Being the transformation we want to see
Inspired by Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act" here is a quilt for being the transformation we want to see in the world
Many years ago, I came across the concept of Effectuation by Saras Sarasvathy. If you don’t know her work, here’s her TED Talk from 2010 (it’s been 15 years, but it’s still relevant in many ways). One of the principles of Effectuation is called the Crazy Quilt and it is used for co-creation. The crazy quilt principle emphasizes building partnerships for success, even before you think you need them. It’s kind of ‘crazy’ to build networks you might not need, but in an interconnected world it is absolutely vital because sooner or later we will be able to help each other in ways we cannot always foresee from the get go. It’s on us to proactively thread the quilt together, the network that will keep us warm (like quilts do) if we ever need it. It is a way of being and becoming the transformation the world needs, together.
Inspired by this concept, as I was re-reading Rick Rubin’s “The Creative Act: A Way of Being" (2023) I started thinking of creating a quilt of transformational acts. Acts of transformation that might inspire me and others for those times when confidence takes a dip, as it does from time to time in order to re-engage us with the meaningfulness of transformation.
Creative acts according to Rick Rubin
According to Rick Rubin, creative acts are about tapping into one's authentic self and expressing raw, emotional truths. Creative acts involve finding simplicity, vulnerability, and an openness to the unknown. Creativity, for Rubin, is about making connections between seemingly unrelated things and exploring new possibilities while staying true to the essence of what you’re creating. His approach is to strip away the unnecessary, allowing space for inspiration to emerge. I love that.
Rubin says, "What’s important is the purity of the moment—being in the moment and letting everything else fall away." In that spirit, I have distilled 16 principles from his work that are like mantras for the creative process…
The principles make so much sense when you see them all together and phrased succinctly, that I wondered how these applied to transformation design.
Transformational acts
Using a healthy portion of inference, or in more fancy terms: abductive reasoning, I gave it a try to see how these ideas might be applied to the creation of quilt of transformational acts. The kind that you want to have at hand should you need them, when the going gets tough. As it does, in transformation projects.
Let’s dive into each of these transformational mantras:
Simplify Complexity: transformation design is an emerging discipline due to the complexity and chaos we are immersed in as a society. The point is then to bring simplicity without oversimplification. Design to understand, not to explain. This will allow for the required depth, without adding complexity. Look to understand the problem, not so much to explain the reality. The whole point of transformation design is to transcend the reality, by creating new ways to address the problems.
Alternate Action with Reflection: in Universal Methods of Design, Bruce Hannington and Bella Martin introduce many brilliant concepts. The idea of “no action without reflection, and no reflection without action” has always stood out for me. Often, design is confused as a making ability only. This is what gave rise to the concept of ‘design thinking’, which is the other end of the pendulum. We need to strike a balance between thinking and doing: by thinking with our hands through visuals and prototypes and doing collaboratively and in communication with each other so as not to lose our capacity to reflect. Both are necessary, and alternating them during the process is critical to not fall in love with our own ideas and be of service to what needs to transform.
Collaborate and Integrate: build a collaborative culture with teams and stakeholders by bringing diverse perspectives to the table. Encourage open feedback to ensure everyone’s input contributes to shaping the transformation design. Create reflective spaces within the process, giving people time to think deeply, away from constant meetings or distractions, allowing new insights and ideas to emerge as you integrate what is learnt into the process of transformation.
Trust your intuition: this cannot be overstated. Designers love processes and transformation design is no exception. Because transformation involves designing the yet unknown, there is little data to hold on. If something feels right, experiment with it. Make space for the intuitive connecting of dots that emerges qualitatively and follow your hunches.
Minimize distractions: deep work is critical to the success of transformations. Create a focused, transformation design environment by reducing unnecessary meetings and streamlining communication. Encourage deep work sessions where team members can concentrate fully, enabling the application of design principles to complex systems and the creation of sustainable, impactful changes.
Communicate explicitly: as the transformation process evolves we often assume that we are on the same page on things, but this is rarely the case. Precisely because we all experience emergence at different moments and different speeds, it is critical that we stay in communication with one another. This is where ideas cross-fertilise, people get inspired and momentum is built. Transformation is not a one-time event; it’s a continuous process. Allow the project to evolve and adapt as new information or circumstances emerge, sharing successes and mistakes, by communicating at multiple points along the way.
Question everything: really, everything. The whole issue with transformation is that we have to embrace not knowing. In order to create something new, we must lead with questions. Question everything in order to explore the space of the unknown and anticipate on entropy. Bring different people and views to the table: and invite them to question your project. The sooner you do so, the better: questioning is essential to challenge assumptions, uncover insights, and drives more questions that open new pathways.
See the bigger perspective: changing the perspective and seeing the unseen is a critical transformation skill. “If you can dream it, you can do it”, but before that you have to be able to see it . Pay attention to the needs, pain points, and feedback of those you're designing for and bring a calm perspective to identify weak signals and opportunities that are emerging as you go.
Overcome roadblocks: breakthroughs involve breaking… there is no way around that. Old structures have to crumble to make way for the new. View challenges and ‘stuckness’ as part of the transformation journey, and know that they can be overcome. Struggling through tough problems or unexpected roadblocks often leads to breakthroughs, alternative paths and new frames of mind that can radically change the outcome.
Don’t Overthink It: Challenge conventional thinking by trying new things. Remember that “perfect is the enemy of done”, so don’t postpone doing until you’ve got it all figured out. Dare to break free from old patterns and introduce fresh perspectives. Move quickly and allow ideas to evolve and morph repeatedly. The early imperfections in the transformation journey offer valuable learning opportunities because you they come from a space of possibility.
Experiment and Iterate: Encourage a culture of experimentation where new ideas, methods, and technologies are put into practice without fear of failure. Use prototypes or small-scale pilots to test out bold new transformed situations. Let the transformation design process unfold naturally, allowing people to feel into the transformation: the best solutions come when we stop pushing and allow the project to find its own momentum.
Follow the Flow: Stay open to where the project takes you. Transformation cannot, by its very nature, fit preconceived expectations. The key word here is ‘allowing’. Let it be, let it emerge, and keep it flowing by involving others in the transformational character of creating fundamental change in behavior, systems, and processes.
Transform existing conditions into preferred ones
The late Herbert Simon inspired us with his definition of design: “Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.” May these 16 transformational mantras be milestones in your pathways to transformation, and serve as a reminder that while transformation design is not easy, it is fundamental to making the changes we need towards a kinder, better and more prosperous future for all. Let’s keep it real, keep it practical and keep it going!