In this episode of Undisciplined By Design, Aaron Bradley sits down with Lisa K. Solomon, Futurist in Residence for the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University (the d.school), to explore how design, foresight, and imagination can help people feel more agency in uncertain times. Lisa shares her journey from design strategy to futures education, why future-thinking skills should be taught and practiced before moments of crisis, and how tools like scenario planning, civic design, and “beautiful questions” can help students, leaders, and communities shape more hopeful futures.

We sit down with Lyn Jeffrey of Institute for the Future to unpack why foresight is becoming a must-have skill in a world defined by uncertainty. From spotting subtle signals of change in everyday life to rethinking how innovation actually happens, this conversation challenges the idea that the future is something you wait for and instead positions it as something you actively shape. We explore why predictions are the wrong goal, how to train your imagination to think ten years ahead, and how organizations are using foresight to unlock new possibilities.

Hans Heim and Roxy Lo of Ibis Cycles explore the delicate balance between driving innovation to stay ahead of trends while staying grounded in what customers are actually ready for – the MAYA principle of “Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”.  We also discuss the value of thoughtful, deliberate risks and playing the innovation long-game when building a company in the shadow of Silicon Valley.

Today we’re joined by Dennis Boyle, Partner Emeritus and one of the original founders of groundbreaking design and innovation consultancy IDEO. In this unprecedented look at the story behind some of the most significant innovations of our modern era, Dennis shares insights from the early days of building IDEO's impressive catalog of game-changing product innovations. Among others, we'll talk about working with Steve Jobs to create the first Apple mouse, redesigning insulin pens to reduce user error, and designing the modern-day defibrillator to ensure anyone could use it at a moment’s notice: a human-centered innovation that's saved hundreds of thousands of lives. He also shares the story of bringing design thinking practices to the mainstream - a spark that went on to transform the field of innovation.

In today's episode Lauren Meadow, Principal Strategist at Forum for the Future, explains how plants, animals, and systems in nature can translate to innovation opportunities for products, services, and human-designed systems. We'll also discuss why moving toward sustainable products and practices is not just ethical, but also a smart business strategy. 

Season 3 opens with Ryan Baum, partner at Jump Associates, a Silicon Valley based consultancy that regularly advises Fortune 100 companies on large-scale innovation projects and strategy. Ryan highlights the importance of keeping a future-focused mindset in times of uncertainty, and offers practical ways to make vision-driven business decisions that rise above the chaos.

In part 2 of our conversation with Fortune 150 Duke Energy Design Strategy Lead Ben Kimmerle, Ben discusses the importance of taking an incremental approach to innovation and staying agile when leading change in large organizations and industries where moving fast and breaking things isn't an option.

Today's episode is part 1 of our 2 part conversation with Fortune 150 energy company Duke Energy Design Strategy Lead Ben Kimmerle. Ben shares insights on bringing a designer's approach to innovating in a field where user experience and customer journeys are not the norm. He'll also share stories about the power of incorporating customer feedback in unique ways.

In today's episode, futurist and innovation pioneer Michael Arent discusses his 40+ year career working at the forefront of human-computer interaction and innovation. Michael led innovation and design teams at companies like Apple and Sun Microsystems at a time when technology was evolving faster than anyone thought was possible and early visions of modern human-computer interaction were still in their infancy.

This episode features the marketing mind behind some of today’s most disruptive companies, including Impossible Foods and 23&Me. Silicon Valley-based product marketer Christa Olsen shares her perspective on taking a human centered approach to product marketing and why asking questions like  “just because we can build it, should we?” is a crucial step in the innovation process.