Big Ideas Brought Into PracticeJoel Eden, @joeleden

Big Ideas Brought Into PracticeSystems Thinking and Unthinkable Thoughts

Joel Eden, @joeleden

Principle: Designers need better tools to see (Otherwise) Unthinkable Thoughts(with a shout out to Bret Victor’s Inventing on Principle ideas)

Systems Thinking and Emergence as a lens to view:-Distributed Cognition-Pattern Languages-Scenarios of use for emergent needs-Lean Process as a complex adaptive systemSummary of ImplicationsTools to think with

Systems Thinking and Emergence

The Flock emerges from the interactions of birds each following a small set of rules.

There is no leader. The birds are following evolved habits and behaviors.

Christoffer A Rasmussen (Rasmussen29892 at da.wikipedia)

http://www.red3d.com/cwr/boids/

Designing (modeling) emergence

Emergent Properties & Behaviors

http://www.red3d.com/cwr/boids/

A designer (modeler) cannot imagine the emergent implications - they are “unthinkable thoughts”

These are so difficult to see, that we need things like Genetic Algorithms to come up with potential solutions.

Note: There are other subsets of systems thinking (e.g., systems dynamics models), but I’m focusing on complex adaptive systems here.

Interactions between entities

Let’s apply this to Thinking

From Birds → Humans (Users)From Flocking → Human thinking

Distributed Cognition(The Extended Mind Hypothesis, Embodied Cognition, ...)

“Mindfulness is just matter, nicely orchestrated” -Andy Clark

“Propagation of representational state across representational media” - Edwin Hutchins

Cognitivist (the mind is the brain)Cognition is carried out in the brain:-Inputs from the external world-Internal representation/model of world-Internal processing/computation-Output to the world (actions)

Distributed Cognition (beyond the brain)Cognition is distributed across:-Brain and external resources-Space-Time

Distributed Cognition - An Example(The Extended Mind Hypothesis, Embodied Cognition, ...)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Player 1 Player 2

Would you like to play a game?

Distributed Cognition - An Example(The Extended Mind Hypothesis, Embodied Cognition, ...)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Player 1 Player 2

Would you like to play a game?

547

26

Distributed Cognition - An Example(The Extended Mind Hypothesis, Embodied Cognition, ...)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Player 1 Player 2

Would you like to play a game?

547

26

8 1 6

3 5 7

4 9 2

How about an isomorphic game that moves some of the cognition to the external representation? (tic tac toe :)

Converted internal cognitive processing → Visual thinking (pre-attentive processing at ~200-300 msecs)

Distributed Cognition - An Example(The Extended Mind Hypothesis, Embodied Cognition, ...)

Would you like to have an insight? How about an isomorphic chart that moves some of the cognition to the external representation?

http://www.perceptualedge.com (Stephen Few)http://www.perceptualedge.com (Stephen Few)

Cognition, the mind, thoughts

Body, external artifacts, pre-attentive vision, brain, time, other people

Distributed Cognition(The Extended Mind Hypothesis, Embodied Cognition, ...)

Implications:“Cognition” is now a material to design with, not just for.

Knowledge is achieved over time, not held statically.-Mental Models are in many ways an incorrect way to think about it:→ Distributed Mental Models-Consistency can be questioned

Let’s apply this to Design

From Birds → PatternsFrom Flocking → Experience

Patterns “complete” each other through the resolution of forces.

Design as a process of unfolding.

Similarities to self organizing systems in systems thinking.

(Alexandrian) Pattern Languages

Pattern Pattern

PatternPattern

Pattern

PatternPattern

PatternPattern

PatternPatternPattern

(Alexandrian) Pattern Languages

Implications:Design choices (patterns) can have emergent implications at the systemic level that are unthinkable by designers with today’s tools.

Distributed cognitive resources as patterns.

Scales really well (e.g., Service Design).

Wholeness, The Quality Without a Name (great design/experiences)

Patterns related by forces created and resolved

Let’s apply this to Scenarios / Needs

From Birds → HumansFrom Flocking → Needs

Scenarios (for emergent needs)

Needs emerge from interactions in context

Implications:Empathy for a system?!

Even more reason to not just “ask the user” what they need; they can’t know many needs; they are unthinkable thoughts to the individual human user.

Linear scenarios (text, storyboards), but needs arise from nonlinear interactions.

People (goals), context (time, place, space), time

Scenarios (for emergent needs)

Mark just got back from a trip to New York, and he wants to share the photos he took on Facebook. He looks opens the photo viewer, and selects which photos he wants to add to a list he creates called “best pics.” He tags the photos with the place...

photo

list

prints

edits→

Useful tool from Kim Goodwin’s book on goal directed design:Read through scenario(s), drawing a graph of info objects.

Let’s apply this to Lean Design Process

From Birds → HypothesesFrom Flocking → Product planning

Lean Process as a complex adaptive system

Complex Adaptive Systems have been described as:“Like walking through a maze that changes with each step.”

This is just like having a prioritized backlog of hypotheses that may reorder based on what you learn from dealing with just the most important (uncertain, etc) hypothesis.

The “plan” (and product) emerges as you validate hypotheses!-The “Lean Pull” Eric Ries mentions in Lean Startup book.

Summary of ImplicationsCognition can be thought of as a material to design with, not for!

(Distributed) Mental Models - knowledge and cognition are distributed well beyond the brain.

Empathy for a “system” - what does it mean to take the perspective of the system?

Many ideas in the design space of possibilities (including maybe the best solution) cannot be seen by designers with today’s tools! (unthinkable thoughts):-Implications of the interactions of design choices (patterns).-Potential design choices (patterns) you can’t think of, but can be shown.-Need to shift from ego centered design practice to ego-less (requires humility)

Tools to think with(to help see otherwise unthinkable thoughts)

We need models to play with!

Complicated(efficiency gained over manual effort)

Complex(you can’t even comprehend without newer tools)

(Otherwise) Unthinkable Thoughts

Cluster Analysis for PersonasTools to think with

I did this manually, but imagine a tool with:-Drag and drop participants onto behavioral attributes-Facets to bring in and out participants / behavioral attributes-See data/trends over time-See together with market segments, etc

Tools to think with - Generative DesignPattern

PatternPattern

PatternPattern

=+Design Possibilities& Critiques

Imagine typing a scenario and seeing design ideas appear as you type...or design critiques as you design.

Mark just got back from a trip to New York, and he wants to share the photos he took on Facebook. He looks opens the photo viewer, and selects which photos he wants to add to a list he creates called “best pics.” He tags the photos with the place[].

photo

list

prints

edits

Prioritized Backlog of Needs Generative Pattern Language

(model & algorithms, GAs, etc)

Thank you!

I’m here all week… :)