Designing desirable futures is more than a recurring theme at Echos; it is our ethos. As technology advances and the challenges of inhabiting our planet become harsher than ever, the notion of having a tool such as human-centred design at hand makes me a little more peaceful. It gives me a glimmer of hope when it comes to thinking about what kind of future we have upon us.
When we think about “designing futures”, we usually associate the word “future” with our future accomplishments. We think of how our life will be in ten years; we worry about what kind of planet and society we will leave behind to our children and grandchildren in fifty. What we normally avoid thinking, is what kind of future we would want for when the time comes for us to part ways with this world. I know this sounds awfully grim and, quite frankly, we all hate talking about death. The thing is, though, as medicine advances and we live longer than we used to, we also live in pain for longer than ever before.
Last year I interviewed designer, worldbuilder and chronic pain sufferer Laura Cechanowicz, who made finding a way to create a better reality – and future – to “invisible disabled” people, as she calls them, her life’s work.
I asked her: “The health sector as we know it today is much more focused on diagnosis and medication than it is on the person and the circumstances that got them to that diagnosis in the first place. At Echos, we have worked with several clients in the health industry trying to answer this question: how can we make a health process – whatever it may be – more human-centred?” To which she replied: “The more that I can find ways to share peoples stories in an interesting way, the more that I can help people understand where the problems are. Sometimes we can do that through designing funny objects that can draw attention to where these problems are lying, and we can come up with solutions; some of them – I hope – are solutions that we can actually implement in the future. Another way might just be designing to help communicate as I think that, especially for invisible disabilities, one of the biggest problems is communication.”
What became clear to me from researching about our health industry and the way it treats people as patients, is that if we intend to live as long as we are, our care systems need to adjust.
American physician BJ Miller seems to share my point of view. As I came across his heart-wrenching TED Talk, it became so obvious to me that “designing futures” isn’t just about designing for scenarios where we live but also to acknowledge our human mortality and design to care for when we die.
BJ Miller, TED Talk.
From many of his brilliant insights, here is one that truly resonates with me: “The American healthcare system has more than its fair share of dysfunction — to match its brilliance, to be sure. (…) We who work in it are also unwitting agents for a system that too often does not serve. Why? (…) Because healthcare was designed with diseases, not people, at its center. Which is to say, of course, it was badly designed. And nowhere are the effects of bad design more heartbreaking or the opportunity for good design more compelling than at the end of life, where things are so distilled and concentrated. There are no do-overs. My purpose today is to reach out across disciplines and invite design thinking into this big conversation. That is, to bring intention and creativity to the experience of dying. We have a monumental opportunity in front of us, before one of the few universal issues as individuals as well as a civil society: to rethink and redesign how it is we die.”
Miller’s TED Talk – “What really matters at the end of life” – has been watched by almost 10 million people, and I invite you to watch it too. You won’t regret it.
Rani is a writer and actor based in Sydney, Australia. She is Echos Head of Content & Communications, and the Editor in Chief of The Echos Newsletter.
Before joining Echos, she worked in full-service advertising agencies as a copywriter, moved onto writing for Broadcast Media, and landed on Digital Media, working first as a Digital Producer and later as a Digital Account Manager. Most recently, she was Lead Client Solutions Manager for GumGum Inc, an ad tech company specialised in Artificial Intelligence.
Rani is a highly curious individual that believes creativity and innovation are the most important tools to propel any person or business forward.
Echos School of Design Thinking - Terms and Conditions
General
This website at www.schoolofdesignthinking.echos.cc (Site) is a website where you can browse, select and enroll in educational and innovation knowledge courses (Courses) advertised on the Site from Echos Innovation Lab Pty Ltd ABN 65 617 491 424 (Echos, us or we).
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General Provisions
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Privacy Policy and Your Personal Information
Refer to the Privacy Policy, which form part of these terms and conditions.
Definitions
Capitalised terms used are defined in these terms and conditions.
In these terms:
“GST” has the meaning it has in the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (Cth)
“Liabilities” means all direct and/or indirect liability for: costs; damages; losses; claims, causes of action, accidents; injuries; deaths; law and traffic violations; and expenses including but not limited to legal fees.
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Echos School of Design ThinkingPrivacy Policy
This is the policy of Echos Innovation Lab Pty Ltd ABN 65 617 491 424 (Echos, or our or we) for dealing with your personal information (Privacy Policy).
