People, Purposes, Patterns & Problem Space by Indi Young

How can your org go deep? How can it find 1000 more opportunities to support by studying the patterns that come from people's inner thinking as they pursue their purposes? Indi will unfold a way to bring this powerful perspective to your organization.
Presented at Design Research 2021.

Transcript

1. PEOPLE, PURPOSE, PATTERNS
   & PROBLEM SPACE
   Supporting Humans as
   They Are In The World
   @indiyoung
   Photo credit: “Sujetando el Mundo” by Oscar F. Hevia, Flickr oscarfh/10366187676
   

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2. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
   software began as a way
   to speed up calculations
   … to automate processes
   2
   

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3. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
   we were writing code mostly for
   mathematicians, codebreakers,
   engineers, rocket scientists …
   and accountants, procurement
   folks, chess players …
   3
   

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4. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
   the software engineer’s job was
   to encode the
   standard operating procedure (sop)
   4
   

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5. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
   we studied the
   process
   5
   

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6. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
   then we decided to prioritize:
   “user friendly” and “user-centered”
   we studied how well the process worked
   for users
   6
   

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7. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
   we decided to prioritize:
   “user experience” and methods like
   agile, design thinking, jobs-to-be-done
   “process” expands to include
   anything humans do
   … but we continue to look through the
   lens of the solution
   7
   

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8. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
   at the same time, along came
   “business models”
   ahelluvalotta money + shiny power + marketing
   GAFA
   humans = eyeballs to show ads
   advertisers are the users
   maybe labor unions will give us power
   8
   See: Jaron Lanier; How We Need to Remake the Internet at TED.com
   

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9. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
   is there “delight?” “engagement?”
   KPIs based on the org’s goals
   9
   

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10. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    there are plenty of orgs & teams who are
    making solutions in support of humans
    with money to sustain success
    over the years
    10
    

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11. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 11
    … but orgs still solve for the typical user
    the average user in
    our “market”
    edge cases edge cases
    

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12. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 12
    … but orgs still solve for the typical user
    for one way of being in the world
    the average user in
    our “market”
    edge cases edge cases
    

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13. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 13
    … but orgs still solve for the typical user
    for one way of being in the world
    the average user in
    our “market”
    edge cases edge cases
    “market” is defined by
    demographics, roles, job-performers
    … by the solution being offered
    

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14. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 14
    … but orgs still solve for the typical user
    for one way of being in the world
    the average user in
    our “market”
    edge cases edge cases
    “market” is defined by
    demographics, roles, job-performers
    … by the solution being offered
    no human is an
    “edge case”
    

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15. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 15
    1750’s
    1st industrial
    revolution
    history of the systems
    oral tradition
    written information literacy printing newspapers
    social media,
    podcasts
    scientific method
    1600’s
    controlled,
    repeatable
    experiments
    1450
    Guten-
    berg
    press
    1200’s
    Movable
    type
    imperialism / colonialism
    1500
    Age
    of
    Ex-
    ploration
    1800’s
    rise of
    corporate
    capitalism
    capitalism
    

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16. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 16
    more systems
    gift economy
    theocracy
    feudalism
    monarchy
    dictatorship
    communism
    indigenous
    environmental
    paternalism
    racism
    colorism
    feminism
    caste
    academia
    science
    business hierarchy
    corporate governance
    operations
    procurement
    quant
    universal basic income
    living wage
    unions
    

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17. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 17
    … but orgs still solve for the typical user
    for one way of being in the world
    as defined by the systems
    we, the privileged, swim in
    

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18. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 18
    

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19. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 19
    water
    

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20. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 20
    water
    

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21. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    millions of humans are
    ignored,
    made to feel unwelcome,
    or harmed
    21
    

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22. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    frustration + harm
    mismatched experiences
    unsupportive capabilities
    ignored thinking styles
    your circumstances ignored
    you are not welcomed
    you are called “hard to reach”
    lack of understanding lack of trying
    22
    

