Design Thinking 101

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

27 Nov 201852min

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

13 Nov 201857min

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

30 Okt 201849min

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

16 Okt 201849min

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

2 Okt 201854min

I’m joined by Martin Dominguez Ball, a graphic designer who teaches design thinking at Fordham University. He’s also the cofounder at WOMB Service Design Lab. We’ll talk about what works for students in the design thinking classroom, how Martin has helped people wrestle through working visually, and the connections between design thinking, art, and making, as a teacher and practitioner. Martin, who hails from Uruguay, had a long path into design thinking. As an entrepreneur, he owned a business for over a decade, and mentions that he applied design thinking to this business without really knowing what it was. His passion, though, was being an artist. He eventually decided to close the company and pursue the things important to him: education and art. Tune in to the episode to learn how this process evolved into him teaching his design thinking course. In the process of getting his degrees, Martin developed a love for academia. Design thinking gave a framework to what he had been doing intuitively, and he fell in love with the methodology and method. You’ll hear him explain how this methodology gave him a different perspective on business and allowed him to get ahead of the curve by listening to what people were saying. Martin explains that he has observed that people often have strong assumptions of what the problem is, and getting rid of those assumptions can be a challenge and a point of frustration. He finds that teaching design thinking involves guiding students to think beyond the first or fastest idea or solution, and bringing them back to the drawing board over and over. Tune in to hear more about all these topics, as well as the excitement of seeing students understand the reason for certain methodologies, why design thinking isn’t the ideal answer for every problem that comes up, the value in prototyping (even if students are skeptical at the beginning), and the powerful effect that Martin’s eclectic background has on his approach to teaching design thinking. Learn More About Today’s Guest Martin Dominguez Ball Martin Dominguez Ball on LinkedIn Martin Dominguez Ball on Facebook Martin Dominguez on Behance In This Episode [01:17] — Martin introduces himself, and talks about his background and pathway to where he is now in design.[03:58] — We hear more about Martin’s experience of falling in love with design thinking.[07:15] — How has Martin’s approach and understanding evolved since the first moment of connection with design thinking? Martin answers, and talks about where people struggle with problem-finding.[11:14] — Martin talks about how people react to coming back to the original or needing to reassess their original assumptions.[14:24] — We hear about students’ “ah-hah” moments that Martin has seen, and feedback that students have given on how the class has changed things for them.[17:16] — How did Martin’s design thinking course come about? He answers, then elaborates on his “where does it fit?” question.[20:10] — Martin talks about whether the conflict between service-dominant logic and goods-dominant logic is involved in the conflict that he has just described.[23:23] — We hear about some things that have helped Martin to teach and lead people through a design process, and how the rest of the faculty has reacted to his course.[25:22] — Martin provides more information about the design lab that he and his wife run.[28:15] — What would Martin’s advice be to an entrepreneur who is interested in developing a new service or improving an existing service?[30:11] — We hear about where Martin sees design thinking going in the next few years.[33:38] — Dawan shares some of his own thoughts about explaining how design thinking works as a way of moving from problem-situation to solution-situation.[36:42] — Martin talks about the value of prototyping.[39:13] — We hear more about how Martin helps people work more visually and see the value in doing so.[43:37] — What are Martin’s thoughts on how his mix of influences affects the way he approaches design thinking?[46:54] — Martin shares some resources that he has found particularly useful.[49:04] — Martin points out that he is constantly learning from his students, and relates this to his experience teaching guitar.[51:39] — Where can people learn more about Martin, his work, and his practice? Links and Resources Service Design Network Touchpoint Service Design in the Business Curriculum: Dispatches From the Field by Joan Ball, PhD and Martin Dominguez (Touchpoint article) IDEO.org IBM Design Thinking Field Guide

