talks about the problematic nature of workplace culture. [35:18] Dawan and Jennifer talk about empathy and how it is often misunderstood and misused in design work. [40:30] Empathy and how it relates to people and organizations that hold power. [43:29] The importance of knowing the history of a problem if you intend to design in that space. [44:15] Making the case for systems design. [45:51] Design and the institutions of power. [51:29] Jennifer’s hopes for design as it begins to grapple with system design challenges. [55:53] Where to find out more about Jennifer and her work and writing. Links Jennifer on Twitter Jennifer on LinkedIn Jennifer on Instagram Jennifer on Medium Content Matters NY – Ideas Design for Social Justice Equity Representation Art The Latinx Project interview with Jennifer Jennifer at Montclair Art Museum Core77’s interview with Jennifer Sloan Leo Liz Agbu Annika Hansteen-Izora Antoinette Carroll Ari Melenciano Liz Jackson Alex Haagaard The Disabled List Marc Dones at King County Regional Homelessness Authority George Aye Sabiha Basrai Book recommendation The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression & Reflection, by Anne Berry, Kareem Collie, Penina Acayo Laker, Lesly-Ann Noel, Jennifer Rittner, and Kelly Waters Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like How to Learn Design Thinking + Design Thinking Pedagogy with Julie Schell — DT101 E15 Critical and Emancipatory Design Thinking with Lesley-Ann Noel — DT101 E57 Trauma-Informed Design + Participatory Design Perils + Research with Vulnerable Populations with Sarah Fathallah — DT101 E72

Austin Govella is an experience design director at Avanade Digital Studio and author of Collaborative Product Design. Listen to learn about: >> Product design>> Collaboration in design work>> Some challenges that can arise when collaborating>> Connecting design to the larger world>> Designing within and for systems>> Workshop/training design>> Collaboration facilitation Our Guest  As an experienced facilitator with over 15 years of experience, Austin leverages a collaborative design approach with clients and specializes in facilitating design thinking, product management, design sprints, and Agile methodologies. As an experience director, he delivers design thinking and workshop facilitation training for Avanade’s Experience Design practice. Austin is a LUMA Institute Certified Facilitator of Human-Centered Design. Show Highlights [01:43] How taking a break from university led Austin into the field of design.[04:30] Austin’s work at Avanade, and platform-based innovation.[06:24] Collaboration has been a key aspect of Austin’s work methodology since his university days.[08:11] How collaboration can help the solo designer and small design teams at a company.[09:39] Collaboration magnifies the impact of design.[10:43] Design is more than just making pretty visuals.[11:43] Design must be created within the context of the business and the “world” in which it will live.[12:45] Austin’s thoughts on modern design education.[13:09] Giving your design a “good life.”[15:15] Why designing that “good life” requires collaboration.[16:03] Greenfield innovation design vs. wicked problems design.[18:26] Austin talks about some of the challenges he’s dealt with when leading workshops.[20:05] How people learning design thinking can be too focused on the mechanics and not on the outcome.[21:05] When designing a workshop, focus on the outcome.[23:46] Viewing the workshop as a collaboration.[26:59] The importance of inclusion and trust when collaborating.[27:58] Being willing to go in unexpected directions, and the magic that can happen when you do.[29:33] Austin gives advice for new facilitators.[31:56] Ways to help and support the person who doesn’t want to participate in a workshop activity.[33:40] Frame, facilitate, finish.[34:44] Other personalities you can encounter while facilitating workshops.[38:06] You can’t auto-pilot a workshop.[38:54] The importance of the small breakout groups in workshops, especially those that are virtual.[39:57] Offering participants the chance to think about the topic before the actual workshop or meeting.[42:47] Trusting the process and the participants as a facilitator, even when it’s challenging.[46:23] Austin talks about his book, Collaborative Product Design.[49:19] Work the Room, the book Austin is currently working on, dives into how to manage the people and personalities you’re collaborating and facilitating with.[53:10] Books and other resources Austin recommends. Links Austin on Twitter Austin on Medium Austin on LinkedIn Austin’s website and blog Avanade Book Recommendations: Collaborative Product Design by Austin GovellaThe Product & Experience Design Guide Work the Room, The Book, by Austin Govella The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, by Priya Parker Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers, by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, and James Macanufo Moments of Impact: How to Design Strategic Conversations That Accelerate Change, by Chris Ertel and Lisa Kay Solomon Rapid Problem Solving With Post-it Notes, by David Straker Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Designing Facilitation: a system for creating and leading exceptional events // ALD 006 — DT101 E73 Designing Your Team + Teams in Design Education + Coaching Design Teams with Mary Sherwin and David Sherwin — DT101 E49 Teams, Sprints, Prototyping, and Better Meetings with Douglas Ferguson — DT101 E59

