We are faced with challenges every day, some big, some small, and as design minded individuals we are passionate about finding opportunities that help us navigate these challenges in a better way. As the world becomes increasingly connected and intertwined we put ourselves at a disadvantage by not expanding our understanding of the systems these challenges embed themselves in. By training ourselves to expand our viewpoint beyond the immediate touchpoints, we allow ourselves to reframe these challenges and explore new and creative ways to re-design the circumstances that gave rise to the challenge. All in hopes of eliminating them from occurring again, or popping up in a new location.

If you find yourself playing a game of wack-a-mole when tackling the challenges you face perhaps its time to deploy a systems thinking perspective to your environment and enable yourself to move beyond the surface level data and transform mental models that can lead to new and exciting innovations.

• SPEAKER
• Kate Moon, Service Designer and Design Strategist, IBM
• Kate is a service designer who collaborates with teams to craft a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing their organizations -today and in the future. She learned much of what she knows about facilitation and organizational learning in the interactive exhibits and summer camp classrooms at Thinkery, where she worked for a decade designing innovative learning experiences. She believes in celebrating and respecting the humanity and heart in everyone she has the privilege to work with.

Kate holds an interdisciplinary degree in Art History, Psychology, and Recreation Administration from Texas State University.

• SPEAKER
• Peter Sharp, Service Designer and Design Strategist , IBM
• Peter is a service designer and design strategist who is obsessed with uncovering the 'why' in a given situation. He believes that systems thinking is a powerful perspective that can help enable individuals, organizations, and communities to orchestrate holistic inclusive experiences that provide increased opportunities for intentional value co-creation.