The document discusses how designers can improve their influence and impact by looking outward to other fields like organizational development and futures thinking. It provides an overview of various tools and concepts from these fields, including appreciative inquiry, scenario planning, and use of self. The key recommendation is for designers to deepen their understanding of topics outside design like cognition, emotion, character skills and continuous growth in order to strengthen their work and better anticipate unintended impacts. Learning from other domains can help designers avoid issues like the Cassandra complex and instead create more meaningful change.

1. Outside In: Better design
by looking outwards
UXSEA Summit 2019
Hong Khai Seng
Founder & Director, Studio Dojo
@khai5eng

2. The model
Business
Technology
Design

3. “
“
I keep trying to convince my
org/team/boss that the right
thing to do is _____________ ,
but they just won’t listen!

4. How do I grow design’s influence?
Business
Technology
Design

5. Cassandra
Princess of Troy

7. The frustration experienced
when people do not believe
the valid concerns you raise.
The Cassandra Complex

8. How can we be
more rigorous in
forecasting into
the future?

9. How do we see what’s coming
in the future?
How far ahead can we see?
How can we change the future?

10. Futures Thinking
Theory and practice of
looking to and thinking about the
future, especially in the medium to
long term, so that we can anticipate
and prepare for changes.

11. ≠ predicting THE future
Futures Thinking

12. Futures Thinking
The future ≠ present +/- 10%
The ‘default’ extrapolated
‘business as usual’ future
The ‘Projected’ Future
Now

13. There are many futures
Futures Cone adapted & extended from Voros (2003)
The ‘default’ extrapolated
‘business as usual’ future
The ‘Projected’ Future
Now
Probable
Current Trends
‘likely to happen’
Plausible
Current Knowledge
‘could happen’
Possible
Future Knowledge
‘might happen’
Preposterous!
‘impossible’
‘won’t ever happen’
Preferable
Value Judgements
‘want to happen’
‘should happen’

14. Futures Thinking
Prototyping different futures to
stress test our present assumptions.

15. “
“
It’s better to be scared by a
simulation than be
blindsided by reality.
- Jake Dunagan, Institute for the Future

16. Yellowstone Park predator
control kills off all gray wolves

17. Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/wolf-lone-predator-wildlife-nature-3818343/
Land eroded and plants died
due to elk overpopulation

18. Image credit: The Human Footprint
Beavers moved away due to
lack of food, dams disappear

19. Rivers changed their courses

20. Nth
order
impact
Nth
order
impact
Nth
order
impact
Nth
order
impact
Nth
order
impact
Nth
order
impact
Trigger
Event
1st
order
impact
1st
order
impact
1st
order
impact
1st
order
impact
1st
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
2nd
order
impact
3rd
order
impact
3rd
order
impact
3rd
order
impact
3rd
order
impact 3rd
order
impact
3rd
order
impact
3rd
order
impact
3rd
order
impact

22. @JoshSeim

24. We should celebrate the successes
and outcomes we’ve designed for.
But we cannot continue to ignore the
secondary & unintended impacts
caused by our designs.
Who is forced to pay our price?

26. Image credit: Artefact Group

27. Image credit: Artefact Group

28. Be like Cassandra
Learn from Futures Thinking
Consider the Nth Order Impact

29. “
“
I hear and read about
success stories all the time.
When I try it myself,
it doesn’t work as well
as it should. Why!?

30. Doing design work ≠ grow our circle
Business
Technology
Design

31. The frustration experienced
when people do not believe
the valid concerns you raise.
The Cassandra Complex

32. What can we do
apart from doing
design & hoping it
convinces others?

33. How do we get people to appreciate
our work?
How do we implement such change
at scale?
How do we shift the culture?

34. Theory and practice of successful
organisational change and
improvement through planned
programmes that impact and improve
the attitudes, beliefs and values
of employees.
Organisation Development

