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
2. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG software began as a way to speed up calculations … to automate processes 2
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
4. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG the software engineer’s job was to encode the standard operating procedure (sop) 4
5. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG we studied the process 5
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
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
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
9. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG is there “delight?” “engagement?” KPIs based on the org’s goals 9
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
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
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
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
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”
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
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
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
18. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 18
19. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 19 water
20. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 20 water
21. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG millions of humans are ignored, made to feel unwelcome, or harmed 21
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
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
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
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
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
27. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 28 all humans are fully human with many ways of being in the world
28. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 29 we can study humans instead of the process/solution
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!?!
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
31. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 32 shift our focus to people’s purpose
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
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
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.
35. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 36
36. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 37 what went through their mind as they were pursuing this purpose?
37. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 38 all humans are fully human the key is depth: inner thinking, emotional reactions, guiding principles
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
45. KNOWLEDGE CREATION (data collection techniques) source: Indi Young MARKET RESEARCH CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 47
46. KNOWLEDGE CREATION source: Indi Young MARKET RESEARCH GENERATIVE EVALUATIVE CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 48
47. KNOWLEDGE CREATION source: Indi Young MARKET RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY GENERATIVE EVALUATIVE CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 49
48. KNOWLEDGE CREATION source: Indi Young MARKET RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY GENERATIVE EVALUATIVE PEOPLES PURPOSE CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 50
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
50. QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE OPPORTUNITY HOLISTICALLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLES APPROACHES ACROSS A VARIETY OF <SOCIAL, MENTAL, MANUAL, 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 <SYSTEM, SOLUTION, PROCESS, TOOL> … IN ORDER TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO <DO, USE> IT EVALUATIVE UNDERSTAND AN EXISTING <SYSTEM, SOLUTION, PROCESS, TOOL> … IN ORDER TO <MAP, JUDGE, IMRPOVE, ADJUST> 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
51. QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE OPPORTUNITY HOLISTICALLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLES APPROACHES ACROSS A VARIETY OF <SOCIAL, MENTAL, MANUAL, 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 <SYSTEM, SOLUTION, PROCESS, TOOL> … IN ORDER TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO <DO, USE> IT EVALUATIVE UNDERSTAND AN EXISTING <SYSTEM, SOLUTION, PROCESS, TOOL> … IN ORDER TO <MAP, JUDGE, IMRPOVE, ADJUST> 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
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
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
54. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG you make time 57
55. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 58 so that is people, purpose, and problem space what about patterns?
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
57. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 60 second, listen to people
58. you are not an explorer you do not lead the search or return with (colonial) riches
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
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
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
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
63. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 66 third, analyze the data in a way that avoids your bias (the systems)
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
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
66. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG group summaries together as windows into a tower group towers together into blocks & neighborhoods 69
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
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
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
70. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 73 fourth, derive thinking styles from the same data
71. marketing informed Cooper/Goodwin informed personas problem-space research informed thinking styles CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 74
72. CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG thinking styles are a type of archetype 75
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
74. Segments: Healthwise, Becky Reed Resigned Sidetracked Inconsistent purpose: trying to lose weight CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG
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
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
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
78. Source: Guillermo Ermel, posted in Slack channel #ongoing-project-discussions           CC BY-NC 4.0 INDI YOUNG 84
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
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
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
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