Design is increasingly gaining influence in the companies we work in and the world at large, which means our actions as designers have an increasing influence on shaping the world around us. All of our individual choices, collectively form our manufactured world. Do you know where the choices you are making are leading, not just on the scale of your project, but on a larger scale? Are you making choices that matter or choices that lead to desirable outcomes? Are you designing mindfully for our larger collective futures or are you just “checking a box” or blindly chasing the latest design craze or “silver bullet” process? The success of good design isn’t new and relies on a core set of first principles that if followed lead to better outcomes, but it is up to all of us to make it happen. Join Erik as he discusses these first principles of good design as we collectively shape our future, and create the future world that you want to live in.

1. Designing Our Futures
Erik Dahl
March 23, 2018
#IAS18
eadahl@gmail.com
@eadahl
www.erikdahl.io

2. Erik Dahl
Independent Designer
IxDA, President
MidwestUX Conference, co-founder
eadahl@gmail.com @eadahl
www.erikdahl.io
103 K (64 miles) — 4,500m (15,000 ft) of elevation gain — 18+ hours

3. #ias18@eadahl
Cargo Cult UX/Design
Designing Our Futures

4. Part I
Framing
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

5. “We are called to be architects
of the future, not its victims.”
#ias18@eadahl
-R. Buckminster Fuller
Designing Our Futures

6. Comprehensive designer =
artist + inventor +
mechanic +
objective economist +
evolutionary strategist
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

7. Breathe
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8. Part II
Principles
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

9. Close Your Eyes
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10. #ias18@eadahl
It’s about PEOPLE;
It’s NOT about the OBJECT
Designing Our Futures

11. Joe Ballay
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

12. showed video in live presentation

13. ...it is in its transparency that
it fulfills its function
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

14. #ias18@eadahl
It’s about PEOPLE;
It’s NOT about the OBJECT
Designing Our Futures

15. #ias18@eadahl
Focus on Experience,
NOT on the Function.
Designing Our Futures

16. Get out something to
write on/with.
ACTIVITY

17. You have 30 seconds.
Design a vase.
ACTIVITY

18. You have 30 seconds.
Design a vase.
Design a better way
for people to enjoy
flowers in their home.
ACTIVITY

19. You have 30 seconds.
Design a vase.
Design a better way
for people to enjoy
flowers in their home.
Design a better way
for people to connect
with nature.
ACTIVITY

20. #ias18@eadahl
Focus on Experience,
NOT on the Function.
Designing Our Futures

21. #ias18@eadahl
Stories are how we
understand and shape
the world
Designing Our Futures

22. Harry Crews
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

23. showed video in live presentation

24. Truth of the matter was, stories was everything and
everything was stories. Everybody told stories. It was a
way of saying who they were in the world. It was
their understanding of themselves. It was letting
themselves know how they believed the world worked;
the right way and the way that was not so right.
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

25. #ias18@eadahl
Stories are how we
understand and shape
the world
Designing Our Futures

26. #ias18@eadahl
Problem Finding Before
Problem Solving
Designing Our Futures

29. PROBLEM
SOLVERS
HOW DO I DO
GOOD WORK?
PROBLEM
FINDERS
WHAT IS
GOOD WORK?

30. The quality of the problem found
is a forerunner of the quality of the
solution attained.

31. Reframe the Problem
Open Up New Solutions
Designing Our Futures @eadahl #ias18

32. #ias18@eadahl
Problem Finding Before
Problem Solving
Designing Our Futures

33. #ias18@eadahl
Create Abstractions & Models,
(Not Just Narratives)
Use Frameworks
Designing Our Futures

34. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

35. The Deal Addict will split their time
between Browsing and Shopping.
Their Browsing is punctuated by an
effort to find the best deal regardless
of the product. Their Shopping is
defined by comparative pricing.
Inspire Me will spend a majority of
their time Browsing. Their
experience is marked by an indirect
path through the product offering to
find something that excites them.
Basic Value will not spend any time
in the Research or Browse phases
and will spend as little time as
possible in the Shop phase. They
want to get their shopping done and
get on with life.
The Flexible Learner will split their
time evenly across the phases as
they inform themselves. They may
not finalize the purchase within the
30 minute window.
Critical Explorer will spend all of their
time in the Research phase. They
are unlikely to complete their
Research and commit to a purchase
within the 30 minute window.
Research
Research is the gathering and/or
analysis of detailed information about
a specific product, groups of products
or services.
Deal Addict needs to feel powerful
and successful at saving money;
feed that need with information
about savings.
Inspire Me shops for pleasure,
wants to surf around. Help them
jump from one idea to the next to
see what is hot.
Basic Value will appreciate
consistency. Keep designs and
interactions for basic shopping
activities consistent and
predictable.
Flexible Learner needs to stay in a
comfort zone. Provide a
consistent experience with
information, language and
interactions across channels.
Critical Explorer wants in-depth
information about products. Help
them dig deep to find out more
and provide that information.
Browse
Browse is the perusal of products or
services without the direct intention of
purchasing.
Shop
Shopping is the act of searching for a
specific product, groups of products or
services with the direct intention of
purchasing.
Purchase
Purchasing is the act of the exchange
or transaction between the guest and
the store.
Goal Save Money
EMOTIONAL ANALYTICAL
See What’s New Supply Basic
Needs
Feel Confidence Find More
Information
The Critical Explorer will
move out of the Research
phase if/when the right
product is identified.
Flexible Learner will
move onto Shop only
when they are confident
in their decision.
Inspire Me will move
out of Browse when
something delights
them.
Basic Value will move
out of the Shop phase
when the needed
product is located.
Deal Addict will move
from Shop to Purchase if
they are confident they
are getting the best deal.
Target Personas | :30 Minutes to Shop This diagram shows how each persona would spend 30 minutes of their online experience.
Heuristics
Deal Addict Flexible LearnerBasic Value Critical ExplorerInspire Me
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

37. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

38. FITBIT ONE
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39. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures
showed video in live presentation

40. Light
Strong
Direct
Indirect
Sudden
Sustained
WEIGHT SPACE TIME
LABAN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

41. Light
Strong
Direct
Indirect
Sudden
Sustained
WEIGHT SPACE TIME
LABAN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

42. Light
Strong
Direct
Indirect
Sudden
Sustained
WEIGHT SPACE TIME
LABAN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
PUNCHING
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

43. Light
Strong
Direct
Indirect
Sudden
Sustained
WEIGHT SPACE TIME
LABAN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

44. Light
Strong
Direct
Indirect
Sudden
Sustained
WEIGHT SPACE TIME
LABAN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
FLOATING
Designing Our Futures #ias18@eadahl

45. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures
Showed video in live presentation

46. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

47. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

48. Light
Strong
Direct
Indirect
Sudden
Sustained
WEIGHT SPACE TIME
LABAN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
PUNCHING
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

49. Designing Our Futures @eadahl #ias18

50. LABAN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
FLICKING:
WRINGING:
DABBING:
PUNCHING:
FLOATING:
SLASHING:
GLIDING:
PRESSING:
Flexible, Sudden, Light
Flexible, Sustained, Strong
Direct, Sudden, Light
Direct, Sudden, Strong
Flexible, Sustained, Light
Sudden, Strong, Flexible
Sustained, Light, Direct
Direct, Sustained, Strong
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

51. LABAN MOVEMENT WORKSHOP
@eadahl #ias18Designing Our Futures
Showed video in live presentation

52. #ias18@eadahl
Create Abstractions & Models,
(Not Just Narratives)
Use Frameworks
Designing Our Futures

53. Part III
Vision
@eadahl #ias18Designing Our Futures

54. #ias18@eadahl
Have a Vision For Your Future
Designing Our Futures

55. http://www.businessinnovationfactory.com/summit/story/necessary-discourse-unfinished-design
Michael Dila
A Necessary Discourse On The Unfinished Design
“We tend to sit back and allow
the heroic innovations of
others to justify our own
creative passivity.”

56. Visualize Your Future Identities
Effort before Identity Identity before Effort→
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

57. Project Capybara
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

58. 15 people
+35
+20
+60
+45
+30 +75
TUESDAY
11:40AM -
11:50AM
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

59. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

60. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

61. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

62. #ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

63. #ias18@eadahl
Take steps to make your
future vision a reality.
Designing Our Futures

64. #ias18@eadahl
What is your future vision?
Designing Our Futures

65. What will you do to start
to make your vision real?
#ias18@eadahlDesigning Our Futures

66. All of us are responsible for creating the future.
#ias18@eadahl
Have a vision of the future you want to create.
Every artifact we create, shapes the world.
Be mindful of what you are creating.
…so make stuff that matters.
Designing Our Futures

67. Thank you!
#ias18
eadahl@gmail.com
@eadahl
Erik Dahl
www.erikdahl.io