What we see or choose to see has a profound effect on what we do and achieve. Choose wisely. The role of expectations — what we anticipate happening from our actions — is another critical pillar of behaviour change. In this latest in the foundations of behaviour change series, we look at how what we …
Our sense of certainty and our certainty about it can be one of our most hazardous beliefs. By adopting a critical mindset to question what we know, how we know it, and what it means we might actually find we are able to create greater confidence in our knowledge, even if it is less certain. …
Clickbait and Mistaken Beliefs: Change Strategies for Humans Read More »
The psychology and design of decisions are ones that we can influence whether we know it or not. Better design equals different decisions.
Perception is what distinguishes some of the best innovators from others. There are ways to expand this view and give you the skills needed to see possibility.
When ideas and opinions push to the extreme finding where the middle ground is becomes an innovation challenge. Darling I don’t know why I got to extremesToo high or too low there ain’t no in-betweensAnd if I stand or I fallIt’s all or nothing at allDarling I don’t know why I got to extremes The …
Innovation is about seeing things differently. This article looks at how our perceptions of the world can influence what we see and what we miss and how evaluation can help with it all.
Our data collection efforts during a time of VUCA are impaired by not only our methods, but our sense of what is actually happening.
Empathy is considered to be at the bedrock of good design. But what if how we’re thinking about empathy is wrong? Empathy is certainly having its moment. Anywhere you look for writing on design and innovation and you’ll likely find a big role for empathy. Designers are encouraged to empathize with their potential customers and …
These approaches combine inward reflection — reflective practice — with an openness to the data that comes in around them without imposing an order on it a priori. The orientation is to the data and the lessons that come from it rather than its directionality or imposing values on what the data might mean at the start. It means slowing down, contemplating things, and acting on reflection not reacting based on protocol. This is a fundamental shift for many of our activities, but may be the most necessary thing we can focus on if we are to have any hope of understanding, dealing with, and adapting to complexity.
All the methods and tools at our disposal will not help if we cannot change our mindset and orientation — even in the temporary — to this reality when looking at complexity in our work.
How might we apply the lessons from cigarette use to mental health promotion? How might we design programs, spaces, places, and social conventions that promote the quiet contemplative acts that come from taking that cigarette break and offer potentially great value to tobacco users without creating harmful effects for others?
Engaging design, complexity and imagining the systems that influence them both might yield considerable insight into how we manage other public health problems and how we might better promote mental health in the protection of physical well-being.
