Ben Rubin, Zeo and David Rose, Vitality

I finished up the panel by presenting some thoughts on how patients and caregivers feel about managing care at home. They are struggling with the increasing number and complexity of tasks they are being asked to manage. While it is great to imagine a future of careful monitoring and measuring and feedback, this vision must be balanced with the reality that patients and caregivers don’t want to be inundated with data about their health.
 
David Barash, the president of Concord Healthcare Strategies, and the moderator last night, helped frame the discussion from his perspective as a physician, pointing out how overwhelmed many physicians are with the task of monitoring so many patients, but that the new generation of doctors is becoming more comfortable using technology as a tool to support this.

Frank McGillin, Philips and Devorah Klein, Continuum

It was a fun evening, with a large and lively crowd. My only complaint was that we ran short of time, which curtailed discussion. Given that there were some clear points of disagreement that could have ripened into full-blown debate, this is a shame. But it did ensure that no fistfights over, say, the role of cell-phones in home healthcare erupted.

What’s the secret to success in business? What if there was a new formula—a new way of thinking—that resulted in long-term gains? According to designer, educator and writer Roger Martin, author of the new book The Design of Business, it’s all about innovation. “It’s the key to long-term business success,” he explains, “but companies think in ways that inadvertently squelch it time and again.”

At Continuum last night for a book signing and discussion led by Continuum CEO Harry West, Martin told a group of approximately 100 designers and business leaders about his theories and strategies from the recently published book. “In the modern business world,” says Martin, “analytical thinking is dominant.” Ever more scientific thinking is being applied to business. In corporations today, it’s not considered a rigorous idea if you can’t bring in data. The problem with this logic: You can’t prove anything new. “It drives out advances,” he says, “companies are lobbing off innovation with this thinking.”

When corporations begin to incorporate design thinking into their practices, they’ll see innovation take hold. How does it work? Design thinking, according to Martin, represents the advancement of knowledge. Martin’s theory posits that knowledge moves through a set of steps, from “mystery” (an unexplainable problem) to “heuristic” (a rule of thumb that guides us toward a solution) to “algorithm” (a replicable success formula). As knowledge advances through this “knowledge funnel,” productivity grows and costs drop. “The companies that will be successful in the next century are those that use this system,” he says, “and then reinvest in the next idea.”

One of the keys to making it work: Encourage abductive logic—acting on what’s probable, not certain; pushing yourself to live in the land of “what if.” “That’s where breakthroughs happen,” he says. Martin’s advice for all those folks working to make their business successful: Remain curious. “If you do this, innovation will happen,” he says. “And how hard—or expensive—is that?”

A proven tool for fighting poverty on a large scale, microfinance provides very small loans to people, mostly women, to start or expand small, self-sufficient businesses. In fact, 155 million of the world’s poorest people have received a microfinance loan—giving them the opportunity to transform their lives. But as these organizations face meteoric growth, managerial operations needed to effectively scale these institutions are suffering. Industry leaders claim that finding a solution to this “talent gap” is critical to the future of the field.

Continuum, in collaboration with a remarkable team, has just begun work on a project to solve this social challenge. The project’s goal is to create an innovative leadership development solution for middle managers, and, in essence, groom the next generation of leaders in these crucial organizations. The team includes Continuum Social Innovation Principal Anna Muoio; Peg Ross, director of the Human Capital Center at The Grameen Foundation; Lynn Pikholz, President of the microfinance development company ShoreCap Exchange; and Lyndon Rego, Director of Innovation at The Center for Creative Leadership, an international leadership education and research firm. “This is a burly problem,” says Muoio, “and we need the power of all these different disciplines and expertise—from microfinance to leadership development to organizational effectiveness and innovation—to solve it.”