Dennis Lenard is the CEO at Creative Navy. We talk about user experience, navigating rough design waters, and design leadership. Listen in to learn more about: >> User experience (UX) and User interface (UI) design>> UX in the healthcare industry>> The role “people politics” plays in the design process>> Mistakes made when it comes to leading design teams>> A good design team leader’s qualities>> Working through challenging moments in the design process Our Guest As the CEO of Creative Navy, a London-based agency that takes an evidence-based approach to UX design and user-interface design, Dennis combines pragmatic vision with a thorough understanding of research practice. He has coordinated more than 500 design projects across the globe. His team has provided design-innovative solutions to worldwide companies such as Jaguar, Ford, and Philips, using a structured process in which decisions are grounded in rational methodology and meticulous data review rather than intuition, blind convention, or whim. Dennis has had a diverse education with degrees in law, psychology, economics, and philosophy. Show Highlights [00:58] Dennis’ background in cognitive science and how it led him to UX and UI design.[01:58] The challenges in creating embedded interfaces.[03:33] How a company can develop blind spots about its own product.[05:35] The ways Dennis works with companies to help them see past their blind spots to the value in user research.[07:09] Dennis offers one example from a large company with 4,000 users of a particular piece of technology.[09:09] Two reasons design projects can see resistance and pushback: identity and uncertainty.[12:06] The unique challenges of developing UX for the healthcare industry.[14:59] Dennis talks about the COVID-19 case tracking project his company worked on.[16:51] How Dennis’ team worked through resistance from the client.[19:04] Managing people and relationships is fundamental to design.[21:05] The responsibility of designers to try and make a better world – physically and digitally.[23:34] The less-glamorous side of design work.[25:23] Building a strong team and creating a safe space for working through difficult moments in the design process.[26:36] Two patterns Dennis has noticed when it comes to leading design teams.[28:50] How Dennis helps his team members push through challenging moments.[31:24] Two key qualities of good design team leadership.[35:46] Dennis gives three pieces of advice for designers.  Links Dennis on LinkedIn Creative Navy Creative Navy on Twitter Creative Navy on Medium Why Creativity Matters in UX Design Top Developers’ Interview with Dennis Interface Design UK Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Humble Design Leadership + Design Agency and Experience Design Evolution with Aleksandra Melnikova — DT101 E33 Learning Service Design + Leading Service Transformation with Clive Grinyer — DT101 E66 Working and Leading at the Intersection of Engineering, Business and Design with Kevin Bethune — DT101 E76

Rachael Dietkus is a clinical social worker and certified trauma professional dedicated to trauma-responsive practices in design. We talk about trauma-informed design, social work, and why design teams need a social worker. Listen to learn about: >> The intersection of design and social work>> Trauma-informed design>> Resources for designers looking to be more trauma-responsive in their work>> The benefits of including social workers on design teams>> Social Workers Who Design Our Guest Rachael Dietkus is a social worker immersed in design. She is a licensed clinical social worker, design researcher, and strategist, with experience in the non-profit space, federal government, and higher education. Rachael is deeply committed to trauma-informed and trauma-responsive design practices and is the founder of Social Workers Who Design. Show Highlights [02:21] Rachael’s undergraduate studies in photography and art design.[02:59] The Sociology 101 course that changed everything.[03:50] Working on the abolition of the death penalty in Illinois helped Rachael to see the intersection between social justice and the creative world.[05:14] The hunger for more intersectionality and collaboration between disciplines.[06:11] Her work with the Champaign-Urbana Design Organization was another chance to experience that creative collaboration.[07:37] Rachael’s natural gravitation toward social justice projects.[08:16] Championing the need for social workers on design teams, and for trauma-informed design.[09:22] What does it mean to be trauma-informed in the context of design?[10:40] The six guiding principles of trauma-informed care used in the U.S.[14:02] Defining trauma in the context of design.[15:31] Rachael shares a personal story of trauma.