18 Sep 201853min

Tune into this episode for a fascinating conversation with Aaron Faucher, a product designer focused on design ethics and augmented reality. You’ll hear about lessons from his path into design for augmented reality and virtual reality with clients such as High Fidelity, Alpha Computing, and Designation Labs. We’ll also dig into how being a Master’s student at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University builds on that experience, and where he sees his design practice going as he explores the intersection of UX design and emerging technologies. As Aaron shares, he’s early in his design career, and has been working professionally in the field for a bit over two years. His first exposure to design thinking was when he was an undergrad, when his focus was on social impact. He became obsessed with the question of where the logical end point of emerging technologies is, and started looking at technology as a social issue. Since then, Aaron has been trying to situate himself in the design world around augmented reality. At one point, Aaron learned about the concept of affordance, and the idea that we live in a state of action-potential in a digital world. This felt groundbreaking to him and helped him to rationalize the hyper-connected state that many people feel themselves in. He also explores the power of getting outside of the box of his own ideas. Aaron moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in August 2016 to try to find a job there, since that’s where a lot of AR and VR developments are happening. He worked on hustling and networking there, and describes the experience as a “trial by fire” that put him in his place as a designer. The process led to a couple of freelance opportunities. One thing led to another, and he has been able to work on some VR creation tools. Tune in to learn more about all these topics, as well as where Aaron sees his design career going in the future, questions that he wrestles with, the advice he would give to an undergraduate who is interested in his field, what resources he recommends to people who want to learn more, and much more! Learn More About Today’s Guest Aaron Faucher Aaron Faucher on Medium aaron.faucher@gmail.com Aaron Faucher on LinkedIn In This Episode [02:01] — We hear a bit about Aaron’s background and what brought him to where he is now.[05:16] — When Aaron made a connection between his design thinking experience and UI/UX, what in particular helped him recognize the connection?[06:39] — Aaron talks about how he has built the skills and connections to make the leap into his design career.[08:52] — Was there a moment or experience when Aaron’s thinking about design changed?[11:12] — We learn more about Aaron’s road into designing for AR and VR.[15:10] — Aaron talks about some opportunities and projects that came from his networking in the San Francisco Bay Area.[17:03] — What are some of the challenges and workarounds that Aaron faced in the projects he has been talking about?[20:14] — We hear more about Aaron’s thoughts on healthy versus unhealthy interactions.[23:43] — Where does Aaron think that things will go from here for him as a designer? What are some of the questions he’s wrestling with on his design journey?[27:03] — Aaron shares the recommendations he would give to an undergraduate who wants to enter into design in the AR/VR space.[29:59] — Are there any online references or books that have been exceptionally helpful in Aaron’s journey so far? Links and Resources Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University HYPER-REALITY on Vimeo Unity Tutorials Kadenze Calm Technology by Amber Case Modern Medicine by Jonathan Harris

4 Sep 201835min

I’m joined by Eugene Korsunskiy. Eugene is a design thinking consultant and the Senior Coordinator of Design Initiatives at the University of Vermont. Both there and at Stanford, Eugene has taught classes like “Design Thinking” and “Designing Your Life.” In our conversation today, we’ll talk about how and why he became a designer, his insights from teaching “Designing Your Life” to Stanford students, and aspects of creating good design thinking learning experiences and design teams. When he was in college, Eugene thought he wanted to be an architect. As he studied architecture and interned in the field, he learned that it’s a lot more about fire codes and occupancy permits than he had hoped, and his romantic notions of the field faded away. He still knew, though, that he wanted to be in an occupation that involved creating something for people while using both halves of his brain. Eventually, design replaced architecture, and Eugene went to grad school for design instead. The most interesting part of a designer’s job, Eugene points out in an interesting case study he shares today, isn’t necessarily finding the information you were looking for; instead, it can be finding a weird discrepancy in the human condition. In another example, he explores the effect that a course on design thinking has on undergraduate students’ beliefs, especially the common belief that one’s major absolutely determines one’s career. Eugene and I will cover a wide range of other specific topics, including concerns that students (and parents) may have about and during his courses, how to “sneak up on your future” so your future doesn’t sneak up on you, what Eugene has gotten out of teaching his classes, the traits that makes the best leaders for design projects, and much more. Learn More About Today’s Guest Eugene Korsunskiy Eugene Korsunskiy on LinkedIn In This Episode [01:26] — We hear a bit about Eugene’s background and how he arrived where he is now.[05:45] — What were some of the early experiences in Eugene’s program that helped him make the conceptual shift from the solution side to the side of finding and solving problems for humans?[09:25] — Eugene shares his early experiences with design in his life.[13:36] — How did Eugene see students change from the beginning to the end of the course he has been talking about?[18:02] — Eugene talks about how he would convince a skeptical parent of a student that a course on design thinking is a valuable activity.[19:19] — What are some patterns where students struggle with Eugene’s courses?[22:19] — Students often have a hard time shifting away from the idea that there is one correct path, Eugene points out.[24:41] — What are the experiences and exercises that students go through to understand the key practices of designing your life?[29:58] — Eugene talks about how he would help a student who’s struggling with the multiple possible pathways by focusing on only one.[31:33] — What has teaching the class done for Eugene, and how has it affected him?[33:58] — We learn about a class that Eugene has been teaching for the last several months.[40:47] — Eugene talks more about design leadership, and the distinct set of skills, experiences, and methods involved in that.[48:23] — What if Eugene’s brief was to create an experience where everyone who goes through it emerges with the basics of design leadership?[50:59] — Eugene shares what’s going on with him and where he’s headed, including his upcoming plans to teach at Dartmouth.[53:21] — Where can people find out more about Eugene and his work? Links and Resources Design Thinking (course at the University of Vermont) Designing Your Life (course at Stanford) Bill Burnett Dave Evans Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

21 Aug 201855min