Over the last decade, microfinance has experienced explosive growth, with local banks expanding anywhere from 50 to 100 percent year-over-year to serve the needs of their clients. “But because of this enormous growth,” says Pikholz, “resources are stretched, staff isn’t adequately trained, and there’s no methodology in place for managing, grooming, and attracting talent.” For example, one microfinance bank in India has hired close to 1,000 loan officers and branch managers this year alone. The branch mangers, for instance, are largely in their mid-twenties with little experience in managing hundreds of employees, significant loan portfolios, and “non-textbook” situations, such as a local government officials urging people to default on their loan repayments or the death of a loan officer in the field. To put things in context: A comparable job in a city at a traditional bank would require seven to eight years of experience. “Microfinance institutions can’t reach their mission without help,” says Rego.

During the discussion, the team opened up the conversation to guests, who included individuals from the microfinance and financial service sector as well as graduate students from Harvard, Tufts, and Boston College. They helped to imagine what the solution would look like. All agreed that a trail-blazing mentality is needed to get the job done.

Although the project is still in its infancy, Grameen’s Peg Ross has already felt that working with Continuum has been eye opening. “This company has introduced me to a whole new way of finding a solution,” says Ross. “And with the work that the team will do on this project, they will effectively train the next generation of leaders.”

Click here to read “No Footsteps to Follow: The talent gap in the development finance sector in India,” field notes from the team’s initial trip to India in the fall of 2009.

Our LA team hooked up a dual quad-core CPU Mac tower to enable Professor Tim Kasser to present and participate remotely. Supported by a great deal of analytical data supported by psychologists, Professor Kasser predicted a future focused less on extrinsic values (materialism) and more on intrinsic values (spiritualism). This is important, he explained, because when people focus on extrinsic values, their level of happiness and gratification goes down, and vice versa. To further explain the difference, he compared people who focus on the material against those who focus on the spiritual the day before and after Christmas. 

Nathan Shedroff presented a thought-provoking piece around meaning and how to find it. He said that traditionally, when people say “Less is More,” it generally makes people nervous, as they believe things are being taken away from them. He proposed re-phrasing it as “getting more for less.” With a strong focus on meaning, he also spoke about how any two people can have their own definition of values such as freedom and security, but the expression of those values can be very different. One example of this is that while NRA folks believe possessing firearms is an expression of security, others may think the exact opposite. 

Sean Brennan’s presentation looked at a shift occurring in Gen Y; the first generation that will not be as economically successful as its predecessors. Since they can’t afford more, their aspirations and spending behaviors will be different (and incomparable to previous generations). He looked at how this generation is using the internet as a way to rapidly prototype new identities, form relationships, and use their creativity and experiences as currency (Flickr travel photos, twitter updates). They spend their money on tools and services that allow them to do these things. Sean also echoed Professor Kasser’s points by sharing some of the thinking that’s happening in Continuum’s NEXT community, particularly around how sharing plays an important role for members of this new generation and how technology and services allow this generation to be green and thrifty by default. 

The crowd was very engaged in the panel discussion and raised some very good questions. Since half of the audience was design professionals, the conversation focused around what the implications would be for the future of design. The event lasted well into the evening hours, and everyone walked away with new insights in the future of consumerism.

Swine Flew with panel at the conference.

For those of you who were never a Boy Scout, the Pinewood Derby is a competition in which contestants build a small wooden car to race on a 40 foot track against other cars of the same approximate size and weight. The goal is to work within the parameters of the rules to build the fastest car.

Several years ago, the IDSA (Industrial Designers Society of America) decided to sponsor a derby car race for designers at their annual IDSA National Conference in Pasadena. The response was overwhelming as designers and engineers entered dozens of impressive cars that would lie, cheat and creatively steal their way to the finish line.

Since that first race in 2004, the competition has raged on, with designers from all over the country fielding extraordinary cars. For this years IBM Unlimited Derby held at the IDSA conference in Miami, Continuum approached their participation in the race in a new way. Rather than trying to create the fastest car, the team decided to create the most memorable car. To accomplish this, we started by brainstorming themes that would be relevant to what’s going on in the world.

