Recently, Continuum staffers Devorah Klein, Principal in Human-Centered Design, and Caitlin Toombs, Program Development Associate, braved a day of basic training at the famed West Point military academy in Hudson Valley, New York. Why, you ask, would these two subject themselves to such torture? They were lucky enough to attend a practice R-Day.

R-Day is the first day of training for the new class of recruits, done each year in the summer. The real R-day is run partially by the more senior cadets, so for a rehearsal, West Point opens up their doors once a year to a select few brave civilians, who allow themselves to be the guinea pigs for a dry run.

The Continuum team wasn’t just in it for the extraordinary stories they’d get to tell us when they got back. Klein and Toombs were interested in how R-Day—so tough that you are supposed to fail and fail fast—could affect behavior change. After all, change is hard. And the military knows a thing or two about effectively managing behavioral change.

How can going to extremes, beyond your personal limit, help you make dramatic changes in your life? What could they teach us about adherence and compliance—and, more importantly, about human behavior?

Find out what they learned in Devorah Klein’s video.

Designing from the Trenches from Continuum on Vimeo.

When you think of healthcare, most people think about hospitals, nurses and doctors. But increasingly, healthcare is happening outside of hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices. The Medical Development Group hosted a panel on Wednesday night around “The Future of Home Healthcare Products and Devices.” Representing the business perspective, Frank McGillin, the VP of Global Marketing at Philips Healthcare, talked about how increasingly, patients are handling more serious conditions on their own. Even talking about healthcare at “home” is a mistake, with connotations of a little old lady sitting in a rocking chair. As healthcare moves out of the hospital, patients need to go back to living regular lives, and this means healthcare at the beach, in an airport security line and on a mountain. One way to support these diverse needs is by leveraging resources with technology, allowing patients to be monitored and checked wherever they are.
 
David Rose, the CEO of Vitality, and Ben Rubin, the co-founder and CTO of Zeo, shared their viewpoints from a technology perspective. David Rose examined trends he’s seeing as technology is used to enable home healthcare. Highlights included embedding technology for ubiquitous sensing and feedback. Drawing on his experience developing a sleep coach, Ben Rubin discussed the importance of considering how data is shared and presented – the last thing sleep data should do is cause sleep performance anxiety!

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.

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.

I just attended the “Better World: Accelerating Lab to Market Innovation” conference hosted by MIT’s Enterprise forum. What had me thoroughly entertained—on the edge of my seat, actually—was the unexpected turn in conversation.

I’ve been to enough of these events to know that MIT leans toward the quantitative and analytical side of discussions. And in this case, with speakers like David Berry of Flagship, Alex Pentland, PhD MIT, and Iqbal Quadir of Legatum Center MIT, all indications were pointing to a deep, fact-based, analytical discussion. What happened, however, was entirely different. Our own Devorah Klein and IDEO’s designer Beto Lopez, who were also on the panel, captured the full interest of the audience when they pointed out—in the context of sustainable design—that human interactions can be purposefully designed. When connected to consumer values, human-centered design can inspire and promote behavior change, which, in turn, can encourage early and mass adoption of products and services—consumer, medical, industrial and otherwise.

All the panelists began to build on the point, with David Berry leading the charge. “When it comes to developing Joule, our company that is focused on creating a process to convert solar energy into a liquid fuel,” says Berry, “leveraging design so that we create a user experience that’s readily adopted by consumers is core to our success.” So, while Joule has plenty on its docket—raw science and technology development to name a few big ones—design is deeply embedded in its language and goals.  

The momentum continued, and by mid-way through the panel discussion the conversation was fully focused on the value of design in the innovation process and in creating and building businesses. Along with understanding the economics, technology and market of their business, entrepreneurs are increasingly assigning high value to understanding the functional, social and emotional connections their products make with consumers. The bottom line: Design, in its broadest sense, is becoming a well-accepted strategic tool for business, even in the most technical-based environments and companies.

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?”

Last week, I had the pleasure of judging the first annual Staples Global EcoEasy Challenge, a competition among universities from around the world to develop the next environmentally friendly office product. Some of the world’s top engineering students, from colleges and universities in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, and the United States, presented some really clever ideas.