[20:30] Rachael talks about Tad Hirsch’s article comparing the design research process and aspects of psychotherapy.[21:04] The potential darker side of rapport-building during the design process.[26:19] Ways that designers can practice their way into being more trauma-responsive.[27:11] Books for learning more about trauma.[31:58] Getting asked to do workshops and trainings on trauma-informed design.[36:01] The importance of practice and evolving in one’s design work.[37:27] Seeing design through a social work lens.[40:31] What is social work?[41:57] Becoming an ambassador for social work and social workers.[43:07] The interesting similarities between human-centered design and social work.[43:54] The benefits of having a social worker on a design team.[48:44] Social workers can be the bridge to the people being served.[49:48] Social workers are often already there in the design problem spaces doing the work.[50:56] Rachael talks about Social Workers Who Design.[55:38] Social workers are, by necessity, system designers because they work within complex systems. Links Rachael on LinkedIn Rachael on Women Talk Design Social Workers Who Design Social Workers Who Design on Instagram Trauma-Informed Design with Rachael Dietkus and Sarah Fathallah Siebel Center for Design Healing Community: Trauma-Informed Design with Rachael Dietkus Trauma-Informed Design with Glennette Clark and Rachael DietkusDesign Lab with Bon Ku podcast: Ep 17: Trauma Responsive Design | Rachael Dietkus Design Thinking for Social Workers: Creating a New Competency: Rachael Dietkus, Lisa Mercer, and Rachel Switzky Practicing Without a License: Design Research as Psychotherapy Book Recommendations: Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others, by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky My Grandmother’s Hands, by Resmaa Menakem What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, by Oprah Winfrey and Dr Bruce Perry Decolonizing Trauma Work: Indigenous Stories and Strategies, By Renee Linklater Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship, by Laurence Heller and Aline LaPierre Beyond Sticky Notes: Co-design for Real: Mindsets, methods and movements, by Kelly Ann McKercher Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Trauma-Informed Design + Participatory Design Perils + Research with Vulnerable Populations with Sarah Fathallah — DT101 E72 Nursing + Service Design + Healthcare Innovation with Brittany Merkle — DT101 E38 Design for Mental Health: Creating an Effective Response to Student Loneliness with Denise Ho and Andrew Baker — DT101 E60

Glennette Clark is a UX researcher and an entrepreneur. We talk about UX research, research teams, and UX Camp DC. Listen to learn about: >> UX research — What is it?>> The U.S. Digital Service>> Onboarding new team members>> Trauma-informed research and design>> UXCamp DC and the unconference format Our Guest Glennette Clark is a design researcher at United States Digital Service. She brings human-centered design practices to federal agencies including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. She’s an adjunct professor at MICA in the Design Leadership program. She founded UXCamps DC & NYC and joined the DC Innovation & Technology Inclusion Council in 2010. Glennette has a Strategic Design MBA from Philadelphia University and BA in journalism from Howard University. She lives in DC with her husband, two children and a dog. Show Highlights [01:05] Glennette’s journey into UX began with a degree in journalism, where she learned the interviewing skills that would serve her later in her research work.[03:01] The difference between moderated and unmoderated interviews.[04:37] What is UX research?[05:08] The importance of interviews in UX research.[06:48] How Glennette uses interviews to help people understand UX research and how to use it.[08:18] The different ways Glennette presents research results depending on the audience.[11:22] Glennette shares one of her favorite research stories.[13:22] Why interviewing people with lived experience is so important when researching.[15:18] Glennette’s work with the United States Digital Service.[17:01] Advice for those about to embark on their own problem space research.[17:33] The benefit of “How might we” questions.[19:57] Why the language you use in framing your research matters.[21:37] Trauma-informed design and how it fits into human-centered design.[23:04] Glennette talks about a community design project she worked on.[24:06] Ways to reduce the chance of doing harm when conducting interviews.[26:35] The importance of team health, and what it means to have a healthy team.[29:05] How to help a new person get up and running with a team.[32:09] UXCamp DC’s beginning, and where it is now, twenty years later.[34:17] How the “unconference” format works.[35:29] Past presentation topics.[36:22] Glennette’s desire to combine community-based design and service design to help community organizations achieve their missions.[39:17] Books and resources Glennette recommends.