seen from Canada
seen from Dominican Republic
seen from United States
seen from Canada
seen from France
seen from Canada
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from New Zealand
seen from Canada
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from New Zealand
seen from Canada
seen from New Zealand
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Nepal
seen from Canada
seen from United States
Wicked Design Problem:
Going zero waste to battle climate change. Zero waste living has become popular, but is individual, everyday changes to consumption enough to fight climate change? What role do businesses and corporations have in pollution and environmental destruction? And how can we hold them accountable?
A new report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) provides the clearest and most comprehensive evidence to date of how
Visual Diary 14
I really appreciated the systems thinking matrix tool we learned about this semester. This is a super helpful way of breaking down and evaluating a complex solution for a wicked problem. Many of the org change projects in my work are definitely "wicked" and this will be a valuable tool for examining the solutions we come up with. The quote from our reading that stood out to me is: "And the lenses through which you say a design is "good" are linked to the stance (stake in the ground) you will take." Establishing a stake in the ground for each project will be critical!
Visual Diary 13
I visited NYC last year and was fortunate enough to visit the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum and see their DESIGNING PEACE exhibit. A little about the exhibit:
From activists, scholars, and architects to policymakers and graphic, game, and landscape designers, Designing Peace flips the conversation: peace is not simply a passive state signifying the absence of war, it is a dynamic concept that requires effort, expertise, and multidimensional solutions to address its complexity.
The journey to peace is certainly a wicked problem. This exhibit highlights how design can be a force for good in the world. This is somewhat meta, butbI particularly love the design of this exhibit and how it calls and inspires individuals to action and engages them in the conversation. We can all be designers in our own way/roles. While it's a complex problem, we aren't helpless in the solution and we all have a part to play. Definitely recommend you check it out!
How might we collectively put our creative forces together to envision a future we want to live in and take action to create it now? Designi
Visual Diary 6a - Design Leadership Tools in Action
When I explore tangible and abstract Design Leadership tools that I could use as I rethink the design for the living spaces of "height-challenged" people (It's me. I'm short and can't reach stuff) or others who simply have challenges with accessibility or mobility challenges in the average living spaces, extra heigh storage spaces go unused or used but with a struggle. In my former life, I was an architectural and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialist so space design was something I studied thoroughly. As I think about what could be a solution to help the millions of (ehem...) height-challenged people like myself utilize this extra space without fear of falling or injury from climbing up on counters or extra high step stools, I thought I could return to using Computer Aided Drafting programs like AutoCAD.
This program would be a great tool for me as I look at space and design and what the target audience would need. Is it enough to just use low cabinet space? Maybe but that won't solve the dilemma of all the costly extra space not being safely used. It feels wasteful. So how can the homes that we pay for be fully and easily utilized?
I also think another tangible design leadership tool is the Adobe Creative Suite to create more expressive ideas on what we do with a living space with high ceilings and cabinets that are not conducive to a person of short stature. I love the idea of using visual diaries, journaling, and sketching to use varied perspectives and insights on what and how to design for shorter people living in big spaces. I'm a whiteboard person. That means that I love them. I wish they were everywhere and they are awesome for brain dumps so you can step back and see everything you were thinking and try to make sense of all of it. Post-It notes come a close second in my favorite design and facilitation tools to solve these design issues.
As of lately, I have been obsessed with rewatching Grey's Anatomy, again. But, I am glad I did, as always, because I noticed something new each time. A huge part of medicine is research, so that was a constant part of the plot, to find cures to incurable diseases.
I would think they had to first start with their idea, write it down and brainstorm it with someone to ensure it sounds logical. Then the research began. To find viable information to support their hypothesis. And of course, they continue to run through their scientific theory, and on TV, they find some sort of solution. But in reality, this is what scientists and doctors must go through to solve some of the most wicked design problems known, diseases. Incurable diseases. The goal being that someday, somehow, the answer will save the world.
I continue to be shocked at what I see from other drivers on the daily. Texting and scrolling Instagram while driving, running red lights, swerving out of the lane... How can we make our streets safer for drivers, pedestrians, and bikers alike? I could see this being far reaching (sreet design, vehicle design, driver education, persuading drivers to change behavior...)
How can we encourage and enable adults to gain and maintain mobility, especially as they age or face sedentary jobs? (Sitting is the new smoking)
I've gotten really into personal fitness over the last few years, with a focus on mobility and functional strength training. My body is sooo much happier because of it, but it took years of personal education and dedication to get here. I have lots of "I wish"-es. I wish I had started earlier. I wish it were easier to learn about. I wish there were more natural ways to fit it into my day and my life. I wish my job didn't require so much sitting and my city didn't require so much driving. There has to be a better way.
I'm a bit embarrassed to share this, but this is one of many stacks of mail in my apartment. It frustrates me daily and I can't help but think there's got to be a better way. Most of it is junk mail I don't want... But I don't want to throw away the pieces that can be recycled. But also, not all of it is recyclable! And what if some of it has personal data? So I need to open up every piece and sort it into one of four piles: file, recycle, shred, toss. This could be a "tame" personal problem... But I'm sure there's a more wicked element to this since it all originates from companies and governments wanting to communicate or sell. Can we reduce the junk? Are there better ways for important messages to be sent? If it must be sent, can it be on recyclable materials? Do printed mail marketing campaigns do more harm than good?