The planet is currently going through a financial crisis that hasn’t been experienced in eighty years. We’re all being forced to pinch pennies and find creative ways to save money. At the same time, worldwide concern is high around health threats like the swine flu. Continuum took these themes and turned them into a statement of hope, a piggy bank car called Swine Flew.

The generous contribution of the IDSA audience.

Throughout the four-day conference, the attendees were encouraged to add their spare change to the piggy bank. This served two purposes. First, each coin made the car slightly heavier, and consequently, faster. Second, Continuum offered to multiply every contribution by 10 and donate the final amount to design education.

The Swine Flew pit crew members, Jung Tak, Damien Vizcarra, and Kevin Young (many thanks to the non-traveling crew of Jake Childs, Rich Ciccarelli and Bruce MacRae) have returned from the IDSA National Conference and are proud to bring home the award for Fastest Car in the Gravity Weight Class as well as the award for Most Fun.

We’re also proud to say that the generous contributions of the IDSA audience helped Swine Flew raise a total of $1,274.40 for design education.

The crew members are proud to bring back two IBM Derby awards.

swissnex Boston, the Consulate of Switzerland in Cambridge is pleased to announce an event on innovation strategies and on the intersection of innovation and sustainability. The two-day conference takes place on April 30th and May 1st and will bring together large corporate, entrepreneurs, venture capitals, startups, academics, business leaders, consultants and other professionals involved in innovation management. Its main objectives is to present and discuss recent methods, practices and innovation for coping with downsizing and troubled economy and the new paradigms required to build new business model based on open innovation and innovation partnerships.  Harry West, VP of Design Strategy, will be participating in the first panel discussion and Mark Bates will be leading a breakout session on Sustainable Design.

The event will take place on Thursday April 30th and Friday May 1st at: swissnex Boston, Consulate of Switzerland, 420 Broadway, Cambridge, MA (close to Harvard Square). The program can be viewed here. The fee to participate in this event is $150 the 2-days, or $80 per day (either April 30 or May 1). Seating is limited.

Please contact Pascal Marmier at swissnex Boston for more information: pascal@swissnexboston.org 

We are facilitating a design thinking workshop as part of Boston AIGA’s 25th Anniversary Celebration on this upcoming Saturday, March 28th. The description is below. If you know anyone interested in learning more about Continuum’s approach to Design Thinking please forward along the link below.

Bridging Business & Design: The Power of Design Thinking
with Matt Carlson, Principal, Brand Experience
30 participants  |  9am – Noon

Design Thinking is a structured approach to the creative process, a powerful tool for communicating the value of design to clients through a collaborative process. In this half-day workshop Continuum will show how to apply the principles of Design Thinking to solve business problems big and small, creating lighthouse concepts that can guide design and galvanize organizations.

Matthew is a principal at Continuum, with a focus on brand strategy and experience design. For 15 years, he has helped companies to understand their customers, identify unmet needs and envision brands and products that meet those needs. He works with industrial designers and ethnographers, engineers and MBAs to make ideas real and bring them to the marketplace.

People can register for the event at the Boston AIGA Website.

Picked this is up from Core and its right in our own backyard.  Definitely one to attend if you are in the area.

Design and Play

Featuring Constantin Boym, Chris Foster, Jim Crawford, and Ellen Lupton
Looking at the prevalence of playful, brightly colored, and unique design across many design disciplines, the panelists will address how their work has developed in recent years and why people want to play.

Details are here. Give us a shout if you’re going to attend.

Last week, my friend and former classmate Saul Griffith visited Continuum’s Boston office to share some of his thoughts on energy.

Saul is a busy guy and, among other things, he runs a renewable energy startup in Alameda, California called Makani Power.  Many folks have inquired (with rightful interest) about Makani’s work with high altitude wind, but given that the company is still operating in “stealth” mode, there’s not been much to share.  Instead, Saul has been taking his speaking engagements as opportunities to talk about another topic close to his heart, energy literacy.  He believes, as do I, that we need to reframe the conversation from being about what is politically possible to what is technically necessary.