[42:16] Tools Glennette likes to use in her work. Links  Glennette on Twitter Glennette on LinkedIn Glennette on MICA Designing with Empathy U.S. Digital Service UXCamp DC Book Recommendation: Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design, by Kat HolmesBook Recommendation: Thinking in Systems: A Primer, by Donella H. MeadowsBook Recommendation: 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, and 100 More Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, by Susan WeinschenkBook Recommendation: 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School, by Matthew FrederickBook Recommendation: Meeting Design: For Managers, Makers, and Everyone, by Kevin M. Hoffman The Values Deck | A Card Sorting Game to Explore Your Personal Values Creative Whack Pack Innovative Whack Pack IDEO Method Cards Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Design Thinking for the Public Sector + Building and Training Design Thinking Teams with Stephanie Wade — DT101 E14 Teaching Yourself Design Thinking + Innovating in Government with Amy J. Wilson — DT101 E19 Democracy as a Design Problem with Whitney Quesenbery — DT101 E68

Thank you for listening to this Ask Like a Designer episode of the Design Thinking 101 Podcast. This episode is about the tremendous power in three little words and a superpower for people who want to think and solve like a designer: listening. This episode is based on this article: ALD008 // Three Little Words for Better (Business) Relationship. Read the article and others like it on Fluid Hive’s Ask Like a Designer. In these short Ask Like a Designer episodes on the Design Thinking 101 podcast, you’ll find new ways to explore the show’s stories and ideas about design-driven innovation. I’ll share methods, templates, and ideas that have worked in my practice in teaching. 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 Host President, Fluid Hive   Show Highlights [00:56] It is listening, not love, that is at the core of a strong relationship. [01:16] The three little words: tell me more. [01:47] Why “tell me more” is so powerful. [01:56] “Tell me more” is better than “why.” [02:36] The importance of good listening. [02:50] There are many ways of using and phrasing “tell me more.” [02:55] When someone stops talking. [03:15] Parroting the other’s words. [03:33] Parrot questions. [03:51] Long silences can encourage someone to keep talking. [04:14] Spotlighting the other’s silences. [04:42] Noticing changes. [05:07] Listening is different from interviewing, advising, or negotiating. [05:25] When we listen, we learn. [05:50] Designing an event means creating an environment for good listening. [06:06] Listening is not passive [06:12] Listening is fundamental to design. [06:35] Free Ask Like a Designer tool to help you practice “tell me more” and in turn, become a better listener.   Design Thinking 101 Learning — Courses and More Design Thinking 101 Learning helps people learn, lead and apply design-driven innovation. Each training course focuses on a different collection of actions and skills critical to using design thinking effectively and getting the results you seek. Please join me in the first course, Design Thinking 101 — Framing: Creating Better Solutions by Finding More Valuable Problems to Solve.  Each course is structured to help your innovation actions create what you need for the people you serve, your organization and yourself.   Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like  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

Cat Drew is the chief design officer at the Design Council. We talk about the role and work of Design Council, systemic design, and the shifting role of design and government and communities. Listen in to learn more about: >> Design Council’s work>> The frameworks Design Council has developed>> The Design Economy>> How designers can learn from non-designers who are practicing design out in their local communities>> Asset-based design>> Speculative design>> Amble Harbour, a small fishing village in the UK Our Guest’s Bio Cat Drew is the Chief Design Officer at the Design Council where she brings together architecture and the built environment, public sector design and business innovation to support people in living healthier, happier and safer lives. Previously, Cat has held leadership positions at FutureGov and Uscreates, was a co-founder of the UK government’s Policy Lab, and combines 10 years of experience in government with an MA in Graphic Design. She speaks widely about the value of design and co-presents BBC Radio 4 The Fix. She is a member of The Point People. Show Highlights [01:04] Cat’s path from civil servant to designer.[01:38] Her frustration while working for the government.[02:39] Helping to co-found the Policy Lab and discovering design.[05:15] Her work at Design Council.[06:25] The biggest internal development happening at Design Council right now.[08:29] One example of the collaborative aspect of the Design Council’s work.[10:28] The Design Council’s double diamond framework.[11:37] The Framework for Innovation builds on the double diamond and adds in culture change.[12:21] The complex challenges design is being asked to solve.[13:00] The new Systemic Design framework the Design Council developed to help with these challenges.