We need systemic action informed by systems thinking to address the global challenges facing humanity. Alas, too many are focused on the thinking (and talk), not action. My aim for writing this is because I believe strongly in the potential of systems thinking for action. I don’t see much hope for humans if we can’t […]
Systems Thinking and Systemic Action Aren’t The Same Thing Read More »
Humans tell stories to each other through narrative, pictures, and data and models can help us make sense of things, but do they help us act? Or worse: do these models contribute to inertia? If you want to get a lot of traction on social media with a certain crowd, put up a model or
Models for Clarity or Confusion: Are Your Sense-making Efforts Serving You? Read More »
Canadian wildfires are ravaging millions of hectares of forests prompting the evacuation of thousands of people and smoke plumes that are affecting millions. It’s a case study in how we address the psychology of climate change, invoke systems thinking about health, and apply what we know about design to it all. In a recent interview
Wildfires: When Sparks Lead to Flames Across Systems Read More »
A new term has been circulating in policy circles that reflects a changing way of viewing conflict, crisis, and complexity: polycrisis. Let’s look at what it might mean for people looking to plan, evaluate, and act in a world filled with turmoil. Polycrisis is not a term that inspires much hope. I’m not one for
What’s in a Polycrisis? Read More »
What happens when the global pandemic gets forgotten, and our organizations, communities and bodies still remember? How might we design institutions that help us recover from what’s happened and thrive in what’s to come? The World Health Organization is meeting this week to discuss whether the emergency phase of the global COVID-19 pandemic response is
What Design For Recovery Might Look Like Read More »
I might be writing this near the holidays in 2022, but the message I want to send is timeless. In times of disruption — which seems to be all the time — these are the lessons that my clients, friends, and family did best when they were heeded. They certainly worked for me. I love
Four Holiday R’s: Rest, Reflection, Recovery, Reinvigorate Read More »
We can reflect on gender-based violence and the victims of it and take action, but we must do both if we want change. Today is a day of National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. (You can read more about it here). This is a theme that’s rarely — if
Remembrance and Action for Gender-Based Violence (And All of Us) Read More »
Data-driven strategy and decision-making are only as good as the processes we have to gather, synthesize and use to inform action. I am a strong advocate for using data to inform decisions. Good quality data, appropriately gathered and focused, can reveal patterns that save time, money, and even lives. But data is also another method
The Fear and Folly of Data Read More »
In this final series on designing for well-being, we look at the application of a design framework to achieving the core aspects of health and care for people. We’ve outlined the role of well-being in supporting a healthy organization and the core aspects of well-being itself in the workplace. Now, we turn to asking: what
The Design of Well-Being in Practice Read More »
Design frameworks allow us to frame issues like well-being and focus our efforts in the directions to help create spaces to foster it.
Framing Design for Well-Being Read More »