The students from the University of New South Wales in Australia took first place — and a $25,000 grand prize — with their BIND concept, which stands for Binder Interlock Neat Device. A cool innovation that works like a tie-and-ring system for organizing documents, BIND represents an elegant improvement from zip ties, increasing the potential uses and likely reuses of the product. The assumption is that people will use BIND in place of less eco-friendly solutions for binding paper, such as three binders, and will be more likely to hold onto BIND as opposed to the use-and-dispose model associated with most zip ties.

In addition, there were two runners up, who each received $5,000. A team from the University of California Berkeley created an Eco Stapler made of bamboo. It was an obvious eco improvement to the everyday stapler. Nothing surprising, but the idea was well thought out and the team did their homework. Lastly, a team from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras won for the Step Shredder, an innovative idea to make a manually powered shredder. It would encourage exercise (much needed in the work environment!) and reduce energy consumption (much needed in our world). I wonder how receptive the office consumer would be to this idea…

It was great to get a glimpse into the minds of the next generation of designers and engineers. Here are a couple of additional learnings from event:

Ideas – There is no shortage of ideas that could help reduce our impact on the environment. The larger challenge remains; getting consumers to adopt new practices.

Passion – The students were passionate about the environment to the point they were often looking to trade convenience for a more sustainable solutions.

PowerPoint – Who needs PowerPoint? Each presenter used Presi to zoom and circle their way through their ideas, with many incorporating well-produced animations and video shorts.

Storytelling – These students definitely understand the value of a well-told story. Presentations included consideration of how an idea could impact a country, an economy, a business and the consumer.

Science and Emotion – Each presentation presented the math that substantiated the benefits (these were engineers, after all), and they also invested equal time on the emotional values and benefits.

I’m looking forward to seeing how this competition evolves next year, and I hope it can continue to raise awareness around sustainability and the office to help introduce creative solutions that reduce the corporate footprint. Kudos to Staples for taking a responsible leadership position on environmental affairs.

For more information on the event and the winners, go to: http://ecoeasychallenge.com/

“We’re here to try to do something different,” said Continuum’s Ed Milano, kicking off a panel discussion at the company’s Boston-area offices last Thursday to address a growing crisis within the field of microfinance. Milano, Vice President of Program Development at Continuum, set the stage with an apt quote from the de facto “father” of microfinance, Muhammad Yunus: “My greatest challenge has been to change the mindset of people. We see things the way our minds have instructed our eyes to see…Poverty in the world is an artificial creation…Poverty is unnecessary.”

 

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.

Last week, Continuum was asked to lead a Design Thinking workshop with over 60 Harvard University students. Professor of Sociology, David Ager, brought us in to share the basics of design thinking with his Social Entrepreneurship students to help them approach their endeavors in a new way.

The students filed in, having been told by Professor Ager that the night’s session would be different. They settled in among a sea of Post-Its and Sharpies—the building blocks of great ideation.

The facilitators for the evening, Anna Muoio and Jon Campbell, kicked off the evening with a simple task—write down the steps that one would go through to pick up a rental car at the airport.  Bulleted lists were scrawled on paper at tables across the room.

 

The students, like most of our workshop attendees, were confident that they covered everything. Over the next few hours of the workshop, the students would come to view the same experience with very different eyes, and would realize that, in fact, there is much more to see.

After hearing about the basics of Design Thinking and Service Design—methodologies, principles, tools and ways of working effectively—the students learned how to use them. Encouraged by their facilitators and supporting cast from Continuum, including strategists, designers and engineers, the students explored the gamut of the rental car experience.

Armed with Post-Its, Sharpies and nimble minds, students used a tool called ‘Journey Mapping’ to examine the total experience and understand each step from the consumer’s point of view, along with accompanying needs, anxieties and emotional connections. This exercise enabled the students to view the entire picture of how the experience flows and the holistic implications of potential changes and improvements.

Students were then charged with defining the ideal rental car experience, and, in the spirit of using new tools along the way, teams were challenged to convey an individual brand attribute through the experience. One team, charged with creating the experience with the brand attribute “edgy,” decided that ideally the rental car experience should be like a fashion show. They designed individual touchpoints along the journey that would help to create an “edgy” rental care experience.