[16:02] Cat talks about Design Council’s role with regard to people using this new framework.[17:40] Design “translation” as a core role of the Design Council.[18:09] The ways in which language changes meanings in different communities.[19:46] Different groups and individuals see and experience a system very differently.[20:55] The social dreaming concept.[21:57] Cat talks about some of Design Council’s research and projects.[22:31] The Design Economy.[24:31] Design Difference, a project born out of COVID-19 and the pandemic.[27:10] Learning from non-designers who are out there doing design work in their communities.[29:35] Asset-based design starts from what’s strong instead of what’s wrong.[31:22] Cat talks about where design is heading.[31:50] Designers working to deliberately change and redesign systems.[33:50] Three themes Design Council is seeing in design now.[35:52] Encouraging more people to experiment and play with design in the real world.[38:11] Ways to use and support the work Design Council is doing.[39:08] The importance of speculative design in supporting creativity.[39:58] Policy Lab’s The Future of Aging project.[41:54] Resources Cat recommends for those interested in design.[43:40] Cat answers the question, “what’s your best story about design?” with a story about Amble Harbour, a fishing village in the UK.  Links Cat on Twitter Cat on LinkedIn Cat on Medium Design Council UK BBC Radio 4: The Fix Interview with Cat at UX Connections Interview with Cat at Design Week Speculative Design Design: Into the Ether TEDxWhitehall: Making government better, through data and design Rooted By Design Natasha Trotman Book Recommendation Why Materials Matter: Responsible Design for a Better World, by Seetal Solanki and Liz Corbin Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Design Thinking for the Public Sector + Building and Training Design Thinking Teams with Stephanie Wade — DT101 E14 Teaching Yourself Design Thinking + Innovating in Government with Amy J. Wilson — DT101 E19 Democracy as a Design Problem with Whitney Quesenbery — DT101 E68

This episode is about sabotaging innovation projects. You’ll learn new ways to get in your own way and everyone else’s.  This episode is based on this article: ALD007 // The Innovation Saboteur’s Handbook. Read the article and download a guide to sabotage proofing innovation projects. You don’t want anyone to steal your destructive glory. You’ll find more articles like these on Fluid Hive’s Ask Like a Designer Thank you for listening to this Ask Like a Designer episode of the Design Thinking 101 Podcast. In these short Ask Like a Designer episodes on the Design Thinking 101 podcast, you’ll find new ways to explore the show’s stories and ideas about design-driven innovation. I’ll share methods, templates, and ideas that have worked in my practice in teaching.  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 Host President, Fluid Hive Show Highlights [00:35] Your inner saboteur. Sometimes you just want to break things.Sabotage Moves     [01:41] Lack of focus.     [02:13] Refusing to adapt your problem as you learn.     [02:28] Lack of research.     [02:59] Lack of teamwork.     [03:32] Not enough data-gathering.     [04:00] Lack of planning.     [04:35] Not testing multiple possible solutions.     [05:17] Not working with the delivery team.     [05:53] Ignoring the systems you’re working within.     [06:25] Lack of process and outcome measurement.[07:28] Free Ask Like a Designer tool: Stopping Innovation Sabotage. Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like 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

Kevin Bethune is the founder and chief creative officer for dreams • design + life, and the board chair of the Design Management Institute. We talk about working and leading at the intersection of engineering, business and design. Listen in to learn more about: >> The synergy Kevin created between three disciplines: engineering, business, and design>> Kevin’s years at Nike>> How to build an environment that encourages and fuels creativity>> Kevin’s way of onboarding teams>> The importance of evidence collection and world-building in Kevin’s work>> Design’s leadership during the pandemic>> The future of design, and the need for more equity, diversity and inclusion in the industry Our Guest’s Bio Kevin Bethune is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of dreams • design + life, a "think tank" that delivers design & innovation services using a human-centered approach. Kevin's background spans engineering, business and design in equal proportion over his 20+ year career, positioning him to help brands deliver meaningful innovations to enrich people's lives.  Kevin began his career as a mechanical engineer in the nuclear power industry.  