Our business and the purpose of collection
We are in the business of providing educational and innovation knowledge courses (Courses). We collect personal information primarily to provide the Courses to you (Purpose).
In particular, we collect your personal information so that we can carry out the following actions:
to provide you with the Courses and any other products, services and information that you have requested from us;
to communicate with you, including about the Courses, products, services and events which might interest you;
to provide you with information or advice;
process payments by you to us for our services;
to create accounts, tax invoices or receipts;
to provide your personal information to third parties that assist us in providing and/or delivering the Courses or other goods or services you or they have requested;
to consider and respond to feedback from you;
to comply with laws or regulations or to comply with any directions given by regulators or authorities.
We may disclose additional purposes for collection of your personal information in collection statements at the point of collection.
Personal information we collect
When used in this policy, “personal information” has the meaning given to that term in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We may collect the following types of personal information from you:
name;
residential or business address;
email address;
post code;
financial and payment information;
gender;
age and date of birth;
signature;
telephone number;
businesses you operate; and
your personal preferences, thoughts, ideas, goals and opinions.
Sensitive information
Sensitive information is information about you that reveals your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or affiliations, membership of a professional or trade association, membership of a trade union, details of health, disability, sexual orientation or criminal record.
It is our policy to only collect your sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for our functions or activities and either you have consented or we are required or authorised under law to do so.
How we collect your personal information
Collection of your personal information can occur through the following interactions:
when you communicate with us directly (by email, in person, telephone, direct mail or any other means);
when we interact with you during the Courses or in relation to any other products or services; and/or
when you visit our website and social media pages, or access or contribute to digital platforms and applications managed by us (Online Platforms).
Cookies
We may use temporary (session) cookies or permanent cookies when you access our Online Platforms. This allows us to recognise your browser and track the web pages you have visited.
You can switch off cookies by adjusting the settings on your web browser.
How we hold your personal information
We may hold your personal information in either electronic or hard copy form.
If you provide information to us electronically we retain this information in our computer systems and databases. If you provide information to us in hard copy (paper) this information is normally retained in our files and a copy is made to our electronic files.
Security
We use industry standard security measures to safeguard and protect your information.
If we are unable to collect your personal information
If we are unable to collect your personal information, some or all of the following may occur:
we may be unable to provide the Courses or other products and services to you;
we may be unable to communicate with you to provide information about the Courses or other products or services that you have procured from us, or may intend to procure in the future;
we may be unable to tailor the content of our marketing communications to suit your preferences;
your experience when interacting with us may be delayed or not as efficient as you may expect.
Disclosure of your personal information
Your personal information may be disclosed in connection with any Purpose to any of the following:
our employees, contractors or service providers, to the extent reasonably necessary to fulfil our obligations to you;
our business advisors, including lawyers, accountants or other professional service providers, to the extent reasonably required;
suppliers, clients and other third parties with whom we have commercial relationships, for business, payment processing, delivery, marketing and related purposes;
if required by law, to any person authorised by such law.
Overseas disclosure of personal information
We may disclose your personal information to third parties and service providers located overseas in connection with any Purpose, including to overseas cloud computing hosts. We take reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipients of your personal information do not breach the privacy obligations relating to your personal information.
Links
Links from our Online Platforms to third party websites that we do not operate or control are provided for your convenience. We are not responsible for the privacy or security practices of websites that are not covered by this Privacy Policy. Third party websites should have their own privacy and security policies which we encourage you to read before supplying any personal information to them.
Direct Marketing
We may contact you with direct marketing communications and information about Courses or other products or services offered by us or our partners via telephone, email, SMS, or regular mail.
If you have indicated a preference for a method of communication, we will endeavour to use that method wherever practical to do so.
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How you may access your information
You may access your personal information held by Echos by making a request to us.
Email: contact@echos.ccCorrection of your personal information
If you would like us to update or amend your personal information, please contact us and we will make the requested amendments.
We may ask you to verify your identity to ensure that personal information we hold is not improperly accessed.
Complaints
If you feel your privacy has been breached, please contact us using the contact information above setting out the circumstances and reasons for your complaint.
Global PresenceSchool of Design Thinking is an initiative from Echos - innovation lab.
