Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 4-10. U-shaped learning.
As Otto Scharmer, a leading proponent of Theory U, explains:
The journey from ego-system to eco-system awareness or from “me” to “we” has three dimensions: (1)
better relating to others; (2) better relating to the whole system; (3) better relating to oneself. These three
dimensions require participants to explore the edges of the system and the self . cxvi
This is why ethnography is so vital to design. Personal interaction with users leads to insight
and empathy. When we see customers struggling and suffering, we're motivated to improve our
systems. Often, to create change, information isn't enough. People need to care about the out-
come.
Relative to information, architecture is a less direct but more persuasive path to change. Of
course, the two tactics usually work best when paired. For instance, asking designers and engin-
eers to collaborate may have a limited effect, unless we also co-locate their desks. As Winston
Churchill famously remarked “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”
In Nudge, Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein define a “choice architect” as a person responsible
for “organizing the context in which people make decisions.” cxvii They note that by rearranging a
school cafeteria, it's possible to increase or decrease the consumption of many food items by as
much as 25 percent. cxviii Of course the context need not be physical. In one study, forty thousand
Search WWH ::




Custom Search