This chapter gave him deep product experience working with high performing teams across 14 nuclear reactor upgrade campaigns. After his MBA, Kevin joined Nike, Inc. in a business capacity, but quickly navigated to the Global Footwear product engine to drive advanced digital product creation capabilities, discovering the world of design in the process. After solidifying his creative foundation through further studies at ArtCenter College of Design, Kevin co-founded distinct design & innovation capabilities at two Tier 1 management consulting firms in Booz & Co. and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). As Vice President of Strategic Design at BCG Digital Ventures, he led a large cohort of designers that would influence and shape every corporate venture spun out from the incubator. Kevin left BCG Digital Ventures to carve his own path under the banner of dreams • design + life, focusing on unlocking human potential through strategic design, industrial design and the building of new ecologies. Show Highlights [01:21] The childhood creative itch that started Kevin on the path towards design.[01:37] How growing up in Detroit influenced him as a child, and led him into engineering.[02:37] Jumping into the nuclear power industry after finishing his Engineering degree.[03:29] How engineering gave him an interest in business strategy and going to business school to earn his MBA.[04:34] Transitioning to a job at Nike, and his introduction to design in a professional capacity.[06:03] Getting the chance to design shoes at Nike.[06:44] Being able to accept failure is key to the creative process.[07:21] The challenges Kevin faced at Nike while trying to create cross-disciplinary connections.[08:15] Finding people willing to act as mentors, supporters, and advocates.[09:24] The importance of curiosity and user observation to Kevin’s work.[12:23] Kevin faces a fork in the road of his work and where he wanted to go.[13:53] Leaving Nike to go back to graduate school to study design.[14:45] Kevin talks about his experience going back to school as a mid-career professional.[18:32] Separating the work from one’s self.[19:17] Appreciating his wife’s support.[22:17] Working with Booz and company and founding Booz Digital after finishing his design degree.[22:54] Moving to work with BCG.[23:21] Kevin talks about how the team worked with clients.[24:45] The multi-team, design thinking environment that evolved and how it fueled creativity.[26:09] Getting executive buy-in and support.[28:28] The paradigms and techniques that helped the teams navigate through conflict.[30:11] Creating a culture of safety where people felt it was OK to raise concerns.[31:14] Onboarding teams and having them talk about roles, norms and culture at the start.[33:27] Kevin talks about the decision and process of founding his own design organization.[35:51] The two priorities Kevin focuses on when it comes to choosing projects and clients.[38:39] The early months of the company, and the surprising way business came to his doorstep.[39:40] The surprising focus of Kevin’s first conversations with potential clients.[42:59] How the pandemic has changed Kevin’s work.[46:18] The ways in which design is taking a leadership role as everyone tries to figure out what work will look like in the future.[48:29] The topics and issues Kevin feels need to be part of the conversations designers are having as a community.[49:26] Finding ways to connect and engage with other creative communities.[50:07] The importance of pushing for more equity, diversity and inclusion in the design industry.[54:52] Kevin offers advice for what those in leadership roles can do to ensure that they are moving the conversation and industry forward, and not contributing to existing barriers.[58:45] Resources Kevin recommends for those interested in design. Links Kevin on Twitter Kevin on Instagram Kevin on LinkedIn Kevin profile on IDSA’s website dreams • design + life Design is [Dreaming]: Curiosity and innovation TED Talk: The 4 Superpowers of Design ArtCenter College of Design podcast: Realizing Dreams Through Design ArtCenter College of Design Alumni Story: Kevin Bethune: Powerful design that goes the distance Core77: Building a Brighter Design Future Means Taking a Hard Look at the Industry’s Deepest Flaws DV Alumni: Human-Centered Design with Kevin Bethune ALU Podcast: Design Thinking in Business How to Future-Proof Your Design Career Book Recommendations The Laws of Simplicity, by John MaedaMismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design, by Kat HolmesDesigning Design, by Kenya Hara Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Learning Service Design + Leading Service Transformation with Clive Grinyer — DT101 E66 A Designer's Journey into Designing for Health and Healthcare with Lorna Ross — DT101 E45 Designing Culture at Work + Social Innovation + Necessary Disquiet with Lauren Currie — DT101 E29