35. Future Search
Appreciative Inquiry
Open Space Technology
Large Group Interventions
Search Conference
Technology of Participation
Intervention Component Analysis
Strategic Dialogue
Conference Model
Think Like A Genius
Real Time Strategic Change
Work Design Model
OD Mapping
Burke-Litwin Model
Managerial Grid
Management By Objectives
Sensitivity Training
Personas
Customer Journey Maps
Jobs To Be Done
Card Sorting
Expert Review
Usability Testing
Focus Groups
Ethnography
Affinity Diagramming
Competitor Analysis
Scenarios
GOMS
Task Analysis
Storyboarding
Wireframes
Wizard of Oz
A/B Testing
Polak Game
Manoa Method
Causal Layered Analysis
Look Back To Look Forward
Driving Forces
Signals of Change
Futures Wheel
Artifacts From The Future
Ethnographic Futures
Speculative Design
Ride Two Curves
Three Horizons
Cross-Impact Analysis
Delphi Method
Scenario Planning
Back Casting
Horizon Scanning
We are constantly in
search for
more tools
OD has… Design has…Futures has…

37. To become aware of and fully bringing
forth our own emotional, perceptual
and cognitive qualities as an
instrument to create impact.
Use of Self

38. Strategic & systemic insights
Frame and reframe
Deep industry knowledge
Separate data from interpretation
Cognition Emotion Courage
Being empathic
Positive regard for people
Reading reactions
Comfortable in vulnerability
Self-agency
Evocative and provocative
Dare to differentiate

39. Cognition Emotion Courage
Trustworthy
Humility
Desire to serve
Non-judgemental
Patience
Character Skills Values
Good listener
Tolerate confusion & ambiguity
Experimental
Succinct, clear & direct
Inquiring
Diversity, Inclusion & Equality
Fair Always learning
Collaborative Humanitarian values

40. Cognition Emotion Courage
Character Skills Values
Invest in inner work
Self-awareness Manage boundaries
Mindfulness
Authentic
Work on unresolved issues
Intentional Self-care
Self-work Self-
management
Continuous
Growth
High-impact skills
Self-generating renewal
Non-reactive to challenges
Separate own needs from others
Continuously work
on all 9 aspects

41. Cognition Emotion Courage
Character Skills Values
Self-work Self-
management
Continuous
Growth
Adapted from Dr L. Mee-Yan Cheung-Judge, 2019

42. How do you improve
Use of Self?

43. Priorities
1 Deepen understanding of self
2
Deepen understanding of self
on others and others on self
3 Work on unresolved issues
4
Groundedness when dealing
with challenging situa8ons
5
Emo8onal management and
general self-management
Activities
1
Reflec8ve prac8ce, mindfulness, retreats,
medita8on, journaling, spiritual exercises
2 Keep on prac8cing Use of Self
3 Having coaches, mentors
4
Seeking feedback from clients, colleagues,
co-worker, experienced prac88oners
5
AGend conferences, forums,
network events
Adapted from Dr L. Mee-Yan Cheung-Judge, 2019

44. Learn from Organisational
Development
Be intentional about Use of Self
Don’t
Be like Cassandra

45. Design
Organisation Development
Futures Thinking
Improv theatre?
Film School?
Martial Arts?
Cooking?
...…
If you’re having
difficulties in design,
look outwards and
you may be surprised!

46. Let’s continue the conversation:
@khai5eng
linkedin.com/in/khaiseng
www.studiodojo.com

47. Further reading
On Organisation Development
Organization Development book by Mee-Yan Cheung-Judge & Linda Holbeche
https://www.amazon.com/Organization-Development-Practitioners-Guide-OD/dp/0749470178/
Some awesome free articles at Quality & Equality, Mee-Yan’s consulting firm
https://www.quality-equality.com/free
OD Network – Global community of practice
https://www.odnetwork.org/default.aspx
On Futures Thinking
Institute for the Future – Non-profit futures thinking organisation
http://www.iftf.org/home/
Journal of Futures Studies – Good quality articles and essays
https://jfsdigital.org/
Highly recommend to check out their special issue on Design and Futures
https://jfsdigital.org/2019/05/10/design-and-futures-special-editors-introduction/
NESTA’s guide (PDF) on using Futures Thinking
https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/our-futures-people-people/