What is Transformational Design

What is Transformational Design?
It’s an innovative new design framework for socially conscious communicators. It outlines a new way of designing communications so that they can systematically overcome cynicism and move people to take real-world action. It’s based upon a seamless blend of developmental psychology, systems theory, and common sense and—most importantly—it works.

Yeah? Prove it.
You’re reading this website, aren’t you? The fact that we’re having this conversation suggests that I’ve done something to capture your attention and open your mind. But for much stronger proof, read the book ‘Igniting Inspiration: A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries’. In this book, you’ll get tons of examples of this approach in action. In fact, the reason this book is doing so well, so quickly, is that it was designed using the very same principles that it espouses. In other words, the book on Transformational Design was itself put together using Transformational Design—clever, isn’t it?

I get it. You’re trying to sell me your book!
Sure, that would be great, but that’s the least of my worries. I’m trying to make a point here, and it’s not a shallow bullet point for cynics who are unwilling to consider a new way of looking at things. This approach is for people who care about the world, and who have come to realize that traditional media and social communication norms have short-circuited our ability to deal with the unprecedented crises and challenges that currently confront us.

What specific crises are you talking about?
The environment, the economy, terrorism, poverty—you name it. From a Transformational Design perspective, these problems are actually merely symptoms of a deeper condition: mental gridlock. As a country and as a species, we are gridlocked in ideologies, battling for power and dogma supremacy. As a result, we are not dealing with the urgent challenges at hand. We are now at a critical, life or death juncture. Which path will we take? Transformational Design is a new framework with the potential to help us untangle these knots and get the system (aka ‘life’) evolving forward again. Once this happens, material solutions will begin to emerge spontaneously.

Does this approach work best for large or small scale applications?
Because it’s based upon universal principles, it can work equally well for both. The book (Igniting Inspiration: A Persuasion Manual for Visionaries) is generally geared towards the creation of socially conscious media and messaging campaigns for larger audiences. But these same principles can also be fruitfully applied at an organizational level (within companies) and an an individual level (within relationships).

If this approach is so effective, aren’t you afraid it’ll be used for evil purposes?
Not at all. Transformational Design is—by and large—evil proof. The reason for this is simple: one of the core assumptions beneath this model is that the key to transformational communication is authenticity. Inspired communication cannot truly happen by people who are being inauthentic (read: trying to manipulate others for personal gain). In fact, the Transformational Design model clearly explains exactly what authenticity is and why it’s so important. The word ‘authenticity’, by itself, doesn’t mean anything. Just saying the word ‘authentic’ will never make someone authentic. Authenticity relates to one’s underlying (usually hidden) intentions in a given moment. Understanding and leveraging the power of intentions in communication is a critical part of the Transformational Design process.

“Leveraging Intentions” sounds sorta creepy or cultish. Didn’t you say that this approach is scientific?
Don’t worry—no crystal wearing or past-life regressions are required! And, yes, the Transformational Design framework is largely based upon quantified scientific research. But it doesn’t just stop at science. Ultimately it’s an interdisciplinary approach, combining best knowledge from science, systems theory, existential philosophy and spirituality into a simple elegant communication design framework. Sounds complicated, but it’s not. That’s what makes it so great—it’s simple, and it’s immediately practical. You don’t have to be an academic to understand and use it. You just need to have an open mind and be willing to try out some new ideas.

I trust science. Tell me about the science.
The science component deals mostly with some breakthrough developmental psychology work done by late psychologist Claire W. Graves. This breakthrough research spells out the precise value systems or ‘levels of thinking’ that people move through as the climb up the evolutionary ladder of human existence. It’s simply the most amazingly practical and life-changing psychology research I’ve ever encountered! (And, as a former graduate psychology professor, I’ve seen a lot.)

What makes Graves research so great?
It’s great because it works. Once a communicator understands these basic levels of thinking that Graves uncovered, everything starts to make sense. You may not always like it—but it all finally makes sense. Political parties, religious ideologies, aesthetic preference—all of this starts to fit together into a very simple, explanatory framework.. Insight flourishes and profound new communication insights effortlessly emerge. This framework gives us the power to design media and communications that systematically speak to the core values and attitudes of our target groups, so that they will finally release their mental resistance and embrace our life-serving cause, whatever that may be.

What makes you so sure people will ‘drink the Kool-Aid’ so to speak?
Because they will finally see that doing the right thing as ultimately being in their own best interest. Transformational Design is not a dreamy pie-in-the-sky approach. It’s based on reality. And the reality is that people do not do things unless they perceive them being in their own best interest. This process is effective because it helps the communicator design communications that call upon the audience to expand their own sense of self-interest to include the self-interest include others. Let’s face it: when push comes to shove, people are not selfish. On the contrary, they are caring and generous. Everyone instinctively longs to contribute. Through effective communication we can help them escape the misery of their own cynicism and give them a fresh opportunity to express their longing to contribute through life-serving causes. Our good intentions need not be used as bricks that pave our path to hell. Our good intentions, effectively marketed and communicated, can cause social transformations of an epic order. And—in the end—epic social transformations are exactly what Transformational Design has been designed to help you ignite.

Wow.
Pretty exciting stuff, isn’t it?

Sooo…when do we start singing “Kumbuya”?
Right after the ice caps stop melting.