Belinda Gannaway is the co-author of Employee Experience by Design and the Director at Fathom XP, an employee experience design agency based in the UK. She’s also a facilitator and a team and systems coach. Today, we discuss her book, and what's possible when we apply design thinking to orchestrating how people perform and produce results in organizations. Listen to learn about: >> Using design thinking to create better employee experiences>> How our relationship with the work we do has changed>> Helping organizational leadership to understand the why of employee experience design>> The way the COVID-19 pandemic is changing how organizations think about their employees>> The drastic ways experience design and employee experience design have changed due to the pandemic>> How to discover what matters to your employees>> Three key principles of employee experience design>> The future of work and employee experience’s role in that future Our Guest Belinda Gannaway is an employee experience design practitioner, facilitator and team coach. She is co-author of Employee Experience by Design: How to Create an Effective EX for Competitive Advantage, published in 2021 by Kogan Page. Strategy director of EX design consultancy FathomXP, Belinda has been working in and around organizational culture for many years. Her interest in culture began early when she worked as a journalist in the UK Houses of Parliament – a 1,000-year-old institution. Belinda's career has covered the worlds of journalism, PR and marketing, digital transformation and culture change. She has worked with some of the world's best-known organizations, including LEGO, Jaguar Land Rover, Diageo and the International Olympic Committee. Show Highlights [01:08] Dawan talks about the relevance of Employee Experience by Design in today’s pandemic work world.[01:58] Belinda talks about what sparked her and her co-author, Emma Bridger, to write the book, and how our relationship with work has been changing, even before the pandemic.[02:33] Employees have become the consumers of the workplace.[03:01] The two things Belinda and Emma focused on when writing the book.[03:52] Democratizing great employee experience.[05:03] How Belinda’s background as a political journalist helped during the writing process.[06:09] The two ways design thinking is being used in employee experience design.[07:11] The similarity of experience Belinda discovered was happening across many companies in different countries.[09:18] Starting from the desire to create better experiences for our employees.[10:23] Adding in a third diamond, focused on scoping, to the Double Diamond model.[10:38] The starting point: what does employee experience mean for this organization?[11:50] The next step is asking: where are we falling short?]14:31] The connections and inter-relationships between employee experience, employee performance, and the bottom line.[14:51] Organizational focus on employee experience is often around talent attraction and retention.[15:38] How the pandemic has changed this focus.[16:14] The link between a great employee experience and a great customer experience.[17:30] Writing the book as the pandemic unfolded.[17:56] Organizations’ greater focus on the wellbeing of their employees.[18:22] Empathy as the “word of the year.”[18:37] Experience design and employee experience design have changed drastically because of the pandemic.[21:01] Belinda offers advice on how organizations can use the book to start the work of looking at their employee experience and changing it for the better.[21:20] The book uses design thinking and positive psychology in its approach.[21:49] Start with a conversation around “tell me about your best experience at work.”[22:02] The book explains how to set up this conversation in different ways, as needed.[24:21] The top ideas Belinda hopes people will take from the book and put into practice.[25:07] Three key principles of employee experience design.[27:51] Dawan and Belinda talk about the value of having an experimental mindset.[32:04] Belinda asks Dawan why he doesn’t use the word “coach/ing” when he talks about his work.[34:16] What’s next for employee experience and the future of work.[39:17] How employees as consumers of the workplace have the potential to change the ethos of business.[42:03] Belinda shares her go-to tool when she is working with organizations and their employee experience design.[44:47] Fluid Hive’s resources for those wanting to learn and practice design thinking. Links  Belinda on Twitter Belinda on LinkedIn Designing a meaningful employee experience: An interview with Belinda Gannaway How to launch or re-energize your employee experience approach FathomXP Book Recommendation Employee Experience by Design: How to Create an Effective EX for Competitive Advantage, by Emma Bridger and Belinda Gannaway Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Building Design Capacity + Measuring Design Value + Designing Studios with Doug Powell — DT101 E16 Humble Design Leadership + Design Agency and Experience Design Evolution with Aleksandra Melnikova — DT101 E33 Designing Your Team + Teams in Design Education + Coaching Design Teams with Mary Sherwin and David Sherwin — DT101 E49 Resources Download Fluid Hive's Innovation Shield — a guide to avoiding innovation traps by asking 9 of Fluid Hive's Design Thinking Questions Innovation Smart Start Webinar — Learn to Ask Like a Designer and take your innovation projects from frantic to focused by working smart from the start. Fluid Hive: Learn — A growing collection of courses, webinars, and articles for people expanding their design thinking, service design, and human-centered design skills – people who want to think and solve like a designer.