The Optimism of Design
Recently, I was talking to a friend about some challenges at their company. One was a number of simultaneous departures—the majority of which were remote employees who were disconnected from the company culture vs. their in-person counterparts. Their particular company was stuck catering to in-person team members vs. evolving to better embrace the hybrid and remote workers of today.
This emerging trend of departures was causing some anxiety for them, one) because their company historically had relatively low turnover rates, and, two) they were looking to grow by recruiting nationwide talent. Knowing remote employees weren't connecting at a deeper level gave them fear about their ability to grow.
I wasn't overjoyed when I heard these people were resigning, either. When people leave a company (whether on good or bad terms), it's always tough because people and relationships are complex and multi-faceted. Add in NDAs, non-competes, misaligned expectations, and things get even more tense and challenging to make sense of. But as I continued listening, I shared how I saw the situation not laden with fear or anxiety but with a lens bent toward optimism.
Defining Optimism
Optimism goes beyond just seeing the good or valuable side—which alone can present itself as a blind or fake "everything is great" attitude. (I’m not too fond of that). It encourages you to connect those moments and take action based on what you see. Once you move beyond simply recognizing the good in each of the individual pieces, you can see the opportunity at a higher level and take action to move forward.
Harnessing optimism means believing that every problem, even if challenging at the moment, is an opportunity to move forward and make progress. And while the near-term situation might be overwhelming or seem impossible, it's essential to look at the long-term opportunities and outcomes that are possible and the positive change that can occur because of the unfortunate situation at the moment.
Optimism in Design
Optimism is an underlying mindset that's critical to design. Unfortunately, more often than not, it's not depicted or explicitly listed in frameworks that show the more familiar values and phases, such as empathizing, ideating, prototyping, testing, etc.
However, the practice of design itself is inherently optimistic. It requires an open mind about the possibilities for creating a better future. And looking at the world today, there has never been a greater need for new solutions to problems. Whether a rash of employees leaving a company or more systemic societal challenges, optimism encourages us to approach issues from a lens of progress.
The very existence of problems in the first place is why my career and the practice of design exist. From differentiating your company to ensuring your people are all pulling toward the same goal to releasing a new service to the market, progress is critical. Design helps people and organizations identify and solve the right problems most appropriately.
An Optimistic Mindset
So, how do you develop an optimistic mindset? Let's take a look at an example. In my life, the first example of this was the infamous Looney Toon antagonist, Wile E. Coyote.
There is no doubt Wile E. Coyote embodied optimism—how else could he have continued time and time again in the endless pursuit to capture Road Runner? He held three truths, and we can use them to view the problems in front of us with a new mindset.
Defeat is not an option. Each time he failed, he pulled himself back up and tried again. He had a clear mission to capture Road Runner and was going to try every conceivable way. Despite being blown up, flattened, stretched, smashed, burned, twisted, squeezed, etc., he never gave up.
It is a learning process. Wile E. Coyote may hold the record for the most prototypes created for a single problem. When painting the tunnel on the side of the wall didn't work, he tried a trip wire or dressed up as a batman. When tempting Road Runner with food to slow him down didn't work, he tried to match Road Runner's speed by saddling an ACME rocket. He learned from his mistakes, trying new ideas each time.
Come back stronger. Each time Wile E. Coyote failed, he returned with a cemented determination to find a solution that worked. Optimism teaches us that disappointing situations are only temporary and that we can move past them with intention. When we do, we emerge stronger, ready to take on the next phase or challenge.
Harnessing Optimism
Whether it's insurrection, isolation, regulation, vaccination, or you're just trying to make it through a project at work, everyone could use a little more positive outlook these days. But how? Here are three ways I've brought optimism into my work.
Question your assumptions. People lose motivation and get stuck when they think they see the whole picture and can't possibly see any other solution. Are you stuck focusing on the negative, or even seeing the positive in doses, but not connecting to opportunities beyond that? Ask yourself what you might be missing or overlooking based on your assumptions about people, processes, or priorities. By reframing the problem, or some of the critical elements, you may gain new insight into the problem and find new ways to keep moving forward.
Go broad. Asking other people for input brings new perspectives to your ideas and can help further question your assumptions. Why are others on your team motivated to solve this problem? How do the people affected by this problem feel? What solution do they wish for? Getting insight from others or putting yourself in others’ shoes, can help you empathize with a new point of view.
Keep the end in mind. For Wile E. Coyote, the goal was feasting on a true delicacy, Road Runner. Defeat meant he would starve to death. This was clear motivation to keep going and accomplish his goal. During the process, ask yourself: What am I (are we) here for?, What happens if I/we give up on the client's/customers goal? Sometimes a good reminder of the purpose of our work is all the motivation we need to get unstuck and keep trying.
Don't wait
Optimism is contagious. People want to work with individuals and companies that are making a difference in the world. And inspired employees drive results, making the world a better place and returning real results to organizations. As you think about your corner of the world, ask yourself, how can you better the economies and communities we live and work within through a more optimistic mindset?