DESIGN THINKER PODCAST

The inspiration for this podcast came from a question posed by Ian Scott, a longtime listener and friend of the podcast. Ian asked, "What's your view on human-centered systems thinking?" 

In this episode, Dr Dani and Designer Peter explore the intersection of human-centered design and systems thinking. 

In this episode, you will 

• Understand how these approaches work together to deliver better solutions. 

• Learn how to leverage these holistic approaches in your work 

• Discover practical strategies for integrating these practices 

When Fonterra - a dairy cooperative in Aotearoa New Zealand - faced a critical workforce shortage, the usual ways of working weren't going to deliver the outcomes they needed. Enter the SWAT approach to business transformation - a fit-for-purpose, multi-disciplinary way to tackle critical business challenges. In this episode, Dr Dani and Designer Peter welcome Suzie Lewisham - People and Culture Director for the COO division at Fonterra, for an inside look at their award-winning approach to transforming business at pace. 

In this episode, you will 

• Learn about the SWAT approach to transforming business at pace 

• Understand how creating a fit-for-purpose approach unlocks faster, smarter solutions to critical business challenges 

• Discover how to bring together multi-disciplinary teams to break through silos and accelerate progress 

You can connect with Suzie Lewisham on LinkedIn. Suzie and Dr Dani have captured their learnings and process from this award-winning work in a white paper, which you can access at designthinkerinstitute.com/swatapproach

Has collaboration become a catch-all solution, losing the focus and impact it was meant to deliver?

In this episode, Dr. Dani and Designer Peter unpack why collaboration often feels more like a burden than a boost. They explore how overuse and misuse have turned it into an overrated buzzword and what teams can do to bring intention and effectiveness back to colloboration.

In this episode, you will
• Understand why collaboration fatigue is holding teams back.
• Learn how to identify when collaboration is necessary—and when it’s not.
• Discover actionable strategies to balance solo and group work for better results.

In this episode of the Design Thinker Podcast, Dr Dani and Designer Peter are joined by Dr John Bennett, a leading scholar-practitioner, executive coach, and professor at the McColl School of Business, Queens University of Charlotte. John, author of The Manager’s Guide to Coaching for Change, brings nearly three decades of experience in helping leaders transform their approach to team performance.

In this episode, you will
• Understand what coaching is and what it is not 
• Learn about the skills managers need for coaching 
• Discover the positive impact of a six-minute coaching conversation 

John's new book, The Manager's Guide to Coaching for Change, is now available on Amazon and other major retailers. 

In this episode, Peter steps into the spotlight, recounting how his skydiving experiences shaped his perspective on courage, self-talk, goal-setting, and teamwork. As Peter Peter reflects on this skydiving journey, he draws parallels between skydiving and working in organizations. 

In this episode, you will 
• discover the power of visualization for driving outcomes
• understand the importance of finding your community 
• learn how the ritual of regular debrief can drive productivity and performance 

In this episode, Dr. Dani shares her nontraditional career path from aspiring law student to graphic designer to leading corporate transformations. A two-time university dropout, Dani discovered design while on the path to law school, which led her to attend design school and hone her passion for designing solutions. She explains how the lessons from design school became the foundation for driving impactful results in the corporate world.

In this episode, you will
• discover how design principles can drive business outcomes 
• learn how embracing constraints leads to better problem-solving 
• understand why empathy and curiosity are key to unlocking solutions 

In a world that glorifies busyness, breaks are dismissed as unimportant and a barrier to productivity. However, this isn't actually the case. In this episode, Dr. Dani and Designer Peter discuss the often overlooked but essential practice of pausing. They explore the power of micro, mini, and mighty pauses and discuss how intentional breaks can increase productivity, creativity, and mental clarity. 

In this episode, you will:
• learn about three types of pauses the micro, the mini, and the mighty 
• understand how breaks can increase your brain's capacity to problem-solve 
• discover practical ways to incorporate pauses into your daily routine 

Do you struggle with perfectionism? Is it holding you back? In this episode, Dr. Dani Chesson and Designer Peter Allan explore how perfectionism hinders progress and keeps us trapped in a cycle of self-doubt and share tips on how to break free from the trap. 

In this episode, you will 
• understand the difference between helpful and harmful perfectionism
• learn practical techniques to move from overthinking to action
• discover how iteration and empathy can break the perfectionism cycle

We often focus on creating a seamless customer experience (CX), but what happens when we ignore employee experience (EX)? In this episode, Dr. Dani and Designer Peter dive into the often-overlooked connection between EX and CX, exploring why great customer experiences depend on happy, engaged employees.

In this episode, you will:
• understand the direct relationship between employee experience and customer satisfaction
• learn why neglecting EX leads to higher turnover, lower productivity, and poor CX outcomes
• discover practical ways to improve EX and elevate your overall business performance

Customer Experience (CX) is vital for businesses in the 21st century, but do we know what we mean when we say CX? In this episode, Dr Dani and Designer Peter explore CX. 

In this episode, you will 
• understand what CX is and what it is not 
• learn why CX is a vital aspect of business success 
• discover how to design and operationalize a winning CX