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23. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    the phrase “underserved” is from
    the point of view of the system
    Arlan Hamilton uses the word
    “underestimated”
    from the point of view of the people
    23
    Ref: Arlan Hamilton, founder Backstage Capital, author: It’s About Damn Time
    

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24. what if you don’t consume one
    or more of these?
    or you don’t have “favorites?”
    mild harm
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 24
    

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25. serious harm
    Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/90356020/3-reasons-why-teslas-dashboard-touch-screens-suck
    Source: https://www.cartoq.com/are-touchscreens-in-vehicles-dangerous-mazda-thinks-so/
    what if you wear distance glasses?
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 26
    

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26. “We urge the Department of Justice
    Civil Rights Division to … examine
    whether the use of face recognition
    technologies has had a disparate
    impact on communities of color.”
    Joy Buolamwini, graduate
    researcher, MIT Media Lab
    Algorithmic Justice League
    See also: “AI, Ain’t I A Woman?” on YouTube
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    systemic harm
    

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27. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 28
    all humans are fully human
    with many ways of being in the world
    

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28. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 29
    we can study humans
    instead of the process/solution
    

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29. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 30
    we can study humans
    instead of the process/solution
    but people are too
    complicated to study!?!
    

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30. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 31
    we can study humans
    instead of the process/solution
    [ ]
    but people are too
    complicated to study!?!
    frame each study
    by their purpose
    

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31. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 32
    shift our focus to people’s purpose
    

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32. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 33
    what is people’s purpose?
    purpose: a person’s aim, intent,
    objective, what a person wants to
    accomplish, achieve, plan, put off,
    or make progress on
    

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33. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 34
    it is not a job
    it is not a need
    it is not a desired outcome
    it’s a state they are trying to make exist
    

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34. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 35
    X broke, and I will be doing Y, so I need to fix/replace X.
    My pet isn’t eating, and I’ll do anything to get them to eat.
    I’m unhappy with how I am perceived, so I resolve to change.
    I’m using a new API and it isn’t behaving how I expected.
    I am building my startup and I need to balance building the
    solution, creating the best culture, and finding investment.
    Make a reservation for a flight so that I arrive in time for X.
    Get a good seat for the flight.
    

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35. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 36
    

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36. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 37
    what went through their mind as
    they were pursuing this purpose?
    

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37. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 38
    all humans are fully human
    the key is depth: inner thinking,
    emotional reactions, guiding principles
    

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38. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    Icon sources: the Noun Project
    person purpose
    problem space
    solution space
    your solution
    your org
    all sorts of tools the
    person brings to bear
    on their purpose
    • manual tools
    • social tools
    • mental tools
    • mechanical tools
    • digital tools, etc.
    a person is focused on their purpose and not on an organization’s solution
    39
    

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39. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    Icon sources: the Noun Project
    person purpose
    problem space
    solution space
    there is an org behind most of the solutions, which compete with your org
    40
    your org’s aperture
    

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40. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    Icon sources: the Noun Project
    unfortunately, many orgs look at the situation this way
    female
    she/her
    age 50-75
    loves
    Hermes
    scarves
    urban
    bachelor’s
    degree
    vegan
    has a
    home
    mortgage
    has children
    41
    

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41. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    Icon sources: the Noun Project
    problem space
    solution space
    user, customer, client,
    member, patron,
    passenger, etc
    most orgs reduce a person to a user, a flat snapshot full of assumptions
    (no understanding of a
    person’s purpose)
    exploration of purposes
    related to solutions, only
    42
    

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42. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    people have different thinking styles as they work toward a purpose
    for example:
    • sustainable, environment-conscious
    • large scale, commercial, reduce effort
    • dabble at it, hobby, on-and-off
    • long term goals, vision, patience
    • quickly get the effect wanted, labor
    and time saving approaches
    • keep to the ways that have been
    successful for past generations,
    nothing new-fangled
    Icon sources: the Noun Project
    44
    

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43. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    Icon sources: the Noun Project
    solution space
    45
    problem space
    person purpose
    exploration of purposes related to solution space and problem space
    different thinking styles
    

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44. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    the number of purposes is VAST
    stakeholders worry: “we can’t cover all the possibilities”
    start mapping it out … keep adding to the map over years
    46
    1. what do we need to know?
    2. what's the risk of going without that knowledge?
    3. if it's risky, then what shall we do to sketch in
    that knowledge and fill in details?
    

