Keith Sawyer

Creativity in the Wild: How Wilderness Exposure Enhances Problem Solving

Keith Sawyer points to a remarkable study that shows how exposure to the outdoors enhances creativity. The mechanisms are unclear, but it could be that there is a sense of possibility that comes from the outdoors due to the expanded boundaries of perception. By that, I think of how the topography, fauna and flora constantly …

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Innovation, Design Thinking and the Folly of Fads

Is it time to move on or shall we try to invigorate the discussion of concepts like innovation and design thinking with dialogue, evidence and (self-referentially) some innovation and design thinking to advance not only the discourse on these topics, but also their adoption, study and adaptation to help us tackle the complex, wicked and pervasive problems that seem to be growing in our world each day.

Design for Social Norms or Social Change?

Just as we create path dependencies for one set of values, so too can we do the same for others and with other people. The focus on the outcomes of systems rather than their design is problematic if we want change. Starting with design and values at the outset, being conscious of who we invite in and how we engage them and by remaining contemplative about how these systems unfold and the emergent patterns that shape them, designers of all stripes may be better positioned to create social change rather than just for social norms.

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