Ironically, of the key takeaways from the conversation is that words can be very limiting, especially when dealing with challenges that involve complex intangible human experiences.

This is why you see many other, richer forms of communication being used in service design. We love to visualize, prototype with LEGO and even act things out. And what we find is that these forms of communication, which look deceivingly playful to outsiders, lead to better and faster decision-making.

It's not just about being more effective either; by focusing on words as the primary way of communication, we exclude those who could contribute meaningfully through other expressive means.

However, as I'm sure you know, not everyone feels comfortable with these alternative forms of communication, even though they are more effective and inclusive.

Many organizations crave certainty, logic, and definitive answers, leaving little room for ambiguity.

This brings us back to the conversation with Adam. We delve into why non-designers hesitate to embrace richer forms of communication and the fears and anxieties associated with it. And how can we lead by example to create a pull effect rather than imposing our methods dogmatically onto others.

So, all in all, we cover a lot of ground in a conversation where we advocate for using fewer words :)

A standout message for me was when Adam said that the riskiest thing a business can do is stick to the status quo.

Enjoy the episode, and keep making a positive impact.

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to episode 178

06:30 Who is Adam

08:30 Lightning round

12:00 Implicit vs explicit design

17:00 The limitation of words

20:00 It's just faster

23:00 Using richer data

27:30 The tension in design

32:00 Investigative rehearsal

34:00 Subjective value

37:15 Do we get it

39:45 What's stopping us

41:45 Increasing the odds

46:00 Pull vs push change

50:30 Common objections

53:00 Creating a safe space

59:00 Things are changing

1:00:30 Call to action

1:01:30 Closing thoughts

--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---

* https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamstjohnlawrence/

* http://globaljams.org

* https://www.cocreationschool.com

* This is Service Design Thinking (book) - https://amzn.to/3NdT0gx

* This Is Service Design Doing (book) - https://amzn.to/3qY6zco

--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---

Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.

https://servicedesignshow.com/circle