“The only universal language is mathematics, and numbers are its building blocks.” Nature’s design strategy is to make seamless, continuous things. Morph Genome: Lalvani defines it as a genome built of genes independent of each other. His work is to map every possible way in which a shape can morph. Each gene (or shape) branches out to form “seeds for a universe of shapes.”

Value / Utility / Synthetic Web3 is dynamic and adaptable, like mycelial networks. In a mycelial network, fungal fibers grow, divide, and merge as needed, creating new connections. Likewise, in Web3, nodes can join when needed, opening the door to spontaneous associations. ‘Spontaneous’ implies organic, swift, and everchanging fun compared to Web2. …

Hello, —spores? — TED Conferences started in 1984 (the year I started design school), a presage of powerful social transformations led by the convergence of technology, entertainment, and design. Since then, that formula has driven innovations in product and business models and human behaviors. …

“It is not ‘woke.’ It is capitalism.” Larry Fink’s (Blackrock’s CEO) widely reported quote could have easily come from a brand consultant and shows how rooted the ongoing movement to transcendence (purpose) in business is. Reading it led me to ask: what choices can companies evaluate when defining their purpose…

If you scroll down your feed, I bet you’ll find that purpose and system appear more frequently than most other terms. They are both embedded in our business lingo for a reason. ‘Purpose’ contains the notion of transformation and recognizes that companies are in business to make an impact and that teams can drive an enterprise to a preferred future. ‘System’ talks to operationalization through interdependence between parts and context, crucial to transformation as well.

Inclusivity can fix inequality and several other monstrous problems that won’t go away. It can also lead companies to brilliant outcomes. For my generation, the 21st century was a promise of better, more harmonious times. Humankind would finally have the science and technology to produce miracles and find peace. …

(Third in a series) Profound crises are impacting social structures, commerce, institutions, and the environment. It’s hard to see an end to this, but the ultimate impact is on people’s attitudes and behaviors. We have to assume the effect will be massively profound and that traditional approaches (developed in response…

(Second in a series) — Amid disruption, values change, and so do people’s expectations. There seems to be a consensus that this crisis will accelerate profound transformations across every aspect of life. Yes, it’s a platitude that could mean anything. Luckily, there are also visions of ‘new futures’ in place today, by a crop of…

We already see signs of a new reality forming: online vs. physical retail, wfh vs. office, hospitality vs. delivery, and on and on and on… Most of us expect to have to make substantial changes, but taking action early in this crisis can be paralyzingly hard. We are amid a…