We've seen projects that move from initial assignment straight into problem-solving, and then immediately into budget writing.
That rarely ends well.

Instead, bring out the energy of creative confidence, innovation, insight, and focus on your team to start with solution 2.0.

We can apply the design thinking process in whole or part -- quickly exploring the context, finding patterns, pinning down the key problem, ideating, testing ideas.

Look at a problem as if it were a puzzle. Enjoy brainstorming, and end on a simple out-of-the-box solution.

Insight

What are some things that fascinate you about your current or upcoming project?

Action

Read a teacher's insights from spending two days shadowing students, exploring context. 

Learn about redefining the problem from Dartmouth.

>> Get momentum!

What does honesty mean?

Or rather, what does it look like? We all want to name honesty as a value -- after all, we don't want to be lied to -- but what is it in practice. A way or time to be completely open? A welcoming of critique? A careful forgiveness for apologies?

Culture is what attracts the right fit and what energises people when they walk in.

Culture decreases turnover, and ups motivation, trust, and respect. 

Transplanting a habit rarely goes well. Design the culture and values together.

Insight

What's a culture or habit that you like? What do you like about it, or what values does it make tangible?

Action

Watch a lecture from Airbnb, Zappos, Stanford, and YCombinator on culture.

Gain insight with tools: Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

>> Get momentum!

We often procrastinate on the important things in order to do the urgent ones.

Take time to step back, reflect, evaluate, and create your action plan.

Work powerfully. 

Whether you've come up with so many ideas and so much research you don't know where to start, or you know that you have to do but not how to do it, we can dissect it all and reassemble. 

We'll look at the external factors as well -- the space, distraction, motivation, logistics, and move from default to design.

Insight

What are the most urgent things on your plate? What important thing are they keeping you from?

Action

Try a couple things from this great list of 100 time, energy attention (productivity) hacks.

>> Get momentum!

Design focuses on being flowing and intuitive to the specific person using it.

It can guide, predict, interact, or delight. 

It can confuse, frustrate, and shun.

With a pain point spotted, a bottleneck noticed, a conversion rate slowing, or a complete remodelling planned, it's best to get new perspectives from potential users and complete outsiders. 

Let's dig into the experience, starting from the people -- how do they learn, interact, become attracted -- to messaging in their words, to focusing on the flow of action.

Insight

For each screen, what is the action the user wants to do most? How can they do it?

Action

Read Beyond Wireframing: The Real Life UX Design Process for context and tools.

Try my worksheet for your next UX redesign or tweak.

>> Get momentum!