🌌 IDEO Human-Centered Systems Thinking Course

• What are the problematic qualities of the current state of the system?
• What problem are we trying to solve?
• What undesirable outcome does the system produce?

• What are the ideal dynamics of the future state of the system?
• What outcomes do we aspire to see?
• Who are you working in serivce of?

• Generate 5-10
• How might we move from a system that struggles to attract and retain seasonal service workers (cooks, cleaning, maintenance) from a small Texas town to a system that inspires the cities residents to participate in the mission?

• Have we baked a solution into the problem statement? This doesn’t leave much room for creative thought.
• Is the question generative and inspiring?
• Have we narrowed down our audience? Is your audience specific enough that you know what they need and care about? 
• Have you chosen a specific part of the journey to design for? What moment might our solution exist? Narrowing the timeframe will help unearth contextual needs.
• Have we drawn on insights or inspiration to make our question interesting? Adding some texture about what is driving the needs of our audience can help us be more generative.

1. Make sense of complex situations
2. Uncover the root causes of problems
3. Create a shared understanding with stakeholders.

1. Network Map - visualize interconnections in a complex network, including nonlinear relationships and underlying dynamics.
2. Process Map - visualize complex processes to view core moments that matter. 
3. Problem Map - visualize the root caise of a problem, esp. beneath the surface.

Considerations for Network Map:

• ALINGMENT: What is the strenght of alignment between people? This can be based on priorities, incentives, perspectives and understanding.
  
• COMMUNICATION: What are the lines and directions of communication? These can be formal or informal ways on communication.
• POWER: what are the sources of power within the system? This can be formal authority or ability to influence decision makers.
• INFLUENCE: what is the degree and nature of influence? This can be based on things like money, emotion, knowledge, visibility, trust, etc.
• VALUE: what are the exchanges of value? This can be anything like time, money, data, resources, info, etc.

The more you can foster new interactions and relationships the more powerful leverage points become.

• Look for gaps, pain points or hot spots of influence
• What are hidden or missing connections?
• What are the hubs of knowledge, power or influencing?

 

Considerations for Process Map:

• Look at the 3-5 core moments
• What are the overlaps and common touchpoints?
• Are there gaps? Are there parts of the process that are siloed or missing steps?
• Are there parts of the process where people are disadvantaged because the don’t have visibility?

The further upstream you can intervene the more powerful leverage points become.

• Look for situations where the process is slow, blocked or diverted.
  
• What are the common touchpoints, overlaps or gaps?

Considerations for Problem Map:

• Does the problem involve an important issue?
  
• Is the problem a chronic occurence, not a one-time event?
  
• Is the problem familiar to you with a known history?
  
• Have others tried to solve the problem but unsucessfully?

In the Iceberg model, the closer you can move below, the more powerful leverage points become.

• Look at the underlying structures and mindsets to influence behavior.
  
• What are the tangible or intangible things that contribute to behavior?

1. Look at the problem from a human perspective
   
2. Look at the problem from multiple stakeholders perspetives
3. “widen your aperture”
4. Look at other players in your industry
5. Look at the natural world for inspiration

1. Strategy - align around a common direction
2. Structure - where authority resides in each direction
3. Process - direct the flow of activity
4. Talent - grow mindsets and skills
5. Incentives - giving rewards
6. Infrastructure- designing within the tools

1. Explore hidden or hard to see connections in a complex environment. Probe the system in a tangible way to uncover gaps and connections.
2. Experience the system to understand how it feels. Build a shared understanding by helping people experience the system in similar ways — both functionally and emotionally. Set the conditions for a compelling “aha” moment that shifts behavior and perspectives.
3. with the system to see how it repsonds to change. Change in one part of the system can produce unexpected behaviors in another. When provoking a response, observe the results and refine accordingly.

1. First, what are the key mindsets and behaviors that you hope to see in the future? Action: Clarify your objectives and desired outcomes [short, middle, long-term]
   
2. Second, what are some possible indicators that you're on track towards these mindsets and behaviors? Action: Consider what data you'll need to develop a set of measures so we know if we are successful or not. Look for indicators that will help you measure shifts in people's knowledge, mindsets, or behaviors. And consider what you can actually track.
   
3. And third, what methods will you use to track your progress over time? Action: Determine how you'll gather this data and how often? Who will use it? How will it help us make decisions? Look beyond the obvious revenue, etc 
   

1. Desired: Mindsets & behaviors
2. Action to take: 
3. Indicators will be