Design helps democratize innovation.
Our Approach
Our name, The Why Lab, originated from a deep curiosity to learn. To learn objective and subjective truths, to learn about people, and to learn about how we collaborate together to build the world around us.
And in the center of discovery lies questions. Specifically, our favorite question: WHY?
To us, a question is the beginning of an adventure. It is the first step to discovery and it the next step to moving forward. Sometimes the questions are practical, and sometimes they are exploratory.
You can make a lot of progress by asking questions. And sometimes, it’s the ONLY way to make progress.
why?
At the heart of all great design is empathy. We believe in falling in love with the people we want to help, instead of falling in love with something that we perceive to be the problem. Our ADAPTED version of the design process reflects our commitment to a deep understanding of people, habits, ecosystems, behaviors, and the corresponding emotions.
By its nature, the design process is fluid allows plenty of opportunities for customization and variability. Over the years, we have honed a keen ability to understand when and where to use which tools and techniques. But the one piece we never waver on? Is committing to centering equity and justice within the design of services and systems.
how?
Our team has an endless curiosity and drive to learn about people, systems, and the world around us. We use this superpower of understanding complex systems to explore and develop creative solutions to complex problems. And we add an element of unexpected delight.
As part of our process, we select an Insider Advocate within an organization. This is the person who will work with us to help us understand the context of the organization and the industry. This person will also help champion design within the company, with coaching, support, and resources from us. Our goal is not just to help you do one great project. It is to share our belief that service design is an essential and easy-to-integrate part of an impactful business.
what?
The space between a good idea and lasting impact is taking action. We use service prototyping to develop and test new ideas and understand behavior, so that when we made important decisions, they are based on real action. And we do all this by collaborating with your team and your customers.
Our Framework
The Why Lab exists to create more good in the world through service design. We know that creating lasting change isn’t done only with a single project or workshop. It requires a thoughtful process that is meant to be embedded within your organization to be used over and over.
Our work is not done unless we can offer a way for you to continue using the design mindset and process within your team, even after our contract together is completed.
Our goal with all engagements is to is always to have a lasting impact on the work as well as the teams behind it. To achieve this, all of our engagements contain three key phases: Discovery, Deliverable, and Direction.
Discovery
The foundation of all good design is empathy and insights. We conduct deep research to understand the full extent of your project challenge or internal team processes. We also select Insider Advocates within the company who will help drive design forward internally.
deliverable
We then provide a number of high-quality customized deliverables, in the form of strategy, prototypes, workshops, trainings, or meetings, depending on the scope.
direction
We provide templates, action steps, and inspiration to continue using service design internally and move your vision forward. The Insider Advocate can then take all this to better embed service design practices within the company.
Insider Advocate
As part of our process, we select an Insider Advocate within an organization. This is the person who will work with us to help us understand the context of the organization and the industry. This person will also help champion design within the company, with coaching, support, and resources from us.
Our goal is not just to help you do one great project, but to develop the capabilities to continue innovating. We aim to share our belief that service design is an essential part of an impactful business.