At Continuum, Saul shared two stories with us – one global, one personal – aiming to give us a more tangible sense of our energy consumption, and of what it will take to meet that consumption in the future.  He told us the global story in very big numbers, addressing the issues of climate change, global energy consumption, and fossil fuels.  He shared his second story, the personal one, by focusing on the decisions we make in our everyday lives and the energy impacts that come with them.  While sick in bed with the flu last winter, Saul rigorously calculated his own energy footprint, taking into account his home, his workplace, his travel and commuting, even getting into the nitty gritty detail of the stuff he owns, the food he eats, the trash that’s hauled from his house to the dump every week, and his 1/300 millionth share of the U.S. government’s energy expenditures. By combining a broad world view with his individual perspective, he clearly illustrated the magnitude of the energy challenge.

Fortunately, based on the known and calculable amounts of energy available to the planet, Saul has also developed a “game plan” to address climate change. First he asked, “what is the temperature we want, and what does that imply in terms of our carbon dioxide concentration?”  Currently, we’re at approximately 385ppm in the atmosphere, and increasing that at a rate of about 7GtC/yr.  He chose 450ppm as a target which could, based on conservative estimates, result in an approximately 2°C rise in global temperature and 10% species loss. So, with that CO2 concentration limit as a starting point, he then looked at the available energy resources from a science perspective (based on high school physics and chemistry) and compared them to humanity’s energy consumption.

He showed us rational, data-driven evidence to suggest that although humanity uses a lot of energy, there are very large sources of non-carbon producing energy that can be tapped to meet our needs.  Beating climate change will certainly be a challenge of epic proportions, requiring a scale of global cooperation larger than any humanity has undertaken (including the World Wars — think all countries on the same side, cooperating for the force of good), but Saul was nonetheless optimistic that we could meet this challenge.

For starters, one unique approach he’s undertaken is to launch a new website called WattzOn.com that crowdsources individuals’ data on personal power consumption.  The site helps its users discover how to reduce their personal roles in climate change by giving them tools to track their own energy consumption, compare it to others’ and understand its consequences.  Hopefully, it will also, over time, act like Wikipedia, and refine the quality of our understanding about our energy consumption and habits.

Climate change is a global problem, but it’s going to be solved by individuals.  Saul is certainly doing his part, and we were delighted to have him here at Continuum giving us insights to help us do our part.

On October 4th, 12 of us from Continuum joined the Rodman Ride for Kids, the country’s largest single-day biking event to benefit different organizations throughout Massachusetts that help at risk children. Continuum has a tradition of generously supporting the Italian Home for Children at this event.  It gives us the opportunity to challenge ourselves and make a difference for a worthy cause.

The ride is a 25, 50, or 100-mile non-competitive cycling tour. It was inspiring to see riders of all abilities and limitations participate. “There were a number of people not only riding recumbent bikes, but the ones you pedal with your hands and arms rather than your legs. I was impressed,” said Gianna Ericson, who rode the 50 mile route.

The route was beautiful, especially during this time of year, when the leaves start to change color. The weather conditions started out perfect! It was a sunny and crisp autumn day, until about 11:30AM, when the wind picked up. Pedaling against the wind is like walking in the sand: you use all your energy to just make the motions. Biking through a scenic route and taking breaks in-between kept us motivated to keep riding. We passed by a few horse farms, Borderland State Park, and beautiful Lake Massapoag. We made a stop at a farm that harvested a 1800 pound pumpkin, set to compete the following week at Frerichs Farm in Warren, R.I for “the largest pumpkin the world had ever seen” contest.  It was a fun break to stop and take pictures of the famed pumpkin and talk to other riders, as we replenished our energy.

It was impressive how people pushed through the pain, exhaustion, and other limitations. Arturo Gossage, our only 100 mile rider said, “Finishing was the best feeling ever. No more pedaling, fighting headwinds, doubting myself… no more struggle. It was all over and I was happy to be going home.” There is a great feeling of camaraderie and pride that accompanies such an event, which adds to the experience a sense of accomplishment and renews our motivation to help others get to the finish line.