design

When Complexity Exceeds Wisdom

In a recent podcast, historian Margaret McMillan discusses the complexities of today’s world, observing that historical patterns do not neatly apply to current events. Despite her extensive knowledge, she finds it challenging to provide clear insights. This underscores the overwhelming nature of contemporary issues, further complicated by misinformation and faux wisdom, highlighting the need for wayfinding rather than certainty.

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Algorithmic Anti-Design

design, innovation / By Cameron D. Norman

What happens when we no longer see what’s out there, but what some algorithm feeds us, and what are the alternatives to learning new things from the internet? The answer: email. In the mid-2010’s, I undertook a research project for Heritage Canada (now Canadian Heritage), the federal agency responsible for copyright regulations, looking at the

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Pathways Through Yuletide

design / By Cameron D. Norman

It is the time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when we are in our most darkest days and, appropriately, often surrounded with lights. It’s a time of food, reflection, and rest among the bustle of more modern trappings of the holidays and year-end commitments. We are part of the seasons, whether we’ve designed our

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Fumbling and Stumbling Forward: Strategy and Complexity

systems thinking / By Cameron D. Norman

The Fall Into Strategy series is both a play on the season and a metaphor for how we convert intention into action with a plan, by design. Today, we look at the bigger picture of complexity and its role in strategic design. More specifically, we’re going to look at three words: fumbling, stumbling, and forward.

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The Practice of Strategy

design, health / By Cameron D. Norman

This content discusses the importance of strategic design in connecting aspirations with actions and outcomes. It emphasizes that strategy isn’t confined to boardrooms but occurs in everyday decisions. Key components include inquiry, visioning, planning, implementation, and evaluation, all of which work together to create an impactful, adaptive strategy.

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Strategic Design and Consultants

design, evaluation, systems thinking / By Cameron D. Norman

Separating out strategy, evaluation and service design in human services comes from old thinking that produces few benefits for the organization and make-work for consultants. There is a better way. We do a lot of silly things out of habit. Somewhere along the route toward the establishment of a professional management culture, we started separating

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Caring By Design

design, innovation / By Cameron D. Norman

Caring is essential for effective leadership, enabling connection and engagement within organizations. It involves attentive listening and intentional actions that foster psychological safety and trust. By prioritizing relational leadership and supportive organizational systems, leaders can motivate teams, manage complexity, and drive innovation, making care integral to their strategic vision and organizational success.

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Setting the Table: The Making of Strategy

design, innovation, systems thinking / By Cameron D. Norman

This final post on Strategic Design in the series outlines the integration of theory and practice, emphasizing its adaptability to complex environments. It describes critical steps including context setting, engagement, and envisioning futures. Strategic design fosters effective decision-making and learning, positioning organizations to thrive amid uncertainty through collaborative and informed approaches.

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Design-Driven Evaluation and Strategic Design

design, evaluation, systems thinking / By Cameron D. Norman

As human systems grow increasingly complex, the need for learning and adaptation intensifies. Design-driven evaluation (DDE) merges design thinking with evaluation to enhance accountability and impact. By embedding evaluation within programs and prioritizing user feedback, DDE fosters continuous learning, enabling organizations to effectively navigate change and drive sustainable innovation.

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Strategic Foresight and Design

design, systems thinking / By Cameron D. Norman

In this latest in the series on strategic design and complexity, we cast our gaze to the future and the role of foresight in contributing to strategic design. Strategic design involves developing a vision for what you want to become and where you wish to go as an organization, and then shaping a course of

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