Summary
Are some problems too wicked, complex, and systemic for designers to solve? The United States is experiencing a maternal health crisis—with the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income nations globally and an expanding number of counties being deemed "maternity care deserts" or areas without obstetrical services. These failures are disproportionately impacting Black and Indigenous communities, especially in rural areas. In this presentation, I'll share research that applies systems thinking to first-hand accounts from maternal health stakeholders to identify leverage points for design innovation. I'll break down leverage points using Donella Meadows' framework and discuss the power of her ultimate leverage point — paradigm shifts.
Upcoming events
Exit Interview: 20 Years of Tech, One Very Big Bet, and a Lot of Heat Pumps
Systems Thinking and Design Innovation: Working with Leverage Points in Rural Maternal Health Systems
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