Rosenverse

Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.

Log in Create free account

100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.

The most popular design thinking strategy is BS
Thursday, January 27, 2022 • Enterprise Community
Share the love for this talk
The most popular design thinking strategy is BS
Speakers: Tricia Wang
Link:

Summary

How Might We (HMW) is a commonly accepted design thinking practice for framing a problem in space exploration, usually within a codified "design sprint" framework. However, there are risks and limitations that can undermine its value. Join us for a candid, provocative discussion with Tricia Wang, who wrote a searing yet insightful piece recently in Fast Company that challenges the value of the HMW practice, while offering alternatives to help us transcend its issues.

Key Insights

  • The 'how might we' approach has been co-opted in many settings to enforce conformity and suppress alternative ideas, rather than encourage creative problem-solving.

  • Teams using 'how might we' must critically examine who the 'we' represents and whether those communities are truly included in decision-making.

  • Diversity and inclusion efforts often fail because companies seek to engage marginalized communities externally without changing their internal leadership and talent structures.

  • Building local research and design capacity in communities is more sustainable and ethical than relying on outside consultants who lack contextual understanding.

  • Designers need to foster trust and authentic interpersonal connections across organizational silos to drive meaningful change internally.

  • Conversations around values and purpose should be prioritized within teams to align efforts and expose misalignments that hinder productivity and retention.

  • Representation matters critically, especially in research teams, to avoid harm and misinterpretations when working with underrepresented groups.

  • Design teams benefit from diverse professional backgrounds like journalism and engineering, which enrich research and insight generation.

  • Emerging tech fields like Web3 present an opportunity to embed equitable design practices early, avoiding repeating past mistakes seen in Web2.

  • Feeling discomfort or skepticism towards standard design methodologies is a healthy sign prompting critical reflection and potential innovation.

Notable Quotes

"How might we has become like a church—untouchable and sanctimonious instead of a flexible tool."

"You have to ask who the 'we' is in the room, because often the communities you're designing for aren't represented or understood there."

"It's not about going out to communities but changing your team and leadership to genuinely reflect those communities."

"Companies parachuting in to 'study' marginalized groups often do more harm than good when they don't build local capacity."

"Building trust across functions means simple acts like scheduling lunch or coffee meetings with no agenda."

"Values conversation is less threatening when framed as wanting to understand why we're doing this project or why we're here."

"Designers are the most insecure function in many companies because their role—to represent people's needs—is both critical and ambiguous."

"Representation is key to avoiding harm and misinterpretation, especially when working with Indigenous and marginalized communities."

"Web3 offers a unique chance to get involved early before some of the ethical challenges of Web2 take root."

"Make a note when something about your design process doesn't feel right—discomfort is a guide to curiosity and improvement."

Ask the Rosenbot
John Donmoyer
Shipping your code generation experiments to production
2025 • Designing with AI 2025
Gold
Caitlyn Hampton
Compass 101: Growing Your Career In A Startup World
2021 • Design at Scale 2021
Gold
Carol Massa
Designing Health: Integrating Service Design, Technology, and Strategy to Transform Patient and Clinician Experiences
2024 • Advancing Service Design 2024
Gold
Sam Proulx
To Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
Alicia Mooty
Design Staffing Models
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold
Deanna Washington
Connecting the Ops: Plenary Panel and Closing Circle
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
Sara Conklin
A UXer’s 12-Month Journey from Climate Concern to Climate Credibility
2025 • Climate UX Interest Group
Niko Laitinen
Adaptable Org Design for Resilient Times
2021 • Design at Scale 2021
Gold
Lori Muszynski
Keeping Design Weird
2023 • DesignOps Summit 2023
Gold
George Abraham
Design Systems To-Go: Introducing a Starter Design System, and Indigo.Design Overview (Part 1)
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold
Janaki Kumar
Innovate with Purpose
2018 • Enterprise Experience 2018
Gold
Andrea Gallagher
The Problem Space
2019 • Advancing Research Community
Mike Oren
Design Research Strategy & Strategic Design Research
2022 • Advancing Research Community
Cheryl Platz
Merging Improv with Design
2019 • Enterprise Community
Briana Thomas
The Quiet Force: Uncovering Hidden Leadership in High-Impact Design Teams
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Joseph Williams
Unlocking impact and influence through inclusive hiring in research
2021 • Advancing Research Community

More Videos

Doug Powell

"We are truly in a golden age for our profession."

Doug Powell

Closing Keynote: Design at Scale

November 8, 2018

Mila Kuznetsova

"If a group session with middle schoolers goes off the rails, one-on-one sessions can save the research."

Mila Kuznetsova Lucy Denton

How Lessons Learned from Our Youngest Users Can Help Us Evolve our Practices

March 9, 2022

Sarah Gallimore

"Evan actually spent less than 15 minutes on the essay, and instead of working on homework, he was writing a letter to his significant other back home in Detroit."

Sarah Gallimore

Inspire Progress with Artifacts from the Future

November 18, 2022

Lada Gorlenko

"We never compromise on the business goals, but how we achieve them can be flexible and pragmatic."

Lada Gorlenko Sharbani Dhar Sébastien Malo Rob Mitzel Ivana Ng Michal Anne Rogondino

Theme 1: Discussion

January 8, 2024

Alnie Figueroa

"Nobody can predict where we’re going, but we can choose to shape the future."

Alnie Figueroa

The Future of Design Operations: Transforming Our Craft

September 10, 2025

Landon Barnes

"If you measure an infinite number of customers, every change would be statistically significant, but not every change would be meaningful."

Landon Barnes

Are My Research Findings Actually Meaningful?

March 10, 2022

Emily Eagle

"When you’re talking, it’s easier to learn something new, but if you’re shy and don’t talk, you don’t learn anything."

Emily Eagle

Can't Rewind: Radio and Retail

June 3, 2019

Malini Rao

"Managing resistance is mental; customers might resist because they've learned workarounds with legacy systems."

Malini Rao

Lessons Learned from a 4-year Product Re-platforming Journey

June 9, 2021

Asia Hoe

"Assume positive intent, practice a service mindset, and curiosity over ego — remember we’re all in this together."

Asia Hoe

Partnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design

November 29, 2023