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45. KNOWLEDGE CREATION (data collection techniques)
    source: Indi Young
    MARKET RESEARCH
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 47
    

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46. KNOWLEDGE CREATION
    source: Indi Young
    MARKET RESEARCH GENERATIVE EVALUATIVE
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 48
    

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47. KNOWLEDGE CREATION
    source: Indi Young
    MARKET RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY GENERATIVE EVALUATIVE
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 49
    

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48. KNOWLEDGE CREATION
    source: Indi Young
    MARKET RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY GENERATIVE EVALUATIVE
    PEOPLES PURPOSE
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 50
    

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49. KNOWLEDGE CREATION
    source: Indi Young
    MARKET RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY GENERATIVE EVALUATIVE
    PEOPLES PURPOSE
    targeting
    lessen frustration; lessen harm to people
    reduce team’s bias; give broader perspective
    create differing support for differing thinking styles
    increase your market without being disruptive
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 51
    

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50. QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
    OPPORTUNITY
    HOLISTICALLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLES APPROACHES
    ACROSS A VARIETY OF MECHANICAL, DIGITAL TOOLS> … IN ORDER TO
    SUPPORT A BROADER SET OF THINKING STYLES
    (AKA: FUTURES CONE, FOUNDATION, EXPLORATORY)
    KNOWLEDGE CREATION (data collection techniques)
    source: Indi Young
    GENERATIVE
    CREATE NEW IDEAS FOR A PROCESS, TOOL> … IN ORDER TO
    SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO IT
    EVALUATIVE
    UNDERSTAND AN EXISTING PROCESS, TOOL> … IN ORDER TO
    IT
    PEOPLES PURPOSE
    UNDERSTAND PEOPLES INNER THINKING, EMOTIONAL REACTIONS & GUIDING PRINCIPLES AS THEY PURSUE A PURPOSE
    listening session, empathy interview, non-directed interview
    user interview
    customer feedback
    card sort
    diary/camera study
    participatory design
    biological assessment
    qualitative survey
    cultural probe
    contextual inquiry
    eye tracking
    intercept survey
    clickstream analytics
    search analytics
    text mining
    predictive analytics
    A/B test
    unmoderated assessment
    online assessment
    triangulation
    lab usability
    intercept usability
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 52
    QA testing
    

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51. QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
    OPPORTUNITY
    HOLISTICALLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLES APPROACHES
    ACROSS A VARIETY OF MECHANICAL, DIGITAL TOOLS> … IN ORDER TO
    SUPPORT A BROADER SET OF THINKING STYLES
    (AKA: FUTURES CONE, FOUNDATION, EXPLORATORY)
    KNOWLEDGE CREATION (data collection techniques)
    source: Indi Young
    GENERATIVE
    CREATE NEW IDEAS FOR A PROCESS, TOOL> … IN ORDER TO
    SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO IT
    EVALUATIVE
    UNDERSTAND AN EXISTING PROCESS, TOOL> … IN ORDER TO
    IT
    listening session, empathy interview, non-directed interview
    user interview
    customer feedback
    card sort
    diary/camera study
    participatory design
    biological assessment
    qualitative survey
    cultural probe
    contextual inquiry
    eye tracking
    intercept survey
    clickstream analytics
    search analytics
    text mining
    predictive analytics
    A/B test
    unmoderated assessment
    online assessment
    triangulation
    lab usability
    intercept usability
    user/ux
    research
    big data analytics
    PEOPLES PURPOSE
    UNDERSTAND PEOPLES INNER THINKING, EMOTIONAL REACTIONS & GUIDING PRINCIPLES AS THEY PURSUE A PURPOSE
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 53
    QA testing
    usability
    research
    

