Art is an expression of our ideas into forms that are meant to provoke. Design is what transforms that provocation into service. Both are exercises in balancing freedom with constraints. I’m writing this having just watched a disturbing YouTube investigation into the role of AI-generated copies and publishing by the educational entertainment channel Fern. Fern
The Freedom To Create Read More »
Travelling offers up some of the clearest examples of how complexity, connection, and coordination intersect. Consider how many relationships, represented in networks, embodied practices, and individual nodes (people, transactions, units) are involved in a flight from one place to another. It’s an amazing feat when you think of how often things go relatively smoothly and
Complexity and Layered Systems Read More »
What if we designed for seasons, not static systems? A living systems approach to creating better services and systems means designing like gardeners, not engineers. The implications for health systems is enormous.
Designing for Seasons Read More »
Weirdness is part of being human. When we write or create, we channel our ideas, thoughts, feelings and intentions through our bodies onto the page. When this gets automated, we lose the thinking benefits that once came with writing.
Spending time designing a health system that is entirely hypothetical can provide insight into how we shape the health systems we have in ways we wouldn’t have otherwise. Theoretical exercises aren’t usually top of the list of what most leaders want to spend time doing. That presupposition might require some qualification. Let’s start with a
Why Imagine A Health System? Read More »
In an earlier post, we looked at what classroom complexity might look like if we peeked in to a typical school. I introduced some of the many scenarios that play out in schools and how some might be connected through the myriad intersections that comprise the current classroom context. In this post, I’m providing a
Design for Classroom Complexity Read More »
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
Algorithmic Anti-Design Read More »
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.
The Practice of Strategy Read More »
Strategy is the means of connecting our aspirations and resources to our actions and outcomes. Strategy is something we design with our organization’s goals, values, assets, people, and customers/clients/patients/partners in mind. Strategic design is the means and positive impact is the end. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be walking through the art and science of
Fall Into Strategy: The Practice of Making Strategy Real Read More »
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.
