I’m super grateful for my time in the San Francisco Bay Area last week. It was a busy, fun and inspiring 5 days, moving from Santa Clara to Pleasanton, Berkeley, Redwood Shores, Cupertino, Palo Alto and San Francisco. Moving in space, and also moving in time.

I hadn’t been there since 2001 when I was a researcher at Stanford’s Center for Design Research. Quite a gap I’m sure you’ll agree and I’ve been thinking a lot on the passing of time, on how we change as human beings, and on our life goals and aspirations.

An idea came to mind. A common question when we reflect on our life journeys is “what would you tell your younger self?”

I wanted to flip that.

As my mind unlocked a trove of hidden memories, I began to appreciate and admire my 24 year-old self. I may have more experience now, but I felt I could learn from the energy, initiative and curiosity from back then.

So, as I moved around the Bay last week I tried to keep my ears open and pay attention. I asked my former self for advice.

As I tried to uncover an answer 3 main themes emerged — return to office, return to design and recognising responsibility.

Return to Office

Most of the organisations I visited during the week are in the initial stages of attracting people back to the office. And it’s not an easy transition.

All policies I came across centre on a mandated 2-3 days per week at the office and I sense a willingness for this to drive an acceleration on performance and execution after the turbulence of the past few years.

Yet having bodies on seats is one thing. Leveraging colocation for improved ways of working is another. I heard stories of people still working in silos, even one manager confessed that he doesn’t ask for help as much as he used to. Have we forgotten how to collaborate? How to work together in a shared physical space?

Many are in the initial stages of this return so perhaps it’s just a matter of time, as we ‘thaw out’ from the pandemic-style way of working. Yet I believe we can help accelerate this process by designing appropriate rituals that make the office an attractive destination and help people overcome the reluctance they have to come back. And free lunches are not enough.

Return to Design

Thinking on the design of appropriate office rituals was part of an overall strong narrative of design during the week. I trained as a designer during 8 years at University, a learning journey that was cemented at Stanford. Though I think as a designer I haven’t really practiced design much during my career.

So, it was interesting that design came back strongly during the week. During talks at Oracle, Apple and JP Morgan design was the focus. The design of experiences, of products and services, of whole systems.

And I think we can all practice design. In the re-imagining of a new way of thinking, being and doing — that allows us to come back stronger.

I’ve used the Zunin & Meyers framework above to reflect on our experience during the pandemic. How can you play the role of a designer during our shared “reconstruction” on a personal, organisational and societal level?

Recognising Responsibility

The third and final theme of the week. It hit me most when I was walking around Apple Park and then talking to a team of designers — that decisions were being made which would affect billions around the world. And that is true around the Bay. The level of power and influence is staggering. We would like to think that decisions are being made in the interests of the greater good.

Perhaps that is not always the case but change can start with ourselves. I think many deeper questions were being asked during the pandemic, around purpose and meaning. Several of my talks during the week focused on these themes, and took me back even earlier in my life than 2001. These are deep, important questions on a personal level.

When we elevate this analysis to a broader scope we look at the role of business in society. It’s clear that society can’t be fixed by government alone. Business increasingly needs to step into the gap, and by more closely considering stakeholders rather than just shareholders it strengthens the business long-term. Sustainability also means sustainable competitiveness.

We all have a responsibility to try and make the world a better place.

And I think that is what finally connected me to my 24-year old self. The idealist and dreamer, unbound by worldly constraints or any notions of realism. I think I’ll try and reconnect with him on a more regular basis.

Thanks for reading. Have a great week everyone.