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52. KNOWLEDGE CREATION (data collection techniques)
    source: Indi Young
    QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE
    OPPORTUNITY GENERATIVE EVALUATIVE
    INNER PEOPLES PURPOSE
    listening session, empathy interview, non-directed interview
    user interview
    customer feedback
    card sort
    diary/camera study
    participatory
    design
    biological assessment
    qualitative
    survey
    cultural probe
    contextual inquiry
    eye
    tracking
    intercept
    survey
    clickstream analytics
    search analytics
    text mining
    predictive
    analytics
    A/B test
    unmoderated
    assessment
    online
    assessment
    triangulation
    lab
    usability
    intercept
    usability
    solution space
    user = someone with a
    relationship/potential to your org
    product
    backlog
    validated
    user story
    +
    prototype
    PRODUCT
    DEVELOP
    MENT
    opportunity
    backlog:
    JTBD, lean, agile,
    continuous dual
    track
    PRODUC
    T
    DISCOVE
    RY
    strategy
    product strategy
    may have
    something to do
    with technology,
    but it has
    everything to do
    bridge to other
    methods
    PEOP
    LE
    problem space
    person = has a variety of
    tools to apply
    maintain a single
    source of
    knowledge (and
    potential futures)
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 54
    QA testing
    

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53. source: Indi Young
    PEOPLE
    problem space solution space
    user = someone with a relationship/potential to your org
    product backlog
    validated user story
    + prototype
    PRODUCT
    DEVELOPMENT
    opportunity backlog:
    JTBD, lean, agile,
    continuous dual track
    PRODUCT
    DISCOVERY
    CONTINUOUS DUAL TRACK
    strategy
    person = has a variety of tools to apply
    product strategy may
    have something to do
    with technology, but it
    has everything to do
    with people
    opportunity map (mental model thinking styles
    diagram above/capabilities below)
    +
    maintain a single source
    of knowledge (and
    potential futures)
    bridge to other methods
    usually hurried
    take time here
    once a year CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 55
    

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54. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    you make time
    57
    

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55. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 58
    so that is people, purpose,
    and problem space
    what about patterns?
    

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56. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 59
    first, frame your study so that
    patterns have a chance to emerge
    you can’t just go to the local cafe
    

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57. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 60
    second, listen to people
    

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58. you are not an explorer
    you do not lead the search or return with (colonial) riches
    

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59. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    start with a germinal question
    follow wherever they go, even if it doesn’t
    seem associated to the topic you asked about
    … because it is within the purpose for them
    62
    

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60. 1. pay rapt attention
    2. build trust & rapport
    3. use their words, not yours
    4. find areas to go to depth
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    Photo: flickr “Only When You’ve Got the Beard Can You …” by Tim Difford timdifford/4117768132
    63
    

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61. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    for research,
    almost all the time listen
    by phone/audio only
    Photo: Andrew Stawarz, “Drifting in Conversation,” flickr stawarz/4579740620
    64
    

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62. listening deeply is like
    putting on a special (heavy) hat
    for a limited duration
    the empathetic mindset hat
    build/train your muscle
    it takes time
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 65
    

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63. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 66
    third, analyze the data
    in a way that avoids
    your bias (the systems)
    

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64. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    so you can develop stronger
    cognitive empathy with the
    person
    so you won't have to re-
    understand concepts later on
    work bottom up so you can
    cultivate the patterns, rather
    than curate them (avoid
    unconscious bias, avoid lens-
    of-the-solution categories)
    concepts & summaries cultivating patterns
    identify concepts find patterns
    67
    

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65. feel alarmed by the pickup that whizzed by me
    at 35 mph when I was at the crosswalk
    realize how close he came to hitting me in the
    crosswalk, if I had been five steps ahead of
    myself
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 68
    