The workshop was lively, and the students were both engaged and interested. After the workshop, one student said he is always asked to learn linearly.  This workshop, however, took the “Atlas globe” off of his back and allowed him to think more freely. The students departed the workshop in love with their favorite new office supply and excited to apply what they had just learned to their work.

As the prolific pedagogue and founder of The Riverside School in Ahmedabad, India, Kiran Sethi has infused the city’s youth culture with spirit and empowerment. Launching aProCh (A Protagonist in Every Child) early last year, Kiran has set after making Ahmedabad a child-friendly city. “They (children) understand intuitively that the real curriculum is not what’s taught in schools, but what’s written on the face of the land.” At the heart of the organization’s ideology is the fulfillment of the child’s need need for joy, safety, play, and the opportunity to explore the wider world. Bridging the gap between children’s teachers, parents, and their larger community creates the foundation of The Riverside School, and poises children to effect needed change.

Kiran’s latest thinking on how to enact change is The Design for Giving Contest. Through this, an entire emerging generation is called to action. She’s continued to drive home the point “Do not let the teachers drive the project; let them just guide it.”

With over 1300 entries pouring in from children full of earnest thinking and concern the teams from Continuum, IDEO, and the Institute of Design at Stanford were sure to be overwhelmed. As any contest of this size our team was rigorously making sure every entry had fulfilled each category with a level of clarity and conviction. Though, we also admitted how each entry would be its own mystery whose impacts we couldn’t possibly fully grasp: the elderly they visited, the thirsty villagers they spoke with, or the water sanitation issues they researched. Qualifying the entries would be soft, but also hard and fast. Sixth senses were hard to trust on this one.

I will not forget one particular entry. As we were going through many dozens of entries we began to learn their rhythm, their formats, language and tactics. Shivesh Pandey’s entry was different. This 11 year-old dove into a problem we hadn’t seen in other entries. He started to envision a technology device for his local train station. He explained that his motivation was several deaths from people trying to cross the train tracks as unannounced trains wizzed through the terminal. Following his explanation he submitted his genius: a fully equipped, stacked device outlining each feature – in crayon and colored pencil. Without a flinch, he had the answer. He was simply calling for its production and installation.

Though the entry by standard was not as robust, it showed a kid ready to make it happen. This was his idea addressing a problem in his world – straight from the gut. I presume that no teacher held his hand while working through his sketch. I appreciated Shivesh’s entry not because it was a great design, or necessarily even the right solution – but his potential to realize and act on the problem. He thought to outline the opportunity it seemed nobody saw. After all, that attitude struck me as core to the contest. If we can be a part of activating this generation’s custom of giving and support their design thinking, that is a powerful thing.

We’ll look forward to staying involved in Kiran’s work as it surely evolves. Kiran recently shook things up at TEDIndia and her contagious thinking. It seems the contest already has a life of its own – in the best way.

final blog in a series of 5

There is still quite a bit of detective work to be done. A cursory look at our graphs shows we are using on average 40kWatts (the equivalent of 400, 100 Watt, light bulbs) during nights/weekends and about 120kWatts peak during normal business hours.

From the below graph we can see that during business hours something is causing large spikes. Since this only happens during typical work hours we could probably attribute this behavior to the power hungry tools in our awesome Models Shop, or maybe the elevator. The spikes are probably due to the inductive load introduced when a motor such as a saw or compressor is turned on.

The chart below is a display of power use over a ten day period. You can see the reduced power consumption over the weekends and holidays. I would gather that since there is a small amount of power consumption on Monday May 25th (Memorial Day) some Continuumites are workaholics!

What’s Next

Possible improvements
Migrate data server applications to a proper web server
Add multi client capabilities so we can host data from other users.
Tie in real time power cost metrics
Carbon footprint tie in
Tie in weather parameters such as outside temperature and humidity.

Contribute
If you find this design intriguing and would like to contribute in some way, or if you have any questions feel free to email me at mcosta@dcontinuum.com