-
Simple Image, Simple Focuses
It has been almost four months since starting Avanceé and there’s always this tension that it can be refined a bit more, that there’s something a bit better about it which can be pulled forward so that it creates as much value as it is envisioned to. And then you see those who have done similar and how you aren’t racing anyone - nor are you yet anywhere near the destination… Continue reading →
-
Opining on the Value of Metrics
You can’t improve what you don’t measure In a recent conversation with an executive director of a youth-reaching program, we talked about developing applets (small apps) and process changes which enabled one mentor to spend less time working on the admin tasks of mentoring and more working towards the direct “jobs to be done” of seeing direct correlation between activity and outputs. The director’s face said more than any of the words that remained within that vein of the conversation. Continue reading →
-
Methods and Tools of Work
Over the weekend, spent a bit of time diving into the work of service design during the Global Service Jam. There’s something pretty exciting about taking the expanse of what you know, adding a good bit of what you don’t, and mixing it with people you just met for a problem to be clearly defined in 48 hours. The activity within the Global Service Jam isn’t much different than most other work, its the intensity on figuring things out without the friction of tools, meetings, and even in-applicable research to get in the way. Continue reading →
-
The Transition of Change
Caught in that time period right between the cold of winter that remains on your memory until the rest of the year, and the spring which brings the blossoming and rains of a different kind. Such a period often has us instinctively ask and push for change. What we think change is going to produce isn’t often what happens. There are several elements at stake, most of which are not predictable by any other measure other than we put the work in and now we expect a result. Continue reading →
-
Reflections Forward
Pausing from developing a prototype to think and ruminate a bit about the point of the actions we do forward. Not so much there’s a change happening with Avanceé - only that it makes sense to continue to look at goals and actions and then refine or reset where necessary. Some years ago, we were present for a smart cities conference in The Hague (Netherlands). There, Avanceé’s founder gave a keynote titled “Respond. Continue reading →
-
Design Is More than What You See
Feels weird to say this, but there seems to be something of a blind spot when it comes to the design industry. A vast majority of the conversation centers around what’s seen. And therefore technology and tools aren’t far behind. We talk about layers, button states, and even layout placements in terms of what’s seen. Yet, little to no attention is paid to the other senses. We notice that little-to-no attention when we look at devices like the Apple Watch. Continue reading →
-
Looking Beyond the Horizon
Generally, we look towards some unidentifable place beyond the horizon to set a goal. Some call it “moonshot” and others call it just reaching beyond the horizon. This isn’t risky. In fact its more or less the safe thing to do for any team or organization. The challenge therefore is easier to take on because there’s a sense of inevitability to the actions that will happen. If you take the small steps, then what comes next is as normal as the sun going up. Continue reading →
-
Misplaced Perceptions of User Experience
There are many organizations, upon hearing the term “user experience” land on the perception of “finally getting a pleasing product in front of people.” And while the hope is indeed a correct one, the perception of the user experience professional to handle (and be adept) at everything from application development, to marketing, to organizational strategy, to project/product management is one where expectations end up having many fall short of those perceptions - UX eventually finding itself in the bucket of “things we wish we did well but don’t have the time/budget for. Continue reading →
-
Going Beyond Design Thinking
Often, we would like to think that doing an analysis, reinvesting in the mission/vision, or even deploying a new technology/tool will allow us to capture some sense of the newness of innovation. We are more or less grasping at straws, looking for a meaning in what we are doing which will ressonate with our core publics better, or will increase the width and depth of what we offer to others. A part of the fractals within such spaces could be called design thinking - an approach to look for and appreciate the design, not just the process or the technology which drives those innovative processes. Continue reading →
-
Describing Avanceé’s Key Themes
Missed on Tuesday’s big post due to activites & focuses going elsewhere. But here’s a key theme: tools we use shape the way we shape our worlds. Many times, we don’t realize the misapplication of a tool or its resulting behavior until something grevious happens (Hawaii nuclear alert for instance). Other times, we engage in some aspect of sharping our world, but end up needing to bend to tools, methods, or behaviors which have not caught up to us (tweet earlier on voice-augmented artifacts for productivity tools). Continue reading →
Connecting strategy & leadership with novel/innovative technologies