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66. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    group summaries together as windows into a tower
    group towers together into blocks & neighborhoods
    69
    

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67. Ref: Mental Modelling: Qualitative Mapping Audience Behaviors, by V Malzer & S von Schrader, Cornell Employment & Disability, digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/edicollect/1354/
    capabilities of org
    to support different
    thinking styles
    gaps
    (by tower & thinking style)
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 70
    

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68. Ref: Mental Modelling: Qualitative Mapping Audience Behaviors, by V Malzer & S von Schrader, Cornell Employment & Disability, digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/edicollect/1354/
    block towers
    windows
    (summary of a person’s inner thinking,
    reactions or guiding principle)
    capabilities of org
    to support different
    thinking styles
    neighborhood
    gaps
    (by tower & thinking style)
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 71
    

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69. Ref: Mental Modelling: Qualitative Mapping Audience Behaviors, by V Malzer & S von Schrader, Cornell Employment & Disability, digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/edicollect/1354/
    block towers
    windows
    (summary of a person’s inner thinking,
    reactions or guiding principle)
    capabilities of org
    to support different
    thinking styles
    neighborhood
    thinking styles
    gaps
    (by tower & thinking style)
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 72
    

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70. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 73
    fourth, derive thinking styles
    from the same data
    

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71. marketing
    informed
    Cooper/Goodwin
    informed
    personas
    problem-space research informed
    thinking styles
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 74
    

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72. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    thinking styles are a type of archetype
    75
    

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73. demographics-free** archetypes representing
    different philosophic approaches to a purpose,
    based on patterns across participants in deep
    research*, where any person can switch
    thinking-styles based on life event or context
    * derived from problem-space listening sessions about peoples purpose
    ** except when inner thinking is caused by demographics, such as discrimination,
    physiology, culture, environment
    thinking styles are
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 76
    

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74. Segments: Healthwise, Becky Reed
    Resigned Sidetracked
    Inconsistent
    purpose: trying to lose weight
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    

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75. Ref: Mental Modelling: Qualitative Mapping Audience Behaviors, by V Malzer & S von Schrader, Cornell Employment & Disability, digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/edicollect/1354/
    block towers
    windows
    (summary of a person’s inner thinking,
    reactions or guiding principle)
    capabilities of org
    to support different
    thinking styles
    neighborhood
    thinking styles
    gaps
    (by tower & thinking style)
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 81
    

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76. machine learning: match a person
    with an experience designed for an
    existing thinking style
    (or admit to the person this is
    “generic” experience)
    digital maturity in 10 years
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 82
    

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77. five kinds of problem-space metrics:
    1. study success: what we want this research study to provide us
    2. opportunity qualifications: whether to pursue this
    opportunity, and at what urgency/priority, feasibility, etc.
    3. strength of support by thinking style: qualify by tower how
    well the support we have is helping different thinking-styles
    4. awareness vs acceptance: how well we are reaching outside of
    our unconscious bias to understand diverse people, grow our
    awareness of discrimination or physiology that we’ve ignored
    5. problem-space evolution: how alive the diagram is, frequency
    of adding layers of data or adding new concepts & towers
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 83
    

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78. Source: Guillermo Ermel, posted in Slack channel #ongoing-project-discussions
     
    
    
    
     
    
    
    
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 84
    

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79. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    study people’s purpose,
    make different solutions
    for different thinking styles
    measure how you support that purpose
    86
    

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80. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    build awareness
    build intentionality
    model it for others
    87
    See also the work of Cameron Tonkinwise https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Cameron.Tonkinwise
    

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81. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    connecting with each other, listening
    business is a social thing
    data insights are built socially
    … this is the next stage of digital
    maturity
    design justice?
    88
    

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82. books at: audible, amazon, rosenfeldmedia (rosenfeldmedia discount code: DISAPPOINTEDFALCON20)
    CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
    indiyoung.com
    inclusive-software
    @indiyoung
    indiyoung
    indiyoung
    89
    

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