During the last few weeks, I have been working on a special design project.
My wife and I are building a small summer house and I have been using some design skills that I haven’t practised since my architecture days. Sketching, measuring, considering materials and constraints. One of the best things about the process was that I really felt alive in my body with a ton of energy. I brought all of myself to the process.
I have always viewed design as a transformational activity.
You are introducing something new into the universe with a specific intent. We need to ‘be’ something new to create something new. While I often focus on the ‘doing’ or the activities of creating something, the real benefit for me has been the deeper understanding of myself through the process.
It is the ‘becoming’ not the ‘doing’ that is key to achieving transformational results.
‘Becoming’ changes how we see the world and the rules we use to navigate it. It requires challenging beliefs about ourselves and letting go of deep-seated fears. To fully leverage the power of design requires moving beyond performing the activities and instead focusing on experiencing it fully.
To get in touch with our more authentic selves.
Only when we know ourselves authentically can really realise the change that design can bring to an organisation and the world. Organisations can only change when the people within them change. This is something that is often forgotten when introducing even the smallest changes in our lives.
As I have pursued my work with design I have found that helping people understand themselves is as important as the mastery of the methods and tools. This has been a radical shift for me, but one that I feel is the only way to capture the true value of design.
Transformation value is only realised when we can evoke changes in individual mindsets and group dynamics. This requires more then new methods and activities but instead better conditions that shape who the participants become. A space that invites that invites their best self to emerge.